Recap India trip Day 1 to Day 6 here.
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DAY 7: AGRA - DELHI
31st December 2008:
We left Utkarsh Vilas bright and early today. After breakfast, we bundled into the car and our driver took us to this souvenir place where we suspect that he would get commission from.
The place sold marble stuff and ...ah...jewels. Today, I saw the biggest topaz stone I'd ever seen in my life. It's not for sale, though.
I bought some marble stuff...like a miniature replica of the Taj Mahal and a marble picture frame. Too precious to use.
Oh, I also bought a gemstone ring.
A black star of India ring.
The seller told me that this stone can protect me from the evil eyes.
"...is believed to help heal trauma, partly by bringing cleansing to tears. Because of this, it has sometimes been referenced to as the crying stone. It can help alleviate aggression and stubbornness and is said to be related to love, commitment, and the inner heart. It is also said to bring creativity to the wearer."
"... is believed to heal the heart, lungs, and the circulatory system. It is also believed to aid with psychological disorders and weaknesses." - Black Star of India
Only God knows if it's the truth.
We then embarked on a long and arduous journey back to Delhi. Four hours of back-breaking car ride, man. Along the way, we also managed to stop for a break at this expensive tourist trap. Haha, no...I didnt buy anything.
Indian traffic is very memorable. Men and animals share the same road...pigs, horses, cows, sheep, goats, donkeys and camels alike.
After what seemed like an eternity, the car finally pulled into New Delhi. Modern infrastructures slowly crept within sight, even worse traffic and more Western influence could be seen. It was around 1400hrs and by God, we were famished.
So we went...McDonalds.
Like, twice in a two days already.
Though I must say, the fillet-o-fish did taste better there.
Or maybe, I was just fish-deprived.
After filling our tummies, we then began our whirlwind Delhi tour. We met Vijay, our Delhi guide, again and he then brought us to Old Delhi, to the Delhi Fort, otherwise known as the Red Fort. This fort, constructed by Shah Jahan (the brainchild behind Taj Mahal), is listed as one of UNESCO's world heritage site.
Don't mess with it, okay!
We didnt get in because the queue was super long and we kind of had no time. So yeah...we just lingered outside. Once we got tired of the place, we crossed the road to check out the market place there.
Crossing the Indian roads must be one of the most harrowing (and exciting) experiences I've ever had. Okay, the following clip didnt really reflect the traffic well. It was quite tame here... that's why we could still walk and record at the same time.
We crossed to the market place...to Chandni Chowk!
Oh mentioning Chandni Chowk, haha check this out:
After that, we headed to the Rajghat, the memorial place for the legendary Mahatma Gandhi. It was very surreal walking around his tomb. Gandhi was a remarkable man. His ideals, up till now, are held dear by millions. Respect, Bapu.
"The sayings of Muhammad are a treasure of wisdom, not only for Muslims but for all of mankind." - Mahatma Gandhi
It was a sombre affair.
People like Gandhi always leave an impact even when they are long gone.
From Rajghat, we moved on to see the another memorial - The Indian Gate. Unfotunately, as luck would have it, we werent allowed to get near the monument because there was some event going on. Big bummer, I tell you.
Time check was about 1845hrs and we were beginning to freeze standing by the roadside. Checking out the Indian Gate marked the end of our Delhi sight-seeing. We then got int the car and headed to Ashu Palace hotel for a quick use of the toilet and for a quick 45-minute rest. After that, we were quickly whisked out to dinner at the Pizza Hut nearby. It was really a rush at this time cause we need to get to the airport around 2130hrs.
Schedule was so tight that we couldnt roam the exciting streets of Karol Bagh. Grr.
After dinner, we finally made our way to the Indira Gandhi Airport. The weather was very chilly and the traffic was maddening as always. It was almost new year Singapore time when we got to the airport.
Urgh.
Happy New Year everyone.
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