Our Delhi trip – and how it turned into a stay in Srinagar in the foothills of the Himilaya’s

So we landed at New Delhi airport at 9.00 pm and went through the Immigration process without any issue (receiving our 12 month visa). We then took the 18 minute ride on the Metro to New Delhi Station, costing 60 Indian Rupees (NZ$1.78) each; followed by an 800 metre walk to our Hostel. This walk was our ‘first taste’ of the hectic, noisy and bewildering environment of New Delhi. I don’t think any amount of research can prepare you for the number of people, noise, chaos, stares, request for selfies and of course the extreme poverty. To give an idea, India has a population exceeding 1.42 billion (check out the photo below, but ignore the commas – as we read it it had increased by 9 people in 10 seconds).

We were aware there had been flooding (as it’s monsoon season) in Old Delhi following news reports, and water being released up river.  This meant we had to change plans, and thanks to Bashir Karnai in Delhi we radically changed our where we will be going. This has resulted in us visiting 11 cities, 2 flights, 2 train journeys and organising drivers as we cover the north/north western area of India. However, despite the flooding, we were still able to visit the Lotus temple, Humayun’s Tomb, and India Gate – all of these were amazing sights to see.

So with a changed itinerary covering the next 6 weeks (including some comparatively luxurious stays) we flew up to the state of Kashmir, which is 1.5 hours north to stay on Nigeen Lake in Srinagar.  There is a long history of wars and unrest in the region (which is still ongoing). Although Kashmir is part of India, Kashmiris themselves wan’t independence and feel they have little control over their future. Due to this there are Indian troops everywhere, but the area feels very safe and everyone, the troops included, are really friendly, although very inquisitive about white people.

So we arrived at our house boat that world be our accommodation for the next 6 days – what an amazing start. The boat was moored on Lake Nigeen at an altitude of 1,585 metres, with views of the Himalayan mountain range. Following our efforts last week, we decided to take it easy, are recover from our Taiwan trip. We did venture out on short walks to the local markets (to taste the walnut fudge, fruits and breads), visit Shalimar Bagh Mughal Gardens, Dal Lake, boat ride anound the lake/local villages, visiting a local Kashmir carpet shop and the Hazratbal Dargah Sharif mosque (as it was an active mosque no photos were allowed).

A final word of appreciation for Bashir and his family who welcomed us into their home for us to have an amazing dinner (rice, Rogan josh, spicy meatballs, non spicy meatballs, lamb kabab and side dishes) and allowing his neighbour/cousin (also called Bashir) to view some amazing precious and semi-precious gems that are mined in the area and his staff transform into stunning jewellery.

Next stops for us are Amritsar (Punjab) and Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh).