Seeing Through The Smog

Waking up this morning was tough! Fortunately, the blow was softened in the knowledge we would spend most of the day on a bus, rather than needing to follow Mr Jordan around at his characteristically breakneck pace on foot. It was our final day in Delhi, a city that we will remember for its fast pace (apologies for our lack of blogs, these are coming!) and rich history. We were lucky enough to explore some of this history today, on a guided tour of the city's most famous sights. Here's a download of what we saw through the smog:

 

Thursday 21 December​

Sickness Update – George Skinner and Cam MacFarlane sat out the day's events but are definitely on the up. Leo Smith has felt a bit queasy, too, but nothing to report yet.

 

5.15am – We were all woken by the Hari Krishna procession on the street outside our hotel. Callan Adams leapt out of bed to join them in their worship, only to be sent back to bed by Mr Crook who, in fact, was leading the procession.

 

7.30am – Our actual wakeup time.

 

8am – Everyone filed down Main Bazar Road, dodging ever-present rickshaws and scooters to our favourite Café Festa for a great breakfast. Side note: at breakfast we ran into Charlotte Stewart and Grammar Old Boy, James Ayling, who had just arrived in India from a month trekking in Nepal. Charlotte is Fergus, Oli, and Hugo Stewart's sister, all of whom are past participants of the India Immersion Programme. Small world!

 

10am – Our bus was on time and ready to go. We were actually 5 minutes late but that's ok - I'd like to think this is us getting one back on India! At the bus we were met by our driver, his assistant (whose job seems to consist of sitting next to the driver and opening the door when required – very important) and our tour guide Manu. Manu seriously was the bomb – as his name implies – his knowledge of the history of India and Delhi invaluably interesting today.

 

11am – After fighting our way through the Delhi traffic we made it to Qutab Minar, a 73m tower that serves as an ancient symbol of Muslim rule in India. Erected in 1193 after the defeat of Delhi's last Hindu kingdom, it rests within a compound of 27 Hindu temples dating back to the 5^th century CE which are now ruins. This place was like the ancient Rome or Greece of India and fascinating to visit.

 

12.15pm – Our tour took us past the President's residence and parliamentary buildings of India. Colonial in architecture, these were built by the British between 1911 (when the capital of India shifted from Calcutta to Delhi) and 1931. As we drove by, we marvelled at the enormous task of governing a vast and diverse land of 1.3 billion people. Sam Lindberg commented "How do they do it? I struggle to even tie my shoes!"

 

12.30pm – The bus stopped briefly at India Gate (which looks like a copy and paste of the Arc de Triomphe), a war memorial for the Indian soldiers who lost their lives in WWI. Crazy to think of the lives lost for the British Empire which took so much from this country.

 

2pm – Lunch at the aptly-named Havemore Restaurant. And me oh my, yes boy, we did have more. Talked up by us staff as the best butter chicken in the land, Havemore did not disappoint with an all-you-can-eat butter chicken, rice, and naan feast. Ollie "butter chicken is my favourite" Schnauer celebrated the feed by holding a snake around his neck outside the restaurant, maybe trying to help force down his last mouthful.

 

3.30pm – We progressed to Old Delhi where we took a cycle rickshaw ride (more like a crawl) through the walled city. Lachie Dickson and Aaron Wyllie became frustrated with the speed and offered to take over from their cyclists. Considering these 2 don't seem to lose anything in cycling, they found it particularly hard to watch the other ten 50-year-old rickshaw cyclists fly past them.

 

4pm – Our final stop, Rajghat – the memorial established in recognition of Mahatma Gandhi. It is here where the eternal flame burns as a symbol of hope for the nation. Rajghat was/is the political centre of all of India i.e. all of the geographical distances within India are determined in reference to how many kms they are from the Rajghat.

 

5pm – Tour complete and many thank yous said to Manu and our drivers, the boys were given free time to say their goodbyes to Delhi and explore Main Bazar Road. This included fending for themselves in terms of dinner, one group finding their way to a rooftop restaurant where they enjoyed the view over Delhi. Fantastic the things you find when given the time to just follow your nose (or your stomach!)

 

8.00pm – The boys arrived back at Hotel Namaskar, one final time, to pack their bags ahead of our journey to Jaipur tomorrow morning.

 

8.45pm – Debrief commenced where we shared about our hopes for the world and, more personally, our hopes for ourselves. Answers such as protecting our natural environment, reducing inequality, following passions, and never forgetting India dominated their responses tonight.

 

10.15pm – Lights out ahead of a 5am wakeup before our train to Jaipur tomorrow morning.

 

Thought – In Delhi we have been lucky enough to gain an insight into the history of India. We have seen the sights which give context to the story and events – be they destructive or liberating – that have made India the place we see before us today. We all have a personal history as well, a number of significant moments – joyous and difficult – which sum together to produce the people we are now. We have been fortunate over the past few weeks to share within our group, openly and safely, some of the significant moments in our lives and how they have shaped us over time. Today served as a reminder of the importance of understanding the past in order to understand the self. How did you get to this place?

 

MVP – Nikau Reti-Beazley. We were tempted to give Nikau the title of MVP after his excellent mihi and leadership of the haka yesterday at the High Commission but I, for one, am so glad we didn't because he has certainly earned it today. At lunch Nikau, who was told he was eating for 3 in the absence of George Skinner and Cam MacFarlane, appeared to take HaveMore Restaurant's name as a challenge. Adopting the famous Nikau technique of naan in one hand and fork in the other (for efficiency, of course), Nikau smashed plate after plate of the famous butter chicken almost clearing the restaurant out of rice and naan as the restaurant manager sweated at the fact he had given us a fixed price for our all-you-can-eat menu. A serious effort from the man today, worthy of a serious award. Congratulations, Nikau, you are our MVP.

 

Tom