Delhi, a Sensory Overload.

Happy day everyone! Though I am writing from a different part of India, I wanted to share my thoughts quickly on Delhi. The airport is quite close to the city, which was great considering that my flight landed at 4am. I grabbed a pre-paid taxi to Hauz Khas village in South Delhi. 

What I didn't realize before arriving was just how large Delhi is. There is Old Delhi and there is Delhi where most of the modern infrastructure is located. I recommend taking a rickshaw and hitting both areas up. 

You can smell the heat from your plane arriving in Delhi. The wall of scents collide into you as soon as you leave your gate. You smell it all on the streets incense, body odor, waste, flowers, textiles and curries. It truly is amazing and lives up to all anyone has every told you who has been here.

The complex in Hauz Khas, great to relax and get away from the heat and chaos of the streets.

Hauz Khas is a good place to acclimate as there aren't as many people here and it is fairly clean. I recommend using it as your home base. From the Hauz Khas you can grab a rickshaw and head into the rest of the city. This was the best way I saw fit, the metro is incredibly packed and I wouldn't recommend it. Taxis are expensive and you can probably get to the center of the city for 250 rupees. 

Take the rickshaw to the Red Fort, Qutb Minar, Humayan's Tomb and the Ghandi Memorial. All attractions are about 300 rupees away. You will see the India Gate on your way to Old Delhi. You can stop here for a stroll on the parkway. 

My favorite, and I believe most authentic experience in Delhi was Chandni Chowk market. There are pretty much no tourists here after 5pm. I went at 7pm, definitely not a good idea if you are female traveling alone. Ask your tuk-tuk driver to drop you at Sunehri Masjid. I wore a headscarf so that I wouldn't stand out. There is a large mix of Muslims and Hindus here. You will also want to wear sneakers or shoes, the ground is very dirty. No open toes or sandals. Be prepared to see poverty as well. Lepers, begging children and babies rolling in the filth of the streets. If pollution bothers you or creates asthma you might want to bring a face-mask. There aren't emission regulations and there is visible smog.

In Chandni Chowk you can find anything that you can imagine that is India: sarees, spices, candles, ayurvedic oils, jewelry, calling cards, curries, fruits, traditional dress... you name it! I don't recommend eating the street food unless you have tested your gut flora very well in other countries. I did not get any illness while in Delhi, but I was very careful to boil water to brush and only drink from a bottle. I didn't order any uncooked vegetables either. You have to eat at Karim's! You will get over the flies very quickly, it is arguably the best curry in the world. 

Butter chicken, butter naan, mutton masala and saag palak at Karim's.
The most authentic eating experience, located in Old Delhi. 

Overall, I felt most safe in Hauz Khas, where there are numerous temples to visit and remnants of the past. I loved Deer Park! It is very clean and there is great people watching as well as 100's of deer in the park to see. Hauz Khas market was OK but not as good as going into Chandni Chowk.

When in Hauz Khas I recommend going into the Complex and Deer Park to sightsee during the day, it is free. Grab a juice or cocktail at Coast Cafe on the second and third floor when you walk into the gate of the village. Try the Ammam with coconut curried vegetables. Wander through the quirky boutiques of Hauz Khas for the most modern shopping experience. Entrepreneurs of Delhi are really giving other metropolitan areas a run for their money!  At night visit Imperfecto for a rooftop drink! 

Hauz Khas shopping and eating are a must here! Most upscale area of Delhi that I saw.
This is a very popular place with the younger upper class crowd and tourists. Prices are a bit higher here,
but there is space to breathe and it is much cleaner than other sections of the city. 

The people of Delhi work very hard and take pride in all that they do, I loved how the rickshaw drivers are constantly wiping down their equipment and combing their hair! It is a shame that there is so much poverty in a country that has so much potential for wealth. The disorder seems to occur in the government. Locals know that there is much corruption happening. They lack order and direction. Simple things like sterilization of dogs and felines, systems to rid of waste (they typically will burn anything to keep it off the street, if they even take that measure) really do not exist. It would be terribly difficult to change the way that these people are accustomed to living. Instead I think that the government would have to change the environment, opting for more environmentally friendly packaging and better social services. 

(Heads up: there are NOT a lot of white folks traveling here. At least I didn't see them. I saw perhaps 1-2 in the Hauz Khas, this was a little daunting going into Old Delhi and the market. At night, the women go home, really only men wander the streets. I did have a man grab my behind in the market as well as many lewd comments and glances, but I expected this.)