Happy New Year from Delhi! At midnight, we heard all of the goings-on from our apartment but couldn’t muster the energy to go out on the street. We did see sparklers and fireworks before midnight and the street sounds of the celebration could have been in Annapolis.
We have now been in India for two weeks, and are just barely getting settled into our new digs at #145 Block A, Defence Colony in south New Delhi. It’s an area with a lot of character, with some ex-pats but still a ton of India in our faces every second of the day. We’re less than a half mile walk or rickshaw ride to the subway and to three different markets – one kind of yuppy and the other two very, very local. One is near a big Afghan community (and has superb lamb dishes!). The apartment is in a house with the owners living on the first floor. We’re on the second floor with our own nice porch, a very open living space and 2BR’s. The third floor is for the owner’s servants…. Yikes!
Delhi is an absolute mad house – more intense than anywhere we have ever been. Unbelievable markets, jam-packed subways, intense smog many days, great restaurants.
Animals. Elephants of course for the tourists. But lots of animals about – lots and lots of stray dogs, but they are fed and are not abused. The dogs are not overly friendly, but they don’t cower from people. They just share the space with people. There are also lots of cows in the streets (although few in downtown Delhi), many monkeys, goats and pigs in Jaipur and many camels used for transporting stuff out of the urban areas.
Winter has arrived, which means that we need to bundle up inside since there’s no heat, but thankfully the apartment has AC for the upcoming summer. Days are in the 60’s and often sun filled but nights get into the 40’s so it is very nippy inside. We wear our jackets all evening long. Good for snuggling.
Despite having a large kitchen, we have been taking full advantage of the local establishments – we’re almost totally eating Indian, but there’s also southern Asian, Chinese, Italian and pizza in some form. It’s a treat to walk to our local market and get a simple South Indian vegetarian dinner with fabulous bread served on a formica table for about $6 or go more upscale and have a larger choice, tablecloths and all the trappings. I think we will start getting take-out orders of sabzi (a spinach dish) which we can keep in the freezer to supplement any cooking we decide to do. So far eating Indian food 1-2 X a day is tasting GREAT and -- fingers crossed -- no “Delhi-belly” to date. Food is always a priority for us and we haven’t been the least bit disappointed.
We had our first out of town get away to Jaipur last w/e. Finding the train sold out (or believing that it was sold out since we still can’t decipher the train web site), we took the deluxe bus on our 5 hour trip. The hotel we booked was a small heritage hotel located outside the walls of the historic city in a scruffy neighborhood. It was a little oasis with an open plaza, a huge dining room furnished with antiques, a cloth laden, cozy room, and a very friendly, eager to please and curious owner. Less than $40 a night. If we wanted, we could stay for a lot cheaper. India is very inexpensive. Had there been more than 1 or 2 other rooms occupied in the place, it would have felt great. The city itself had a wealth of old sites- palaces, forts, minarets, astronomical instruments dating back centuries – and all within a rickshaw ride. The loud hum and hubbub of the old city seemed tame next to Delhi and we soaked up the sunshine and clean air.
The people are really warm, engaged, and personable. We’ve started to connect up with folks inside and outside of the research center to get a handle on the social assistance programs in India. We will write soon on the unbelievably challenging lives that so many Indians face, with little collective supports beyond family. And we think we have it tough in the USA!
The two of us are doing a lot of the health insurance work together, so this work will be another big part of our sharing experience during this adventure. Tomorrow we meet with health folks at the World Bank as well as folks from a German foundation doing health work in the Bangalore area. Yesterday was a meeting with leaders from the People’s Health Movement who are fighting for universal health care as a right in India. They have a heck of a road ahead.
Our eyes are wide open. India is flooding in……..
-----------------------------We have now been in India for two weeks, and are just barely getting settled into our new digs at #145 Block A, Defence Colony in south New Delhi. It’s an area with a lot of character, with some ex-pats but still a ton of India in our faces every second of the day. We’re less than a half mile walk or rickshaw ride to the subway and to three different markets – one kind of yuppy and the other two very, very local. One is near a big Afghan community (and has superb lamb dishes!). The apartment is in a house with the owners living on the first floor. We’re on the second floor with our own nice porch, a very open living space and 2BR’s. The third floor is for the owner’s servants…. Yikes!
Delhi is an absolute mad house – more intense than anywhere we have ever been. Unbelievable markets, jam-packed subways, intense smog many days, great restaurants.
Animals. Elephants of course for the tourists. But lots of animals about – lots and lots of stray dogs, but they are fed and are not abused. The dogs are not overly friendly, but they don’t cower from people. They just share the space with people. There are also lots of cows in the streets (although few in downtown Delhi), many monkeys, goats and pigs in Jaipur and many camels used for transporting stuff out of the urban areas.
Winter has arrived, which means that we need to bundle up inside since there’s no heat, but thankfully the apartment has AC for the upcoming summer. Days are in the 60’s and often sun filled but nights get into the 40’s so it is very nippy inside. We wear our jackets all evening long. Good for snuggling.
Despite having a large kitchen, we have been taking full advantage of the local establishments – we’re almost totally eating Indian, but there’s also southern Asian, Chinese, Italian and pizza in some form. It’s a treat to walk to our local market and get a simple South Indian vegetarian dinner with fabulous bread served on a formica table for about $6 or go more upscale and have a larger choice, tablecloths and all the trappings. I think we will start getting take-out orders of sabzi (a spinach dish) which we can keep in the freezer to supplement any cooking we decide to do. So far eating Indian food 1-2 X a day is tasting GREAT and -- fingers crossed -- no “Delhi-belly” to date. Food is always a priority for us and we haven’t been the least bit disappointed.
We had our first out of town get away to Jaipur last w/e. Finding the train sold out (or believing that it was sold out since we still can’t decipher the train web site), we took the deluxe bus on our 5 hour trip. The hotel we booked was a small heritage hotel located outside the walls of the historic city in a scruffy neighborhood. It was a little oasis with an open plaza, a huge dining room furnished with antiques, a cloth laden, cozy room, and a very friendly, eager to please and curious owner. Less than $40 a night. If we wanted, we could stay for a lot cheaper. India is very inexpensive. Had there been more than 1 or 2 other rooms occupied in the place, it would have felt great. The city itself had a wealth of old sites- palaces, forts, minarets, astronomical instruments dating back centuries – and all within a rickshaw ride. The loud hum and hubbub of the old city seemed tame next to Delhi and we soaked up the sunshine and clean air.
The people are really warm, engaged, and personable. We’ve started to connect up with folks inside and outside of the research center to get a handle on the social assistance programs in India. We will write soon on the unbelievably challenging lives that so many Indians face, with little collective supports beyond family. And we think we have it tough in the USA!
The two of us are doing a lot of the health insurance work together, so this work will be another big part of our sharing experience during this adventure. Tomorrow we meet with health folks at the World Bank as well as folks from a German foundation doing health work in the Bangalore area. Yesterday was a meeting with leaders from the People’s Health Movement who are fighting for universal health care as a right in India. They have a heck of a road ahead.
Our eyes are wide open. India is flooding in……..
Photos below from Delhi from the Mughal era (Moslem rule) and from Jaipur during the Maharaja rule (Hindu), including the famous Amber Fort in Jaipur:
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| Lodhi Gardens in Delhi |
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| Walls around Jaipur's Amber Fort |
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| Amber Fort in Jaipur |
Ken & Caroline, I am so enjoying your pictures, stories and insights! Thank you for sharing your adventure with us. We miss you. Love, Terri & Larry Werner
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