I see your Taj Mahal and raise you an Akshardham

Most of us have have seen images of the Taj in film, print and more over the years.  I'm going to force a photo overdose on you in this post.  You know why?  This site is a true marvel.  I've seen most of the wonders of the world and this caused one of the biggest gawks from me. It was not the day to discover you have dust on the inside of your fisheye lens but I still managed to get some decent snaps.  

In this post:

+ Taj - Stunning but still run the Indian way ie. WTF is going on lads??
+ and why the Taj experience is a bit like a walk out in Ireland
+ Indian Trains - Such a tease
+ 5 hour journeys on local buses in the Indian summer - erm.....hot
+ Disney meets Religion
+ Indian manners.  Or lack of any.

So before I talk about the Taj.  Here's a quick picture of another Indian site:

Not bad eh?  This is Akshardham. The reason you most likely have never seen this before is because it's a private temple and the Indian government do not promote it as a tourist site.  Shame, as it's pretty amazing.  More on this later...

The journey to Agra started so well.  Me and my Irish friend Barbara (I say that as she re-introduced me to alcohol last week :) ), got the early day train from New Delhi with no hassle, no waitlist, no queues.  We even got a bargain taxi from Agra train station to the hotel.  Then, the driver mentioned that the Taj Mahal is closed every Friday.  I don't use guide books.  I have one for emergency maps but had used online guides and apps for my trip to the Taj none of which mentioned what The Lonely Planet mentions in the first paragraph. Note: The Taj Mahal is closed every Friday.  We had just one full day there, a Friday. Feck.  

We resided that 1/2 a day would have to do and that we'd miss sunrise.  Our hotel was right next to the Taj, one of only two hotels with a terrace from which you could sit with the majestic monument up close.  Our hotel cost c.$10/nightUS (goo.gl/z9ATu) , the other hotel cost +$100US.  Happy Days.

The setup outside the Taj is pretty impressive.  For 1 mile around the Taj there is a perimeter gate beyond which normal vehicles are not allowed.  And so no honking, no pollution.  Instead a surreal peace from which to take in this beauty.  A rare treat in India.  That is where the smart tourism stopped.  The visitor centre, was simply laid out with a shuttle bus (electric buggy) down to the entrance.  After paying the usual foreigner fee ($15US - bearing in mind it's $0.50US for the locals which is fair!) we decided to get some food.  Agra, unlike alot of other tourist sites is not full of restaurants so we were glad to find one in the visitor centre.  A centre for one of the most famous sites in the world.   Now, bear in mind, I have been in India nearly 8 months and I eat almost anything so long as it's vegetarian.  I eat street food, food on the train but I would never consider giving the foot served in this restaurant to anyone.  I can only imagine what tourists who have just stepped off the plane and are on their first day in India must think. My next post will be on food in India.  Food here is a real treat.  That meal was not.

At the Taj you are allowed to take in booze but not wine, fruit but not veggies - you have been warned!  There was not, however, anywhere to buy refreshments once in the complex.  It was 48 degrees last Thursday with winds to match.  I was wearing sunglasses not only to take the glare off the sun but also to stop the heat from melting my eyeballs.  Just as you do on a day out in Ireland, we had umbrellas and with the wind being so strong they were left in tatters. In Ireland, if your brolly breaks you imagine a pint of Guinness sat by a fire and the world is right.  At the Taj in 48 degrees if your umbrella breaks you reach into your bag to pull out water and realise it too is 48 degrees. The locals drink from the taps used to water the local gardens but I didn't think that was a good idea.  Seems the reason behind there being no drinks for sale was that there would be too much rubbish.  That makes sense, Indians love throwing rubbish, infact the bigger the item and the further they can throw it the better.  A few decades ago all products here were made from clay and similar materials that would decompose so it made perfect sense to throw it but now you commonly will come across people of all ages and class throwing litter.  It's a real shame as this takes away from the Taj experience, and I would have thought a small shop where you have to dump your rubbish inside would suffice just to keep us poor foreigners hydrated.  This is India though, so I guess that would be too much to ask.

So back to the gawking. One great thing about the heat was that the site was not that busy.  We still had the obligatory locals wanting to have their photos taken with a random foreigner but that's all part the fun here. 

When I said it was empty, it was not quite as empty as this photo looks!

Me Peacock'ng ;)

The Taj has a lovely fairytale history of a powerful Mughal leader who built the tomb in memory of his beautiful wife.  That's the story every single tour guide was selling and as I preferred to take in the splendor of the architecture rather than being talked at 'parrot style' I asked some of my Indian friends about the Taj. It turns out that this loving hero Shah Jahan wasn't such a good guy.   Apparently, he massacred hundreds of thousands of Hindus, destroyed temples and had +3000 sex slaves.  His wife Mumtaz died at the birth of her 14th child.  I think building the Taj was the least he could do!

As a sign of respect in the tomb the tourist police blow their whistles loudly and shout at you to move around. It was a quiet day, there was no need, this was a piece of history I wanted to absorb in peace but wasn't allowed to.  

The information centre was very basic but having some stunning new redwood floors fitted (obviously flooring is more important than information here).  Nothing surprises me in this country now, but surely fitting the floors 'one' day later when the site was closed might have been a better idea than having tourists clambering over workmen and carefully stepping over 1/2 laid floors.

The entrance to the tomb 



The grounds and building maintenance of the Taj Mahal main tomb were first class.  

The view at Sunset from the hotel terrace!

Check out the bottle on the chair.  That's 'Magic Moments' Vodka - only the best!

Barbara doing meditation the next morning.  Apparently it was cooler 'under' the yoga mat!



So after an amazing yoga session with Taj as the viewpoint we saw the other sites that Agra has to offer.  Funnily enough, Agra Fort is a more popular tourist destination among Indians as it's is where the Mughal empire governed the country. 

The carvings here are simply breathtaking.  

And as usual the monkies provide great entertainment....

"That's it, just there...."

See no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil....

The mini Taj.  This is a treat.  Said to be on of the inspirations for the Taj Mahal it has the same level of craftsmanship and detail in marble design.  The best part?  It's not really on the tourist list so you'll have it pretty much to yourself!

For sunset we went to Mehtab Bagh, the gardens across the river from the Taj.  Despite this being the day that the Taj itself was closed and so you'd expect alot of tourists elsewhere in Agra, I saw no more than 10 other tourists.  I also did a little video for my upcoming yoga website.  Check me out with the autocue, bless (I didn't have to remember the script but the next ones will be slicker!)  Website live in Q4 2013. 

And this was my last view of The Taj Mahal for this trip.  Simply stunning.

Next stop Varanassi.  Or so we thought.  The only way (unless you have a tour and a posh AC taxi) to get to Varanassi from Agra is by train. I love Indian trains, however, the booking system is painful.  You have to book a long way in advance and based on the huge demand most people book 'possible' trips in advance only to cancel them at the last minute and so one of the most common ways to get a ticket is on the waitlist.  

This is a sign I'm used to. Whenever I'm less than #20 on a waitlist I'm positive I'll get a seat.    I'd booked the ticket to Varanassi two weeks before leaving and was 10th on the waitlist. A sure bet.  Seems last Friday night something went wrong.  It's rare you find Railway staff at an Indian railway station but we did and there were a few other tourists on the same mission.  Seems there was an issue with the waitlist and a number of us weren't allowed on the train.  It was one of those little adventures of running around an India train station, hopping over people asleep on the platform trying to work out whether you have made 'the list'.  The whole time I'm usually thinking 'sure I'll be grand'.   It didn't matter though as we had a funny night involving my first Rickshaw crash (only a little one but hilarious how all vehicles involved despite little dents just carried on going after!).  We also decided that the only option was to head back to Delhi as I had to be back at work on Monday.  

I wish it had been that simple.  All the trains to Delhi were sold out.  If we were posh tourists we could have gotten an AC taxi for $50US.  Sounds stupid as I'd think nothing of taking a $50US taxi after a night our on the sauce back home but here that's a crazy amount of money.  We went to the bus station and based on the  temperature of +45 degrees wanted an AC bus.  There was one at 1pm, a Volvo with "Good luxury and no bumpy ride" the ticket seller assured us with a smile.  It was 10am and there was a slim possibility that private coach companies had other AC buses going before then.  So rather than sitting around for 3 hours in the heat we took a Rickshaw and went on an AC bus finding mission.  It was a fun little ride and managed to  kill some time but we didn't find a bus

Lucky for us there was one at 1pm.  So,  back we went to the bus station and I asked after the 1pm bus. 

"Yes Sir, Volvo, very good bus, comfy".  

"OK, great, two tickets please"

"Bus full"

"OK when did bus get full?"  (that's Hinglish!)

"Yesterday sir"

Ahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

So we took a non AC bus:

It was +45 outside and +sauna inside.  We, did have a lovely food stop.  Food, always comes to the rescue on a bad day in India!!

I wasn't a big fan of the toilet stop though.  I've seen worse but this was about as close as I could safely take a photo without it being toxic!

This was our neighbour on the bus. First time she'd ever played Angry Birds and she couldn't put it down!

Back in Delhi, we had a day to be tourists.  I'd been to most of the sites but had heard of a temple called Akshardham that wasn't promoted as a tourist site.  If the Taj had me gawking for 5 minutes, this place had me gawking for 30.  Simply amazing.   

Now, before I go any further.  There is a MASSIVE difference.  Akshardham was completed in the last 10 years so there is no history other than the movement (Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Sawminarayan Santha - ok...let's call them BAPS).  You are also not permitted to take cameras in, so none of these photos are my own.  However, this is exactly what the place looks like, it's a phenomenal site. The organisation, for an Indian site is almost Disney-esq.  The construction is just crazy, every detail is perfect and will steal your gaze for longer than the last.

Akshardham is something Indians should be really proud of.  It is a temple, however, it's more like a showpiece and museum of the spiritual history of India and it is truly amazing.  There is a live exhibition with moving models, a boat ride through the history of India (again, this is high quality, with displays and narrative of the history) and an IMAX cinema show.  The food available is amazing and not overpriced.  The let down is the Indians themselves. Their behavior is disgraceful and makes you realise just why items such as cameras and mobile phones are not allowed in.  Indians love shouting into their mobiles.

All the way through the IMAX film the locals were running around the auditorium and talking loudly.  And at the cafe's they were up to their old 'queuing' tricks of everyman for himself (especially if it means pushing a women out of the way).  Queuing here is a mess, my funniest experience so far in India was in a print shop where I was getting photos printed from my memory stick.  Someone actually reached out infront of me, pulled out my memory stick and put his in then shouted at the shop keeper to hurry up.

A recently published Lonely Planet guilde for the Indian traveller overseas advises, among other things, Indian tourists not to jump queues, talk loudly inside museums and to instruct their children not to do so and to say "please" and "thank you".  There is no word in Hindi for "Please"!  On that same note, back to my last post about how women are treated in India, a further extension is basic manners.  I've seen men push women out of the way on the metro in order to get a seat (once even a seat labelled "women only").  

It's a real shame, as Akshardham, to me is the most impressive (albeit not 'historical') site I've seen so far in India and yet the majority of the locals don't respect it with their bad manners and litter dropping habits.

It's my birthday next Wednesday and being the crazy Rock n Roll guy that I am, I fancy a bit of chanting.  I've heard that Akshardham has mantras at it's evening fountain show, so that's where I'm heading!

Namaste.

India - I love you ..I love you not....I love you.....I love you not - Pt II

In this post:

• The dark side of Delhi
• I get up close and personal with Gandhi
• 45 Degrees Celsius winds - If this was Ireland people would be going to the beach at night!
• How women are treated in India and why it needs to change
• Macho men and Rabies shots
• I make a roundabout apology for some incorrect content

12 months ago it was the start of the Irish summer 2012 and after one day of sun my neighbour Niall took his BBQ out for 'breakfast'.  In his words “you never know how long it will last”, and how right he was, for we didn't see the sun then until Electric Picnic in September.  This year is a little different for me.   This morning, as usual I came to work by Rickshaw and the driver shouted ‘natural AC’ as I we were driving off.  Natural AC today is 45 degree winds.  I cannot complain, I love the heat, so long as I know I have water and shade close by but it reminded me of a trip to the sauna at my gym back in Dublin.  Two old men were talking about Southern Spain and one said  “I don’t like it down there in the summer, it’s too hot” as he turned over the timer for another 10 minutes of sweat and threw water on the hot coals in the Sauna.  You never can win can yea?

The president's house a few days ago.  So hot here everyone has moved out!

I failed to win this last weekend.  The curtains in my hotel room were taken down for cleaning and I was told I would get them a couple of days later.  When I asked at reception how I would sleep considering my window faces the sun that rises at 0430 I was told “you should close your eyes sir”.  A moment of enlightenment ;)

I have an apology to make for my last blog.  I made a big mistake and was corrected by an English friend who has lived here for more than 20 years.  There is no correct way to go around a roundabout so long as it’s ‘around’.   So, I was a little taken aback this week when content with seeing cars coming in the opposite direction on a roundabout I saw one reversing.  A Police car.  Legend.

Now, I’d like to talk a little about Delhi.  Delhi has a bad rep with backpackers.  They all stay next to the main train station and complain of noise, heat and dirt.  That’s probably cause yeas are in the middle of a big market next to a load of diesel trains.  Delhi might be the capital of one of the most intense countries in the world but it is a complete treat for tourists and although it doesn't have white sandy beaches or peaceful mountains I recommend backpackers give it a shot.  I’ve had more visitors here in my first two months than I had in my first year in Dublin, and here’s some of what we've gotten up to:

The largest Hanuman in the world.  5 mins walk from where I live.  Built on a roundabout next to the metro.  Nice planning lads.

Hanuman from the Metro.  If this was the USA he would wave when the train went past

Inside Hanuman.  Karina and I had just done Puja......honest

Humayun'sTomb and Karina's scarf

The Red Fort (or 'Fort' as us colourblind peops like to call it) with Lea-lee

The Lotus Temple (sorry for the photo cheat here...this is a google image search - my camera had heatstroke but this was exactly what we saw!)

I also managed a weekend away with a friend from back home, Neringa.  I chose Rishikesh as I wanted to go back to see Roopak.  I didn't expect it to be so different.  Last time I was there I was on crutches and even saw my crutch I'd left at the guest house reception as proof of just what they do to their residents.  Being able to walk around vs. lifting myself on crutches meant that Rishi felt like a minature village and I saw lots of stuff i meant to go to last time.  

Arti at Parmarth Niketan Ashram

Shiva chilling at Sunset

Roopak with an upgraded laminated A3 sign and a new haircut!

The travel to Rishikesh was the most entertaining I'd had in a while.  We had a train booked leaving Delhi at 0530 in the morning.  The hotel had booked a taxi to the specific train station (it was one I hadn't been to before).  Our taxi driver spoke good English; when we arrived at said train station and I saw no signs in English I asked him if it was the correct station the response was "Yes Sir!"  After the taxi had driven away we discovered that it wasn't, infact the correct one was 30 minutes away and our train left in 20.  For those of you who have been to India, you know that you cannot just rock up at the train station and book a ticket.  That would be too easy.  As a result, our only option was to get a bus and there are 'officially' only scheduled nightbuses to Rishi so we weren't too hopeful.  Lucky for us, after another hour in a taxi we arrived at the bus station just as an AC bus with reclining seats (imagine an office chair from the 1950s)  was just pulling out.  We got the bus, and the best thing was that we beat the train.  I love it when a plan comes together ;)

My favourite comment heard in Rishi was from a Swarmi when talking to him about gurus. I mentioned a few that I had seen recently and he said he hadn't heard of them, he said "It's funny, there are so many Gurus these days that being spiritual has almost become like going to a supermarket".  Classic.  Next time I go to Rishikesh I'll be heading towards the Himalayas as due to daily physio for the last 6 weeks my ankle is well on the way to recovery :) #thankyouamazingphysioteam@gangaramhospital

On the way back from Delhi, as I was going straight back to work, I pushed the boat out and spent $10US on a ticket on the Shatabdi Express.  When you travel in sleeper class the entertainment is the window and talking to strangers, AC Class everyone has laptops and on the Shatabdi Express everyone has bleached their skin so they are whiter than me and has a tablet.  Instead of chai sellers shouting down the aisle you get train staff wearing bow ties and delivering all inclusive food and drinks.  I'm back to travelling sleeper class later this week but it seems 'any' travel on Indian Rail is a delight.

Back to Delhi and there were still more tourist sites to see.  One which I had overlooked and luckily Ms Martin told me about was the Gandhi museum. I love Gandhi, as you'll read later and loved this museum.  

Me hanging with Gandhi and wifey Kasturba

And this is where the fun begun.  The interactive part of the museum....

Below the panel shown in the photo were a number of small touch screen tablets all showing the titles of various newspapers and periodicals from India.  Depending on which one you touched, Gandhi's eyes would  change to indicate his reaction to the content.  He went from crying to being angry. It was pure comedy.  However, there was one exhibition that stole the show (and I'm gonna have to return just to get a photo).  There was a set of dolls representing people who'd been influenced by Ganhi.  All three black men, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther-King and President Obama were based on the same mould which looked just like Will Smith, only difference was there clothes.  Don't worry I'll get a photo next time!

So, more about Gandhi.  There are some issues about India that I wanted to cover off and he is one of the people I believe has had a massive positive influence on the culture here. Here's my top 4 (I'll be talking about them more in my upcoming posts).  Every nation has heros but these four unlikely partners are what India needs more of:

1) Phoolan Devi - She suffered a life of multiple rape and rejection from her family just for being a girl.  She stood up to society, fighting as a bandit and eventually became a politician.  In India in 2013 there is a rape on average every 22 minutes and 1/2 million  babies are aborted every year because they are girls.  According to Reuters this is the worst country for women to live in.  Despite having an incredibly violent life, Phoolan was a truly inspiring figure in Indian history and as someone who claimed equal rights to men a role model for today's Indian women

2) Buddha - From the little I know, Buddha never wished to create a religion he just wanted people to practice his 4 nobles truths. i) All life is suffering ie. we are never satisfied ii) Suffering is caused by desire, iii) There is a way to stop suffering, iv) The chosen noble path which in today's world is primarily to stop being attached to things.  Losing attachment is hard but the moment you do you stop suffering.  It's simple!

3) Rancho from the movie '3 idiots'.  The most inspiring movie I've seen in a long time.  When you live here you realise that India suffers from grandiose ideals.  Yes, this is an amazing country, but behind the intensity of the streets there are some serious cultural issues. 3 Idiots takes on the fact that the education system focusing on cramming as opposed to creativity needs to change, the fact that happiness is not achieved by bling, the fact that women should be equal and more, all in a very funny way.  Rancho is the star and in my eyes a legend.  3 idiots is the all time box office no.1 here.  It's a long way from the traditional Bollywood stereotype of macho medallion men with fans blowing on the set to make their hair ripple and girls creaming themselves every time a man talks to them. I just wish 3 idiots was actually true.  You can see the whole movie for free at goo.gl/0Iw7u (although I have to admit I watched the first 10 minutes before coming to India and didn't get it and yet now could watch it again and again)

4) Gandhi.  He wasn't perfect, he married an under age bride, and showed little ethnic diplomacy in his early days in South Africa. However, this man did some amazing things.  Imagine winning a battle in which your fellow country men are being killed on mass whilst you remain calm.  That's what he did against the Raj (my ancestors) by preaching non-violence.  He managed to get this country independence from the Brits and always stuck to his principle of non-violence. 

So there we have it.  India with a history of non violence, not having attachment, fighting for women's rights and telling it via a funny story.  So what went wrong?  

I'd been in India for 5 months before I came to Delhi.  I'd never felt threatened, or heard of problems with women travelling.  Delhi is different.  As soon as it's dark a sinister  cloud comes over the city; women do not travel alone after sunset.  I'm quite used to being stared at for being white but when you travel with a girl on the metro at night it's like feeding time at the zoo.  When I saw the headlines last year of the gang rapes in Delhi I thought it was maybe a one off occurrence but recent rapes are not isolated. Prejudice towards women here starts in the womb, culture then insists on treating women as second class citizens.  45% of women in India get married before they are 18 and according to the UN 70% of women 15-49 are victims of beatings or coerced sex.  In a culture where a majority of the population still think that a rape victim should marry their rapist there is a drastic need for change in legislation.  The police don't help matters; there is a trust deficit as the majority are male and when it comes to justice 1 in 4 rapists get convicted so there is little deterrent.  

I think a big issues is that sex as a topic is suppressed here.  I wrote previously of a colleague who when asked if he was sexually attracted to his girlfriend (note 'love' relationship, not arranged)  he said  "no sir".  Then when I asked if he would be sexually attracted to her after marriage he said "I will have to be sir".  Let's face facts - there is nothing wrong with someone being sexually inclined.  It's a 'Basic Instinct' (see the rom com from 1992 for more).  The issue is attraction vs. obsession and modern times are making this increasingly difficult with the internet (porn) influencing men here that women (mainly white) are all 'up for it'.  This is further encouraged by us westerners (and I've been to blame for this before) by not respecting the culture and openly showing affection.    It's a real shame that a culture that created the karma sutra and tantra is now a complete mess when it comes to sex.

There is a growing movement of very independent women here.  India had it's first female prime minister in the 1960s and so hopefully this will change.   However, in a country that's main influences are cricket and Bollywood the 2012 movie hit 'Hinglish Vinglish' encouraged the same same story.  The story of a wife treated badly by her husband who went overseas and experienced someone from a different culture showing her the respect and love she deserved yet she ran back to her ill mannered husband as it was the 'right thing to do'.

There is also a big issue that men need to face up to here.  Women are equal.  Yet I've seen a level of machosim from the lads here that I've never witnessed before.  So, the UK has hooligans and Ireland has Limerick, but Indian men need to try a little taste of India's spiritual heritage.  Men's stress levels here are crazy, all tensed up with their bullet moustaches, bollywood hairsprayed mullets and hand firmly on the horn of their car.  The biggest tourist pull right for westerners is for India's spiritual path and yet the majority of locals ignore such amazing tools as mediation, yoga, good nutrition and instead opt for a fast lifestyle and dreaming of driving a BMW.  

I had first hand experience of barbaric machoism last weekend.  I feed some local street dogs as I like to go hang out with them and prove that people can be kind to them. 

The local street dogs:

It might be slight guilt as two weeks ago I stood on a dogs head (I couldn't see it was pitch black - no street lights where I live and the cars park close - see the below pic).  The dog, rightly so took a good chunk out of my foot and I had to go to hospital for rabies and tetanus shots (a good lesson in getting your pre-trip vaccines done!).  Anyway, last week I was feeding the local dogs and a guy came up and whilst laughing kicked one in the head.  The dog started bleeding from the eye, and I lost the plot.  I fronted up to the guy and shouted "if you're gonna hit something hit me" whilst slapping myself in the face.  To be honest, it was a stupid thing to do, firstly losing my rag like that but also considering I was in a back lane in the middle of a labyrinth of the local market.  Lucky for me the other locals knew I was a regular at feeding the dogs they were on my side.  It's rare that such acts of violence happen but when they do no-one flinches, it's just normal.

When you find a gap to walk through, you take it!  Below are cars parked where I live (it's the auto refit centre of Delhi hence the bling motors):

There is a part of the population that treats women equally, don't have Bollywood medallions and would never kick a dog.  However, for the majority these are all conditions that culture has placed on people just like in the west how we are supposed to think that marriage will last forever, that eating meat is good for us, that men should 'evacuate' when we orgasm and that earning more money will bring us happiness.  Balderdash.

So, I need to re-balance the Delhi tourist radar here after saying it's amazing to visit then unsafe for girls.  Like any city, bad things happen.  India is amazing and you can travel here with minimal problems but just be wary when you come to Delhi, and even better sign up to facebook pages like http://www.facebook.com/blank.noise?ref=ts&fref=ts which is helping to promote women's rights and reduce men's macho attitude here.

Off to Agra and The Taj Mahal tomorrow.....Life is Sweet or as Rancho would say "All izz well' :)

India - I love you ..I love you not....I love you.....I love you not - Pt I

Now that I'm settled in Delhi, I wanted to give you an idea of some typical things that happen daily:

Safe spitting

• I was in a taxi at the weekend and the driver opened the door whilst driving about 60kph to spit.  He wasn't wearing a seatbelt and nearly fell out.  What I DIDN'T Get was that his window was open - why not spit outta that fella?
• The next day I saw a bus driver do exactly the same thing......a BUS driver!

Time Savers

• The other day I was in a rickshaw and we slowed down as a car was doing a three point turn in a narrow road.  Two rickshaws tried to rush past in gap either side and the car reversed back and they all clamped together
• A week ago I saw an ambulance going the wrong way around a 4 lane roundabout during peak traffic

Top Security

• The hospital where I go for physiology has pretty extreme security measures.  They have 5 armed guards on the main reception with a security scanner which everyone entering must go through.  However, if you walk around either side of the building there are at least 5 other entrances you can just walk through with no-one checking 

So I am now living in Delhi, a city it would seem that has an intern from Failte Ireland working in their tourist office:

When I arrived in Delhi I went to an akle specialist  (I'll explain the spelling one day!) .  I had an MRI and the results were a bit of a shock.  He was surprised I could still walk.  He obviously had never met my ego (please note Mr Ego that if I'd gone to a proper doctor in Jan I'd be fixed now!):

The immediate prognosis was that surgery was needed.  However after daily physio for the last three weeks things are going well so I might not need an op.  And as for how it effects me day2day, no sports (and a little gutted as I have a scholarship from the Delhi Dance Academy to learn Bollywood!) but I can still do alot of yoga.  Some poses don't involve the akle at all :)

Delhi has surprised me.  I really wanted to work in Bangalore as I love the climate there and the party scene is good.  However, seeing as, apart from one part my life I'm pretty much living as a monk at the moment I love Delhi.  It still has the pure madness of an Indian Metro city but you can escape.  For example, where I work is next to Parliament, the streets are tree lined without many pot holes and there are hardly any car horns.   That's where I work, where I live is pretty much the opposite but more of that later.  

There are plenty of horror stories of people arriving in India and being mobbed by Rickshaw drivers (or Madar Chod's as I like to call them in Hindi). I'm yet to witness that at the airport. Instead when you arrive in Delhi you can use the shiny new AirportExpress Metro.  Bear in mind you will be the only person in your carriage as for some reason (well publicized maintenance work last year which is now fixed which wasn't well publicized) no-one uses it.  The AirportExpress is the cheapest, quickest and most luxurious way to get to the city centre and yet it's empty.  

When I first arrived here I stayed in the building where I work which is owned by the Church of North India (CNI) so there are a lot of Jesus fans here.  The building is a 5 story block made up of charities.  The accommodation was 2500RS/night and the food was 250RS for school dinner style meals (that's c.40/4 euro and crazy money for here).  Being in the parliament district a large political party is next door and their canteen serves Thali (mix of Indian food) at 50RS so guess where I ended up?  Politics vs. Religion eh.  It was quite odd staying at the CNI, I wasn't allowed to go on the terrace to practice yoga as there had been suicides up there so was told I had to do it in the road or on the local roundabout.  It might have been a mis-communication but lads....I take these things VERY seriously ;)

I now live in a hotel in the middle of one of Delhi's biggest markets (Karol Bagh) and am working 5 days a week so after my time in rural India kinda feel like I'm back in the Matrix.  I am, however, loving it.  I wake up most mornings with sunrise and 6 days a week do Yoga on the roof terrace where instead of seeing other yogis (as in Rishikesh) I see workers washing themselves (direct from watertanks) staring at me in amazement that I'd be up on a roof so early.  I'm also often joined by Hawks and Eagles who swoop overhead.  An amazing way to start the day.  

If I've time I then go to the National Institute of Yoga which is next to my office for an hour of meditation, pranayama and mantras.  As it's government funded the classes there are 500RS for a month (that's less than 30 cents a pop).  Bear in mind that Indian yoga is different from how we do it in the west and the Institute is a classic example.  The instructors are guys with pot bellies in their 40s often wearing pinstripe wool trousers 'Simon Cowell style' hoisted up to their nipples with t-shirts and bright retro American Sneakers (like a 1980s PE instructor).  The classes themselves are pretty disorganised with people doing their own thing, teachers shouting out random instructions and correcting postures with brute force.  Lucky for me the meditation class is amazing, it's in the most chilled room (underground!) I've ever meditated in and I love it.  It does still, however, have it's funny moments.  There is a lack of co-ordination of the mantras and pranayama.  Whereas in a western class you'd get a group of people sweetly chanting OM or breathing in unison together this place sounds like a choir of the the walking dead all having epileptic fits.   Despite that the class is good! At 7.30 in the morning the place is a pretty cool vision, there are nearly 500 people in various classes (including a bank of baths for people to perform Neti which I prefer to do at home!).

Here's a photo of the meditation hall (not my photo)

I have a few options getting to work.  I was going to cycle but based on my akle that will have to wait a few months.  The options are:

• Metro 20RS but a 40 minute heat either side in the heat 
• Non AC Bus 15RS but a long wait and a HOT bus
• AC Bus 25RS a long wait and AC often not working
• Rickshaw 50-250RS  - The quickest way to work 
• Taxi - 200-400RS - Strictly for those not wanting to ruin their perm

90% of the time I choose the Rickshaw.  And herein is my introduction to corruption in India.  According to the World Bank, India was seen as one of the most corrupt countries in the world in their latest index (Feb 2013 -  http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IQ.CPA.TRAN.XQ/countries/1W?display=map).  A bitter shame for a country which sees itself as a world leader.  The picture below is how The Economist sees India in it's recent articles on India's position in the world economy.

From the street level, Rickshaw drivers rip off foreigners and locals alike and despite the police stating they must use the Meter they don't (and the police won't help you).  Every single day I have to haggle on the price to get to work,  on the meter it's 30RS but excuses such as "much traffic'"(....yes, it's DELHI!) have pushed it up to 250RS.  The old trick of smiling and walking away normally works but I've also built an armour of useful Hindi Swear words.  A useful phrase for travellers fed of up Rickshaw drivers is "Mere Maathe Pe 'C' Nahi Likha Hai" (pointing at your forehead when you say C......C is also a word that begins with C in English).

Corruption, unfortunately is everywhere.  I have to pay a bribe at my hotel to have someone stay in my double room (no charge for men, just women) and I've countless friends who have been bribed by the police.  And that's just at the ground level.  

Rickshaws also have an interesting way of marketing their services.  I'll often be crossing a busy road and will have spotted a safe line across 4 lanes of busy traffic when a Rickshaw will cut me up and say "Hello Friend, Connaught Place (a tourist hub here)".   However, If you get a fair deal, and aren't travelling too far, they are the only way to travel.

Me and a friend from Dub in the back of a Delhi Rickshaw

Here's a video of a 'quiet' (!) battery operated Rickshaw in my local market

So what is my current project?  I'm working for a Global Sanitation NGO with a vision of a world where everyone has access to safe water and sanitation.  Sanitation is the #1 killer of children in the world today.  If you want a quick overview check this video out and see why people like Matt Damon and Shahrukh Khan are involved.

I experienced my second bout of diarrhea in 6 months two weeks ago.  I was sent to hospital from work after going to the toilet 30 times in one day and feeling 'slightly dehydrated'.  Hospital wanted me to stay in for 2 days to re-hydrate but I preferred the AC of my hotel room.  I was lucky.  For someone in a rural situation without immediate access to re-hydration the problem could have been fatal.  It's a huge problem here.  Lucky for me I was fixed in 24 hours, despite the compassion of one of my co-workers (who when I said I had a bad tummy poked me in the stomach - clean up on aisle 9!)

My role at work involves me helping to develop a strategy for the local office to setup a fundraising and communications function over the next 5 years.   It includes everything from getting the Donor Management System (yeah - I thought I'd left the world of IT /CRM!) up and running to finding celebrity ambassadors.   I love the project and will let you know how I get on over the next few posts.  My day is a long way from  what is was in KSV where meetings looked like this:

I'm now back in the world of whitboards (and importantly......electricity :) ).  I do miss KSV though :)  At lunchtimes, I either sit in the car park with the security guards practicing my Hindi or go for a walk.  The local area is pretty spectacular. There are two of Delhi's largest Sikh temples within 5 minutes walk and sometimes I'll drop in and sit at the back and meditate.  It's odd being back in an office environment; there are however, a few little quirks.  There have been a few small earthquakes since I arrived which is a bit like having a trip to Thorpe Park whilst sat at your desk (sorry Ireland but Tayto Park does come close to the Richter scale).

My evenings here normally involve a nice bit of interferential current therapy (hmmm pins and needles) along with a bit of wobble boarding for my akle at the hospital.  Unless I'm entertaining visitors i then usually read, watch documentaries and listen to podcasts.  I'm quite the nerd.  Books I'm reading right now include: 

Only a few years ago it would take me months to finish one book (and that was ones with lots of pictures); now as a big fan of the Kindle I love multi-genre reading - it rocks :)  The sort of docs and podcasts I follow are generally around TED, Food Matters, Yoga type stuff.  I also waste way too much time in the mind mushing whirlpool of Facebook.  

I did have a big night out last Friday.  The famous Indian singer Raghu Dixit was in town.  Raghu is an ambassador of KSV the project I used to work for and wanted to meet up at his gig.  Just to rectify my previous blog focus on the inconvenience of his surname this man IS A LEGEND.  I have rarely met such a down to earth celeb and he made 'me' feel like a proper VIP at his gig.  After a swarm of people drowned him when he came out to warm up on stage he walked over to me and gave me a big hug.  I felt kinda special.   This was a unique gig for him, an exclusive ticket only event in a small club and I liked being able to be civilised and sit down and drink a beer.  I wasn't prepared for the rush of moshing at the front of the stage and for Raghu at one point saying "Hey Mister Kris, you are my guest and you're not dancing - come on down the front".  How do you say "I have a busted akle" to a rock star in the middle of a gig?  So I joined the crowd and as I made it to the front he started playing a ballad.  I've never been to a gig and been standing when they play a ballard.  Unless you have a candle to hold or a girl to lean into what the feck do you do?! I looked up at the big video screen on stage and saw the head of a balding guy nervously twitching from side to side. It was me.  Thank you Raghu, a classic gig and good plans for you to do much more work with KSV.  

That’s enough from me for now, in Part II I’ll be completing a few bits of cultural feedback as promised last time inc:

• Why Indians are one of the least altruistic people in the world (WORLD GIVING SURVEY) 
• Why Indians have bad manners (LONELY PLANET)
• Why women in India have a hard time (REUTERS)
• Why Gang Rape in India is part of the culture (INDIAN TIMES)
• Why Indians have no concept of noise pollution (MR FLACK)

I’ll also throw in some additional views on Rabies, Shopping, Indian Fashion and Getting Gandhified.

 

Namaste :)