Marek The name New Delhi can be misleading. The originator of the idea of adding the word ‘New’ to the name showed Uhlan imagination. The truth strikes at the first contact, i.e. after leaving the airport, where the tourist is attacked by crowds of taxi drivers in a way typical for Latin America. Not only will they take you to the city center, but they will also offer all other services. To start with, they will indicate the right hotel. In fact, all decisions will be made on behalf of the tourist. He will not accept protests, denying his knowledge of English.
The taxi driver we have chosen, after setting the price and destination, only waits until we are in the car. He leaves the airport and instead of heading to the hotel where we booked the hotel, he goes in the opposite direction. Google maps doesn’t lie. Kidnapping? Ha, an unsolved mystery, because while he fluently explained to us that we had to choose a hotel belonging to his family, now he doesn’t understand a word anymore. It doesn’t demand a ransom, so maybe it’s not that bad.
Fortunately, there is a policeman at almost every intersection. When we stand on one of them, at a red light, it helps us to speak to the driver’s reason. We. I see a furious look in the mirror. I answer with a triumphant smile. I’m sorry man, but while traveling around the world, we have already learned many tricks of this type. Maybe you beat us on the price of the ride, but we decide where we go.
The first thing that catches the eye in Delhi is the enormous humidity of the air. Condensation forms on the outside of the windscreen. It is probably not worth mentioning the high temperature and unpleasant smell. Such is the charm of the tropics. What is worth mentioning is the huge number of homeless people. Now, late in the evening, they sleep on the sidewalks, roadsides, and even between the lanes of the highway we are traversing. The division of society into castes means that next to extremely wealthy people there is a second life. Poverty and a sense of hopelessness. After all, promotion to a higher caste is in no way possible here.
The city center presents a much better view, but it is in vain to look for the promised novelty here. However, it must be admitted that the old, colonial buildings are extremely charming. And the fact that we arrived at the right hotel compensates for all the unpleasant views we witnessed while moving from the airport. Now sleep, if jet-lag allows it.
