Ever since getting here I have been tempted to ask the traffic police why they sit in their huts and ignore the motor scooters on pavements and people going the wrong way (where there is a crossing here it might be observed especially in posher areas, unlike Rishikesh where they were totally ignored) but I felt perhaps aggravating the police was not such a good idea, but then to my delight today just after a scooter ran through the red light whilst I was trying to cross it was nabbed! And yesterday a kindly police officer negotiated a rickshaw for me and at a much cheaper price than I would manage when I got lost trying to walk to the Red Fort from what turned out to be a less than ideal underground. Rickshaws aside it seems bargaining is a thing of the past and foreigners pay more for entry into places, but that seems okay as while the price is a lot higher it is not too expensive so today whilst heading for one Mughal Tomb instead I landed up at another one which cost 300 rupees to go to. It was lovely and quiet and peaceful till a school of young girls arrived, half of whom said hello and shook my hand. They were quite fun. Only a short distance away was the delightful Lodhi gardens,which are free, if it had had a cafe, I would have stayed all day, but only a few hawkers appeared and the many Indians had their own picnics with them. I had no energy to do anything other than sit rather than doing in depth clambering over mausoleums and stayed so long I began to get peckish So going onto the zoo rather than another tomb seemed the quickest way to find somewhere to eat and stay outside. Hygienically I am not sure about the canteen, but the price for coffee and something chat was very good value. I debated the zoo, I used to love taking Nathan to London zoo, but it is very expensive there and of course zoos are mired in controversy too these days, but what if they are the only way to see animals. Having spotted four elephants, and several types of deer at the National Park at some distance, I needed little excuse to head inside to see how their wildlife is presented to Indians. I was amazed how many people were pouring in and as per usual we were all searched and scanned. Inside the area is very green and some animals have a lot of space and some breeding has been helping endangered species like the White Tiger, but others like
the hippo seemed almost too close for comfort packed in like huge bellowing Walls sausages, I am sure the sight of this one white face intrigued this hippo. I sometimes feel I am a bit like someone in a zoo here, as I am starred at and commented upon both nicely and dismissively but given that I am taking photos of those commenting on me it seems fair enough though I do not really enjoy it. However, having compared the Indian and the African elephant, and been riveting by the tigers and the gibbon, I rewarded myself with a return trip to have some excellent Indian tea to end my trip back at the Craft Museum. Compared to 10 years ago India seems to have done a lot to improve transport eg with the metro, there are lots of signs up to support women's safety and green living, Everywhere there is water provided and lots of free toilets, some of which are very well looked after and none of which have been unbearable. I have been able to explore large areas on foot, whilst tuk tuk's have been ever ready to swoop me up when too tired to go further . Delhi is much nicer than I had imagined, whilst one can still suddenly be somewhere smelly and unsettling, however, there are also swathes of lovely open parks in which to just relax on the grass and watch the world go buy. And while they mainly cater for rich Indians and westerners there are one or two places for really good tea and coffee, and where ever I have been the food cheap or more costly has been brilliant. There has been so much to focus on it has really taken me out of myself to be here. Most days people have chatted to me so one never feels alone, though it has been great to meet up in the evenings with Om. And it has been lovely to be in the warmth. I could have spent a fortune on clothes looking at the lovely range of outfits the women wear, but here in Delhi so far have not found the kind of shops that were available in Rishikesh but which were shut when I wanted to go back and buy something, but I have some shoes bought from the local market and a book from the second hand book stall, called White Tiger to entertain me on the flight home.
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