Incredible India - New Delhi Part 1

Previously, I was in Jaipur:

https://weesertan.blogspot.com/2020/04/incredible-india-jaipur-part-2.html

~~~

I think deep within every traveler's heart, there will always be a faraway and out-of-reach destination, for almost eternal, that we did not quite make it. Be it because of budget, timing or will power. We normally console ourselves about the drawbacks and risks involved, place-holder-ing it somewhere in the future. 

I have been telling everyone that I want to take Open Water diving license for about a decade...

The recent global lock-down (or lock-up) is likely to cut down global travel for at least 2-3 years, as organizations discover the effectiveness of technology, telecommuting and virtual meetings. I think there will be a significant reduction in international travel. 

~~~

For more than a decade, I placed New Delhi in my to-visit list. I have long read the adventures, history and tradition of the capital of India - Of course, the reviews are bipolar. I had a 300-page Lonely Planet (India), bought from a roadside stall in Cambodia. 

So, I am glad I made this spontaneous trip during the final weeks of 2019 - We all know what happened next, to the world. 

We only live life once, and you better do things that you want to do, fast

The last post saw me hop on the 5.50pm train from Jaipur, heading back to New Delhi. I was back in the 1st class carriage, and an incredible dinner was served.

Appetizer was perfect, especially the popcorn (right) 

I enjoyed the tomato puree with bread sticks too. Warm food/soup is welcomed during winter

Main course was perfect - Served right from the oven (I cleared everything)

I arrived at New Delhi Railway Station (NDRS) at around 11pm. Being my first port of call in Delhi, and after spending almost a whole night wandering around this railway station at 8 degrees Celsius on Day 1, I was quite familiar with this place.

As usual the railway station was full of energy, full of people

Incredible India - Jaipur Part 2

I had a long day yesterday, visiting the Amber Fort and hiking up the 'Great Wall':

https://weesertan.blogspot.com/2020/01/incredible-india-jaipur-part-1.html

However, I didn't have the best night of sleep. I would conclude that I had too much of Chai. Breakfast, lunch and dinner...

Today was my last day in Jaipur, as I would catch the 6pm train back to New Delhi. Having 2 full days in Jaipur, I explored the far-away sites yesterday, and left the Old Town (Pink City) for today. 

Hawa Mahal (right) and Jaipur Old Town

I started the day with the same challenge - Breakfast. I went for McDonald's on MI Road, because there were no shops open. To be honest, I would only go for fast-food as a last resort. Needless to say, at 9am, I was the only customer, but still took the staffs 25 minutes to fry the hashbrown and prepare the chicken burger. The staffs were professional, and took cleanliness very seriously. 

I recently bought KFC in Singapore, and had to wait for 25 minutes, but there was a long queue. 

It was a nice breakfast, and for a change, not very spicy

Today, the target is to visit the places on the combo-ticket bought at Amber Fort yesterday. 

If you complete these 8 sites in 2 days, you either have strong legs, or you rushed through the sites and most likely forget everything the next morning

I spent Day 1 only at Amber Fort, while today, I went for #5, #2, #8 and lastly #3. As a traveler, I prefer to take my own sweet time wandering around sites and imagining myself traveling back in time. The last thing I'll ever do is rushing around, blindly taking photos, and visiting for the sake of visiting.

In fact, I don't do things for the sake of doing it.

I started off taking the Pink City walking tour by Lonely Planet.

Pink City guide - How many of us still hold a guidebook rather than a GPS?

The feeling of getting lost in a historical city is great. You sometimes discover unexpected sites and occurrence.