India, here we come.

Ella had always been interested in visiting India, and we talked about organizing a trip there a few months ago. I was all in because it wasn't too far, expensive, and most importantly, I haven't been there before. Also, we both love Indian food, so why not?

We flew out Christmas Eve morning to Delhi. Everything was easy peasy airport wise, although I am skeptical of their "Best Airport in the World 2016" claim. I've always heard Singapore's Changi holds that position, and it is actually a nice airport. Delhi's is fine, but their 70s decor and chaotic immigration process, I can't hold it in high distinction. This was a preview of what was to come.

Our hostel was in Old Delhi, or more appropriately Ancient Delhi. I remember making a comment about how Manila was so dirty, it made me want to burn my shoes to dispose of them. Delhi is dirty in a different way. The streets were oddly free of trash in comparison. However, they were full of a lot of shit. Birds, animals, people - walking is a careful ballet exercise. All the while, the air is thick and smoggy, reminding me a lot of Beijing. So, appearance wise, it is not a nice looking place.

We still had a few hours before sunset, and set out to see the Red Fort. One of the big attractions in Delhi, we were fairly close to it, but still opted for a tuk tuk after a local told us it was dangerous to walk there. We bargained hard and got a very friendly guy to take us, who was definitely taking a roundabout way. I thought about saying something, but I hardly know if the street I was thinking of is one-way, has bad traffic, etc.. He stopped and said he was taking us to a government office to buy tickets, because they are cheaper there. We said no thanks, but he was very insistent we would save money. I  said we were not interested, and he continued to protest. Finally I told him if he wasn't going to take us, we were going to leave. He told us to go, which I think revealed how much of a scam he was trying to pull. Now further than when we started, we got another tuk tuk and arrived without incident.

Unfortunately both it and the local mosque were just closing. So, going back to our hotel via rickshaw, the day was kind of a wash. Something I love about the traffic in Delhi though, is that there is a sense of community when you're stuck in it. The drivers chat to each other, I assume in their mutual complaints for the "idiot" who is holding up everyone, or how terrible XYZ is. At least, they always seem "complainy" as they talk. But I'm also impressed with the sense of coordination they have. There will be some impassable jam that occurs, and out of nowhere passerbys jump to the rescue, coordinating the movement of different cars, cars, tuk tuks, carts, etc. to clear it.

After an early night we started equally early to try Jama Masjid. A large mosque in Old Delhi, we were dropped off by a gate, then shooed away to another one. Outside an extremely rude person said we needed to buy a ticket. Online it had said entry is free, so I refused. He began pushing us, which was not appreciated. Another guy came over who seemed much more calm, and I said we were willing to buy a ticket, let's just go to the ticket office. After much arguing and insisting rude guy let us do that. I asked the worker there if we needed to purchase a ticket. He said foreigners do. Now, perhaps this was a scam and office guy gets slipped 50 rupees later. But our hands were pretty tied at this point, so we just sucked it up and paid. We also went to the top of a tower, which I guess has the best view of Old Delhi around. But just to give you an idea, the air is so hazy that when I took pictures, my camera automatically applied the settings for "Document". It is not a pretty place.

The mosque itself is fine, but I think the only thing of note is how open it is in a place decidedly not open, as Delhi is crammed with tons of people and streets. The next stop was Red Fort then, which is more like a complex than one building. Inside were several museums, although I found them a bit lacking. A lot of pictures with stories, which is nice, but I can see pictures and read on the internet. I want to see things. The buildings inside though were really cool looking, and on a clear day would make for some nice photos. Overall it was a nice change from the rest of Delhi. People were very nice, the shopkeepers fair (I mean, how much lower than $1 for a scarf can you go?), and we saw a lot of families just having a day out.

After we went to Gurudwara Sisganj Sahib (try saying that three times fast) a Sikh temple. We had to ditch our shoes and wash our feet, which was probably needed. It was a nice enough temple, and the guy near the entrance gave me a loaner head scarf. We just kind of took in the sights of a religion we don't understand, and warmed up a bit from the cold. After that, it was back outside to Chandni Chowk market. The thing is though, it's hard to see when one market ends on one begins. Delhi is so covered with vendors, the entire place is a market. We saw some specialized sections (like the 'everything paper' section), but I couldn't really point to where the market is. It's just this general area, I guess.

We had just about had it for the day and went to the metro station to go home. Holy cow (pun intended). What a mess that place is. Not to mention so, so many people skipping line. Some would just stand up behind the gate near the counter and ask others to buy a ticket for them. They stood there a long time, and I can't imagine that's faster. How about you get in line and wait your damn turn? When we arrived at the train station, we wanted to ask about a train to Jaipur the next day. Again, rampant line cutting, except this time they'd just walk up the exit and push in front of you. I had just about had it at that point, and scolded this guy who tried to push his way in front of us.

"I just need one second please."

"So does everyone, please wait in line. "

"Only a.."

"Wait in line."

"Just a... "

" WAIT. In line."


Another man chimed in, and he went to the back. I can understand manners, or lack thereof. But that's just common sense. You think we're all waiting in a line for no reason?

Anyway, our efforts were for nothing anyway. After getting the run around to two different counters, failing to understand the ticket machine, and seeing the comical ballet that is boarding an Indian train, we decided to take a bus instead. And that's where we are now, on the way to Jaipur on a surprisingly comfortable bus. We even got a free bottle of water, so we're pretty much the 1% of India. During a snack and toilet stop I noticed how blue the sky was. I can only hope it stays that way, along with Jaipur folks having a stronger idea of morality and sense.