First Time in Delhi
Last weekend we went on a trip to Delhi. Delhi is the capital of India and in terms of population one of the largest cities in the world. Officially, Delhi is supposed to have 12 million inhabitants, but unofficially Indians even speak of 20 million or more. My expectations of Delhi were not very high due to the stories of other people (some of whom also live there). In short, a massive amount of people, dirty air and extreme traffic. Apparently, I already got used to India, because to me it did not seem bad at all when we arrived.
Turning a Flat into a Youth Hostel
This might have been due to the fact that we celebrated my birthday in Chandigarh the night before and actually went to Delhi without sleep. The party in Chandigarh was great, even though it was unusual to celebrate without all the people from home. In Delhi we stayed with my good friends Claudia and Ralf, who currently live in Delhi. They already had everything organized perfectly for us. This was definitely not an easy task, because it was eight of us simply squeezing in their apartment. Hence, it turned into a kind of youth hostel. It must have looked funny on Sunday morning when a bunch of people were sleeping scattered on the floor.
Walking in Delhi
Saturday we walked around in Old Delhi. I really cannot tell anymore where exactly we were, because we simply followed everything that looked interesting. Believe me, there is a lot that looks fascinating for an European eye. Walking around like this took some hours. At some point we ended up at Connaught Place and visited the famous underground market. Well known for all its pirate stuff. This is one of the places, where one has to watch out for his money carefully. Not just because of the potential pickpockets, but especially because these guys know how to negotiate and sell almost everything. If I ever want to become a salesperson, I will come back and learn with these guys.
My Second Birthday Party
In the evening we went to a really fancy club. It was advertised as a salsa party, but the salsa music came a little short. Nevertheless, the venue was marvelous and it became the perfect spot for my second birthday party. I do not know about the others, but I had an amazing evening. Now I can claim to have celebrated my birthday in one of the largest cities in the world. Although, I am not so sure this is something so special.
Sightseeing in Delhi
Sunday morning we went to a bakery franchise called Bread & More. It felt so good to eat some proper bread again! We stayed for some time before we headed off to do some sightseeing. We saw many people playing cricket on our way to the India Gate monument. It is impressive in size. There is a huge road, called Rajpath, going straight from the India Gate to the President’s Estate. This was our next destination and on the way there we passed the Ministry of Defense, too. Not that I am much into Indian politics, but these buildings are very impressive. After we finished the political sightseeing we passed another stunning temple. Unfortunately, I have forgotten the name and exact location. That leaves me with pictures only.
Going Back to Chandigarh
Sunday late afternoon, we went back to Chandigarh. It is a six-hour bus ride. The road is flat so the six hours allowed me to get some much needed sleep. Unfortunately, even I as an intern have to work Mondays here. Then again, weekends are always much too short! It was a wonderful weekend and thanks again to my dear friends Claudia and Ralf in Delhi for hosting all of us.