The Daily Diary of a Wandering Restaurateur
January 27 - Good Old Delhi

Today was our day to finally get out and about in Delhi. Strange to think about it, but we have been here for two full days already and have yet to venture very far from the Habitat Centre. As some of you know, we really are not "city people." Two days in a city, no matter how exotic or romantic, and we are itching for the quiet of the countryside. I suspect that in the noise and general chaos of beautiful downtown Delhi, one day might do it!

Originally I thought our best bet would be to join a small group tour and see the main sights without having to worry about the logistics. But after discussing the idea with Lalit and Manjari yesterday, they thought we could do as well on our own ... and be able to pull the plug whenever we were so inclined.

The more we thought about it, the more we realized there was no way we would have the energy stay on the tourist circuit for a full day ... so we cancelled out on the tour and after a fashionably relaxed room service breakfast, we caught a cab to the Red Fort in Old Delhi and did the tourist thing.

Of course, the presence of a tourist to the locals is like blood in the water for a shark ... and the feeding frenzy is similar. Every few feet someone was offering to sell us something, take us somewhere, or just had their hand out for a contribution. The good news is that the farther we got from a tourist attraction, the less of this we had to endure ... but there was always a feeling that anyone who approached us was working an angle.

I will let the photos tell the story but suffice it to say that Old Delhi is confusing, chaotic, crowded and compelling all at once. We wandered the back lanes for awhile but soon hit our limit. There were no cabs in sight (probably because the streets are too narrow and crowded to allow free movement) so it was rickshaw time. After some negotiation, we made a deal with an auto-rickshaw driver to take us to what we thought was the Imperial Hotel. Turns out we ended up in another hotel entirely. Manju had recommended the Imperial for lunch (we will find it next time) but the place we ended up was a real shift of environment -- from low down and loud to uptown and quiet!

A quick stop at a local artisanal craft shop and it was back in the rickshaw and off to the Habitat Centre. For Margene it was nap time and I have literally spent the last six hours editing photos and trying to capture something of the day for you. I do all this for your enjoyment, so damn it ... enjoy it!

Around Old Delhi

The Street Scene Plus


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