Today was the day that my travel companion would be meeting me in Delhi. Amber would land around 8:00am, need to go through customs and then get to the hotel. All in all, I was expecting her by about 10:00am. That gave me enough time for a bucket shower, to pack up my room (I had a king bed for the first night and had to switch to our room with two beds) and get ready for the day.
The timing worked out perfectly as I had just arrived in the lobby to move rooms as she pulled up in the car. I was a little worried since I hadn't heard from her that she found the driver, but figured she would have contacted me if there were any issues.
Unfortunately, our new room wasn't quite ready, but they let us go back to the room I had stayed in previously. Amber took a bucket shower, and feeling refreshed was ready to hit the town. She brought a LonelyPlanet guide book with her so we looked up places for lunch and (once we switched rooms) grabbed an Uber.
One of the coolest and most surprising things about India was the pice of an uber. What would have cost between $10 and $15 in the states was less than $2 here. We took an uber from our hotel in Karol Bagh to the Pandra Marketplace near the India gate. The 20 minute ride was almost exactly $2.
Both of us were quite hungry as my last meal was the previous day's lunch and Amber hadn't had food since the meal service on her flight from Abu Dhabi to Delhi. We settled on The Chicken Inn, which was mentioned in her guide book and settled in for our first Indian feast together.
The menu did not disappoint in the least. We settled on an order of chicken tikka malai, boneless butter chicken, palak paneer, two orders of paneer naan and one order of butter roti. For those who are less familiar with Indian cuisine, let me dispel some misconceptions. It is spicy, but not hot. Meaning that the flavors are rich and sumptuous, but not packed with the heat I had been warned about. Side note, I am a total wimp when it comes to spice, often making the joke that ketchup makes me sweat.
The chicken tikka was brought out first and was probably the best chicken I have ever had. It was produced in front of us on a sizzling plate. The aroma filled our hungry nostrils and we knew we had made the right choice. After we ate those tender chicken bites, the rest of the food was brought out. The butter chicken was rich and flavorful. The palak paneer, which is basically pureed spinach with Indian cheese, was delectable. Scooping it with the roti or naan made the culinary experience that much better. We actually had to order a second round of naan, just because we had so much food.
When we were totally satiated, we paid our bill and left. The guide book did mention that this was one of the more expensive places to eat, so I wasn't too surprised at the $50 check. What I do know is what I ordered would have cost at least $75 in the states, so I still felt good about it.
Following lunch, we walked over to the India gate, which was the memorial for those who fought and died during World War I, during British rule. Towering well above anything around it, it marks the end of the long avenue that connects to the presidential palace. If I had to compare it to anything, it would be like the Arc de Triumph in Paris. It was gorgeous. But the best part about seeing it was the locals who would come up to me and ask for a photo. I guess they weren't used to seeing a 6'3" 270lb bald bearded American walking around. I was happy to accommodate their request as long as I also got a selfie with them.
Once we were finished, we headed back to our hotel to meet our tour guide for an afternoon of site seeing. Neither Amber nor I knew what we'd be seeing though. We booked a tour and while the tour operator was very communicative with us, the experience has been a little... unorganized. According to the itinerary, today was a free day on our own. It wasn't until Amber was in the car to the hotel that she was told we'd be having a tour today. Not that either of us were complaining.
We set off from our hotel and headed to South Deli. Our first stop was at the Qutub Minar, a victory tower erected to commemorate the defeat of the locals by an Afghan ruler who had come in to India. I would say more about it, but our tour guide wasn't particularly informative. He was great at getting us in to the sites and getting our tickets, but was more of a chaperone than a guide. We walked around the complex for about 45 minutes, taking photos and maybe doing a few model shoots... Don't judge.
Our guide let us know we needed to leave as the next site was closing soon. We were heading to the Lotus Temple next. I figured it would have ponds with lotuses floating in it. I was wrong. It was a massive structure shaped like a lotus. Again, if I had to compare it to anything, it was like a more organized version of the Sydney Opera House, with the shells all pointed to the center, creating a gorgeous visual for the spectator. We did arrive after the temple was closed, but were able to walk around the grounds. It did not disappoint.
Our guide offered to take us back to the India Gate, but we both decided that we were okay forgoing that since we had been there earlier that day. Our last stop for the day was at the Indian Cottage Craft marketplace. It wasn't dissimilar to the bazars I had visited the day before, but Amber hadn't been to a market yet. We walked in and stopped in the jewelry area. The gems and stones we saw were breathtaking, but unfortunately I have no occasion to wear anything like that so I passed.
After that, we went to the back of the store where the salesman tried to get me to buy a custom suit. He succeeded. I realized that I didn't have any well-fitting suits and needed one for a friends wedding in a few weeks. So instead of paying $400 for a Joseph A. Banks suit in the US, I paid about $125 for a custom tailored suit made by hand. It will be arriving to the hotel just before we leave for Agra on day 3.
Amber and I then trekked upstairs where she tired on some Punjabi, which is the traditional tunic worn by many Indian women. She settled on a forest green Punjabi with red and gold embroidered flowers, and red leggings. They also sewed on short sleeves at her request. I'm definitely looking forward to wearing my custom shirts with her in her tunic.
Before I could go back downstairs and get measured for the suit, another salesman talked me in to looking at some art. Being between homes right now, I figured it would be easy for me to decline acquiring any art. I was wrong. I settled on a hand painted native animals that were said to bring goo luck and good fortune to me when I hang it in my home. I am a sucker for conversation pieces and this was relatively inexpensive so I couldn't bring myself to say no, especially when I take the salesman down from $80 to $20.
After we were all settled up and paid, we headed back to the hotel. I should mention that Indian custom dictates that the shopper have a beverage while shopping. The merchants gave both Amber and I a King Fisher, an Indian beer. Well, they gave Amber one, but I was offered a second since I was quite thirsty...
Back at the hotel, we asked the front desk what we should do about dinner. They said we could order room service form the restaurant around the corner, so naturally we did. One order of butter chicken, paneer naan and two more King Fisher's, we had finished our first day in Delhi. The rest of the night consisted of us watching Schitt's Creek, laughing at one another until we cried, and Amber passing out four sentences in to me reading to her from the guide book.
All in all, a fantastic start to an unforgettable trip.
The timing worked out perfectly as I had just arrived in the lobby to move rooms as she pulled up in the car. I was a little worried since I hadn't heard from her that she found the driver, but figured she would have contacted me if there were any issues.
Unfortunately, our new room wasn't quite ready, but they let us go back to the room I had stayed in previously. Amber took a bucket shower, and feeling refreshed was ready to hit the town. She brought a LonelyPlanet guide book with her so we looked up places for lunch and (once we switched rooms) grabbed an Uber.
One of the coolest and most surprising things about India was the pice of an uber. What would have cost between $10 and $15 in the states was less than $2 here. We took an uber from our hotel in Karol Bagh to the Pandra Marketplace near the India gate. The 20 minute ride was almost exactly $2.
Both of us were quite hungry as my last meal was the previous day's lunch and Amber hadn't had food since the meal service on her flight from Abu Dhabi to Delhi. We settled on The Chicken Inn, which was mentioned in her guide book and settled in for our first Indian feast together.
The menu did not disappoint in the least. We settled on an order of chicken tikka malai, boneless butter chicken, palak paneer, two orders of paneer naan and one order of butter roti. For those who are less familiar with Indian cuisine, let me dispel some misconceptions. It is spicy, but not hot. Meaning that the flavors are rich and sumptuous, but not packed with the heat I had been warned about. Side note, I am a total wimp when it comes to spice, often making the joke that ketchup makes me sweat.
The chicken tikka was brought out first and was probably the best chicken I have ever had. It was produced in front of us on a sizzling plate. The aroma filled our hungry nostrils and we knew we had made the right choice. After we ate those tender chicken bites, the rest of the food was brought out. The butter chicken was rich and flavorful. The palak paneer, which is basically pureed spinach with Indian cheese, was delectable. Scooping it with the roti or naan made the culinary experience that much better. We actually had to order a second round of naan, just because we had so much food.
When we were totally satiated, we paid our bill and left. The guide book did mention that this was one of the more expensive places to eat, so I wasn't too surprised at the $50 check. What I do know is what I ordered would have cost at least $75 in the states, so I still felt good about it.
Following lunch, we walked over to the India gate, which was the memorial for those who fought and died during World War I, during British rule. Towering well above anything around it, it marks the end of the long avenue that connects to the presidential palace. If I had to compare it to anything, it would be like the Arc de Triumph in Paris. It was gorgeous. But the best part about seeing it was the locals who would come up to me and ask for a photo. I guess they weren't used to seeing a 6'3" 270lb bald bearded American walking around. I was happy to accommodate their request as long as I also got a selfie with them.
Once we were finished, we headed back to our hotel to meet our tour guide for an afternoon of site seeing. Neither Amber nor I knew what we'd be seeing though. We booked a tour and while the tour operator was very communicative with us, the experience has been a little... unorganized. According to the itinerary, today was a free day on our own. It wasn't until Amber was in the car to the hotel that she was told we'd be having a tour today. Not that either of us were complaining.
We set off from our hotel and headed to South Deli. Our first stop was at the Qutub Minar, a victory tower erected to commemorate the defeat of the locals by an Afghan ruler who had come in to India. I would say more about it, but our tour guide wasn't particularly informative. He was great at getting us in to the sites and getting our tickets, but was more of a chaperone than a guide. We walked around the complex for about 45 minutes, taking photos and maybe doing a few model shoots... Don't judge.
Our guide let us know we needed to leave as the next site was closing soon. We were heading to the Lotus Temple next. I figured it would have ponds with lotuses floating in it. I was wrong. It was a massive structure shaped like a lotus. Again, if I had to compare it to anything, it was like a more organized version of the Sydney Opera House, with the shells all pointed to the center, creating a gorgeous visual for the spectator. We did arrive after the temple was closed, but were able to walk around the grounds. It did not disappoint.
Our guide offered to take us back to the India Gate, but we both decided that we were okay forgoing that since we had been there earlier that day. Our last stop for the day was at the Indian Cottage Craft marketplace. It wasn't dissimilar to the bazars I had visited the day before, but Amber hadn't been to a market yet. We walked in and stopped in the jewelry area. The gems and stones we saw were breathtaking, but unfortunately I have no occasion to wear anything like that so I passed.
After that, we went to the back of the store where the salesman tried to get me to buy a custom suit. He succeeded. I realized that I didn't have any well-fitting suits and needed one for a friends wedding in a few weeks. So instead of paying $400 for a Joseph A. Banks suit in the US, I paid about $125 for a custom tailored suit made by hand. It will be arriving to the hotel just before we leave for Agra on day 3.
Amber and I then trekked upstairs where she tired on some Punjabi, which is the traditional tunic worn by many Indian women. She settled on a forest green Punjabi with red and gold embroidered flowers, and red leggings. They also sewed on short sleeves at her request. I'm definitely looking forward to wearing my custom shirts with her in her tunic.
Before I could go back downstairs and get measured for the suit, another salesman talked me in to looking at some art. Being between homes right now, I figured it would be easy for me to decline acquiring any art. I was wrong. I settled on a hand painted native animals that were said to bring goo luck and good fortune to me when I hang it in my home. I am a sucker for conversation pieces and this was relatively inexpensive so I couldn't bring myself to say no, especially when I take the salesman down from $80 to $20.
After we were all settled up and paid, we headed back to the hotel. I should mention that Indian custom dictates that the shopper have a beverage while shopping. The merchants gave both Amber and I a King Fisher, an Indian beer. Well, they gave Amber one, but I was offered a second since I was quite thirsty...
Back at the hotel, we asked the front desk what we should do about dinner. They said we could order room service form the restaurant around the corner, so naturally we did. One order of butter chicken, paneer naan and two more King Fisher's, we had finished our first day in Delhi. The rest of the night consisted of us watching Schitt's Creek, laughing at one another until we cried, and Amber passing out four sentences in to me reading to her from the guide book.
All in all, a fantastic start to an unforgettable trip.
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