So first up, Delhi is 200% bonkers. Not as bonkers as the American electorate obviously, but bonkers nonetheless. Anyone that has been to Bangkok or Hanoi and thinks these cities are busy, haven't been here. 19 million people all doing their shopping together creates quite a logjam I can tell you. People use 'indescribable' to describe things quite a lot but Delhi deserves the word more than anywhere I've ever been to.
it has been an interesting and hectic introduction into navigating India today. I did manage a bit of sightseeing in the end but most of the day was spent arranging my journey out of town. I suspect I've had my first proper fleecing after a morning of innumerable minor fleecings. I honestly don't want to go into the detail but buying a train ticket is a major drama and I've had to book onto an itinerised tour for a couple of days which is NOT what I wanted to do. I visited 6 official govt tourism offices before finding the actual official govt tourism office, which turned out to be fake.
I'm sure people would be happy to offer advice on where I went wrong but that would be unhelpful right now I'm afraid. Anyway, I'm shipping out into the sticks by hook or by crook - albeit at a tour operators pace rather than my own.
The good news is that I get to see Jaipur earlier than planned and have a train ticket to Allahabad, where I want to begin the walk. So it's not all bad.
Delhi appears as busy as one would expect. The safe stopping distance for road vehicles is 3mm, everyone seems terribly friendly and can't wait to ask if I'm in the military (I'm still sporting a lot of green clothing). No one wants to sell you anything and then tries to sell you something - anything - before reasserting they aren't trying to sell you anything.
Frankly, it's quite exhausting but at the same time quite exciting. Not for the timid I'd say.
Accommodation: not as bad as you'd expect. One or two more rats than either necessary or wanted, but acceptable.
Food: unknown. I've not been brave enough to have any yet.
Walking: 19.6 miles in great big circles around tourist shops mostly.
The India Gate. Memorial to indias military fallen and big lump.
Ancient home of the Moguls the incredible and gigantic 'Red Fort' so-called because... erm...
Pukka chokka
HISTORICAL NOTE:
I was going to do something more interesting but ran out of time and energy. So a boring one today, more exciting tomorrow- I promise.
A few words on sources. I've dowloaded 4 historical texts to help me find the right road to travel. Thinking about it for a minute, an actual map, with roads and place names etc. might have been a more helpful item to bring along. Ah well, I got carried away with the romance of following in the footsteps of the mutiny and rather ignored the practicalities.
My first and primary source is The Indian Mutiny of 1857 by George Malleson and it is a mere 140 years out of date. Not only have all the roads been changed since publication, so have the names of the towns, and for that matter, the English language in general. Still, it does provide a near contemporary account of the affair. The dates, times and locations of the major incidents can be relied upon (probably) but the editorial is subject to the perspective of a British Army officer of the period. In other words, brave redcoats and loyal Sepoys gallantly turning the tide against savage mutineers etc. Objective, it is not.
I'm also using: The Tale of The Indian Mutiny by W H Fitchett, Reminiscences of The Great Mutiny 1857-59 by Sgt. W Forbes-Mitchell, and Cawnpore & Lucknow: A Tale of Two Sieges by D Richards. They are all old works, and all have their limitations and faults, but the well regarded 2003 treatise by Saul David was frankly too expensive. I suspect I'll discover that's a false economy on my part. Plus, I like Saul David.
I was going to do something more interesting but ran out of time and energy. So a boring one today, more exciting tomorrow- I promise.
A few words on sources. I've dowloaded 4 historical texts to help me find the right road to travel. Thinking about it for a minute, an actual map, with roads and place names etc. might have been a more helpful item to bring along. Ah well, I got carried away with the romance of following in the footsteps of the mutiny and rather ignored the practicalities.
My first and primary source is The Indian Mutiny of 1857 by George Malleson and it is a mere 140 years out of date. Not only have all the roads been changed since publication, so have the names of the towns, and for that matter, the English language in general. Still, it does provide a near contemporary account of the affair. The dates, times and locations of the major incidents can be relied upon (probably) but the editorial is subject to the perspective of a British Army officer of the period. In other words, brave redcoats and loyal Sepoys gallantly turning the tide against savage mutineers etc. Objective, it is not.
I'm also using: The Tale of The Indian Mutiny by W H Fitchett, Reminiscences of The Great Mutiny 1857-59 by Sgt. W Forbes-Mitchell, and Cawnpore & Lucknow: A Tale of Two Sieges by D Richards. They are all old works, and all have their limitations and faults, but the well regarded 2003 treatise by Saul David was frankly too expensive. I suspect I'll discover that's a false economy on my part. Plus, I like Saul David.
No comments:
Post a Comment