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• 08 Oct

  

  Posted by
  Hector

  
  

  Category

  • India
  • Nepal

  Heading to Nepal

  0

  We decided to leave Delhi as soon as possible due to different reasons: on one hand, the noise and pollution in the city. On the other hand, it was just the third day of a very long trip and we only wanted to do one thing: travel!! We booked a sleeper train from Delhi to Haldwani, took a rickshaw to the bus station and then a bus to Banbasa. Almost two days travelling in the end!

  Bambasa is the “gate to Nepal” if you are going from India to the western side of the country. We spent some hours there playing with children in a mission (it was totally unexpected but we found it, were welcomed and stayed there for a while), and the night in a crappy hotel close to the bus stand of the town. After a few hours sleep, we were awaken by polyphonic horns coming from trucks and buses willing to cross the border. Later that morning a very nice guy from the mission offered us a ride on his jeep to the Nepali city of Mahendranagar, where we got stuck for a couple of days because we trusted a man who believe himself to be the town’s magnate and tried to organise and plan our trip for us, luckily we succeed to get rid of him just on time!!

  

  The highlights of this stage of the trip were the good experience we had travelling in a sleeper train, the ride on a borrowed bicycle around rice fields and villages, the short visit to the Natural Reserve of Sukla Panta and the funny story in which we got to know the Superintendent head of the Nepali Police while somebody bribed him with some cakes and coffee. If we thought India was a crazy country, Nepal didn’t tarry at all!!

  

  

• 07 Oct

  

  Posted by
  Hector

  
  

  Category

  • Delhi
  • India

  India Gate and the city bazaars

  0

  Bearing in mind that we prefer to get in contact with locals, learn from their culture and get to know their traditions rather than spend our time admiring old stones and commemorative buildings, we decide to visit some of the bustling bazaars in which you can find everything from leather work to jewelery, carpets, textiles, electronics, spices and tea. Getting lost in the old city’s colorful and convoluted bazaars is half the fun of shopping here. Connaught Place, Paharganj (where most of the backpackers stay due to the big number of budget hostels) and Chandni Chowk, which is best navigated by cycle-rickshaw. Near the Fatehpuri Masjid, on Khari Baoli, is the aromatic Spice Market, full of fiery-red chili powders and burnt-orange turmeric among other spices, as well as pickles, tea and nuts.

  

  We end up the day at India Gate, a huge stone memorial arch for all the Indian army soldiers who died in WWI. Indian families and groups of friends gather here to spend the afternoon in the surrounding gardens. Lay on the grass and just count the seconds until an Indian gets closer to you just to fulfill his curiosity and ask you countless questions or simply stare at you, be patient!!