I'm having trouble getting pictures up, but something is better than nothing...
Compared the the average person I have traveled a lot. Now I'm well aware there are people who have traveled a great deal more than me, gone to stranger places, or had bigger adventures, but I have a pretty good reservoir of stories and experiences. Well, I've now had a travel adventure which is definitely in my "top 5 of crazy travel adventures" list now.
You might have heard that Jesus said don't worry about tomorrow because today has enough problems. Well, another reason not to worry about tomorrow is because you probably will worry about the wrong thing. In reality we don't even know what we should be really worry about anyway. Flying into Delhi for our 36 hour layover before continuing on to Likabali, my biggest concern was transportation from the metro express train station to our hotel. I knew the way, but I also knew we would be arriving late at night with more luggage than we could manage to carry the final 3/4 mile of that days journey. I rehersed in my head what it might take to get us into two taxis - directions, price, sticking together, etc... but that never happened - and there was so much more to worry about.
After the 2 1/2 hour process of getting off the plane, getting through immigration, collecting luggage, changing money, and finding the clean and smooth metro express airport train we were on our way - almost to our hotel - almost ready to rest before having a day to explore Delhi - almost...
Stepping out into the near midnight hours of Delhi, there were no taxis to take us to the hotel, but a friendly and willing tuk-tuk (motorized rickshaw) driver was ready to help, and when the size of our group became apparent, it was two drivers, and then the enormity of our 300+ lbs of luggage was realized, a third tuk-tul was called into service. And we were off... in the wrong direction.
It certainly seemed they knew the hotel I was asking them about, and I had clearly pointed to its general location, but we turned right out of the lot instead of left. But after two or three blockes they started a series of right hand turns which restored my confidence and allowed me to rationalized they knew the best way to get to the hotel. Until they pulled into a seemingly random parking lot...where two other men were waiting...
Immediately it started feeling like a shake down. Problems - special permits needed - requirements to travel to a different part of the city - I was waiting for the price tag - how much was this mistake going to cost me. We didn't feel unsafe - it wasn't a dark alley after all - but it certainly didn't feel right. I put up my defensive walls and started pushing back. Asking questions, looking for holes in their stories, not taking their statements as trustworthy, etc... Remember, this is through broken English, with six people in my care, five of whom were having their very first experience in a developing country - at midnigth, not far from the train station in a city of 22 million people. Every man on the scene was firm in their story, they could not take us to the hotel... I was firm in mine, I was not going to the location of their choosing.
91-11-47646464 that number, typed into a simple cellphone, will be etched into my brain for some time. If you want to call the Hotel Krishna New Delhi that's the number. I convinced one of the drivers to let me use his phone to call the hotel. The number worked, and the front desked confirmed that we could not make it to the hotel. Not by auto-rickshaw, not by taxi, not by foot - they were sorry for the inconvenience but due to blocked roads and restricted traffic, it wasn't possible, and we would have to find something else - maybe in the city center - but they had no way of helping us. The drivers were right we needed to go to a different part of the city (not far away), and find something there.
We took off through the still crazy Delhi traffic in a mini parade of green and yellow three wheeled thrill rides, loaded with seven exhausted travelers and our mini-mountain of luggage. A few minutes later we turned into a semi-dark alley... but it was lit by a huge blue sign declaring "Delhi Tourist Information Center." Is wasn't any official center, but it was open, and there was an English speaking person willed to help us with a phone, a computer, and a smile.
He confirmed that we could not reach our hotel, and because so many hotels are in that area, it would be very hard to find a hotel. After a few calls the gravity of our situation started to set in as we could not find a hotel which could hold the seven of us. Finally there was one hotel with two suite rooms available for over $400 each! $1600 for our two nights, in a city where would would not be permitted to travel freely (for reasons we yet did not understand, but certainly seemed ominous) did not seem like a good deal at all.
All the while our luggage is still piled into the three waiting tuk-tuks, which we were watching via security cameras. The drivers asked if we could unload our bags into the building, because it would be safer... Our feeling of security was not soaring... but everyone seemed to have our best interest in mind, and while our guard was up, and the anxiety (and exhaustion) could be felt, there was no panic. Well, there was a little bit of panic when the women went to use the bathroom, and promptly reported that they would hold it until a later time. Their first experience with an Indian bathroom will undoubtedly be with them for the rest of their lives.
A new option was put on the table. What about traveling to Agra, staying in a hotel there - see the Taj Maha - and then come back up directly to the Delhi airport for our Tuesday flight to Dibrugarh? We talked through the details, checked in with everyone in the group, took a vote, and decided to go with a very unexpected plan B. Two taxis, three hotel rooms, entrance to the Taj, and a solution for our very pressing problem were paid for in advance, in cash, in an act of desperate faith. We bid our tuk-tuk drivers farewell, and waited for our rides to arrive.
20 minutes later two small sedan taxis were loaded up, but it was clear to the travel agent that while we could fit with all our gear, it would not be a comfortable 3+ hour drive to the city of Agra - another taxi was called. At 1:30 am, some 30 hours after we had left Castleton, NY, we were on our way out of Delhi - still not sure why we were not welcome - and on to Agra.
Arriving at a hotel at 4:45am is confusing to just about everyone, but in short order we had beds, bathrooms with toilets, and it was good. 24 hours later, at 4:45am, Tuesday morning we were departing the hotel again to make the 4 hour drive to the Delhi airport, but those 24 hours are for another post...
WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN DELHI? Blame our trip to Agra not on religious extremist, nor political activists - it was the Canadians. Specifically one Canadian - Prime Minister Justine Trudeau. He and his family had arrived the night before we did, and to ensure their safety during their visit, travel in certain areas was severely limited. But it turned out that he helped us have a great adventure, and we got to see one of the 7 wonders of the world.
Compared the the average person I have traveled a lot. Now I'm well aware there are people who have traveled a great deal more than me, gone to stranger places, or had bigger adventures, but I have a pretty good reservoir of stories and experiences. Well, I've now had a travel adventure which is definitely in my "top 5 of crazy travel adventures" list now.
You might have heard that Jesus said don't worry about tomorrow because today has enough problems. Well, another reason not to worry about tomorrow is because you probably will worry about the wrong thing. In reality we don't even know what we should be really worry about anyway. Flying into Delhi for our 36 hour layover before continuing on to Likabali, my biggest concern was transportation from the metro express train station to our hotel. I knew the way, but I also knew we would be arriving late at night with more luggage than we could manage to carry the final 3/4 mile of that days journey. I rehersed in my head what it might take to get us into two taxis - directions, price, sticking together, etc... but that never happened - and there was so much more to worry about.
After the 2 1/2 hour process of getting off the plane, getting through immigration, collecting luggage, changing money, and finding the clean and smooth metro express airport train we were on our way - almost to our hotel - almost ready to rest before having a day to explore Delhi - almost...
Stepping out into the near midnight hours of Delhi, there were no taxis to take us to the hotel, but a friendly and willing tuk-tuk (motorized rickshaw) driver was ready to help, and when the size of our group became apparent, it was two drivers, and then the enormity of our 300+ lbs of luggage was realized, a third tuk-tul was called into service. And we were off... in the wrong direction.
It certainly seemed they knew the hotel I was asking them about, and I had clearly pointed to its general location, but we turned right out of the lot instead of left. But after two or three blockes they started a series of right hand turns which restored my confidence and allowed me to rationalized they knew the best way to get to the hotel. Until they pulled into a seemingly random parking lot...where two other men were waiting...
Immediately it started feeling like a shake down. Problems - special permits needed - requirements to travel to a different part of the city - I was waiting for the price tag - how much was this mistake going to cost me. We didn't feel unsafe - it wasn't a dark alley after all - but it certainly didn't feel right. I put up my defensive walls and started pushing back. Asking questions, looking for holes in their stories, not taking their statements as trustworthy, etc... Remember, this is through broken English, with six people in my care, five of whom were having their very first experience in a developing country - at midnigth, not far from the train station in a city of 22 million people. Every man on the scene was firm in their story, they could not take us to the hotel... I was firm in mine, I was not going to the location of their choosing.
91-11-47646464 that number, typed into a simple cellphone, will be etched into my brain for some time. If you want to call the Hotel Krishna New Delhi that's the number. I convinced one of the drivers to let me use his phone to call the hotel. The number worked, and the front desked confirmed that we could not make it to the hotel. Not by auto-rickshaw, not by taxi, not by foot - they were sorry for the inconvenience but due to blocked roads and restricted traffic, it wasn't possible, and we would have to find something else - maybe in the city center - but they had no way of helping us. The drivers were right we needed to go to a different part of the city (not far away), and find something there.
We took off through the still crazy Delhi traffic in a mini parade of green and yellow three wheeled thrill rides, loaded with seven exhausted travelers and our mini-mountain of luggage. A few minutes later we turned into a semi-dark alley... but it was lit by a huge blue sign declaring "Delhi Tourist Information Center." Is wasn't any official center, but it was open, and there was an English speaking person willed to help us with a phone, a computer, and a smile.
He confirmed that we could not reach our hotel, and because so many hotels are in that area, it would be very hard to find a hotel. After a few calls the gravity of our situation started to set in as we could not find a hotel which could hold the seven of us. Finally there was one hotel with two suite rooms available for over $400 each! $1600 for our two nights, in a city where would would not be permitted to travel freely (for reasons we yet did not understand, but certainly seemed ominous) did not seem like a good deal at all.
All the while our luggage is still piled into the three waiting tuk-tuks, which we were watching via security cameras. The drivers asked if we could unload our bags into the building, because it would be safer... Our feeling of security was not soaring... but everyone seemed to have our best interest in mind, and while our guard was up, and the anxiety (and exhaustion) could be felt, there was no panic. Well, there was a little bit of panic when the women went to use the bathroom, and promptly reported that they would hold it until a later time. Their first experience with an Indian bathroom will undoubtedly be with them for the rest of their lives.
A new option was put on the table. What about traveling to Agra, staying in a hotel there - see the Taj Maha - and then come back up directly to the Delhi airport for our Tuesday flight to Dibrugarh? We talked through the details, checked in with everyone in the group, took a vote, and decided to go with a very unexpected plan B. Two taxis, three hotel rooms, entrance to the Taj, and a solution for our very pressing problem were paid for in advance, in cash, in an act of desperate faith. We bid our tuk-tuk drivers farewell, and waited for our rides to arrive.
20 minutes later two small sedan taxis were loaded up, but it was clear to the travel agent that while we could fit with all our gear, it would not be a comfortable 3+ hour drive to the city of Agra - another taxi was called. At 1:30 am, some 30 hours after we had left Castleton, NY, we were on our way out of Delhi - still not sure why we were not welcome - and on to Agra.
Arriving at a hotel at 4:45am is confusing to just about everyone, but in short order we had beds, bathrooms with toilets, and it was good. 24 hours later, at 4:45am, Tuesday morning we were departing the hotel again to make the 4 hour drive to the Delhi airport, but those 24 hours are for another post...
WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN DELHI? Blame our trip to Agra not on religious extremist, nor political activists - it was the Canadians. Specifically one Canadian - Prime Minister Justine Trudeau. He and his family had arrived the night before we did, and to ensure their safety during their visit, travel in certain areas was severely limited. But it turned out that he helped us have a great adventure, and we got to see one of the 7 wonders of the world.
So glad you all made it safely to Agra and then on to Likabali. How glad I am that no matter how great the challenges, God's love and grace are greater. I pray that the experience in Delhi was good preparation for meeting with those gathered in Likabali.
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