The train... to make new indian friends

One night on the train is... the unexpected . I found my bunk in a compartment that has technically eigh . There are two superposed against a wall, which follow the width of the compartment. Then, there is a hallway. Perpendicular, there are three bunks on each side of the compartment. Mine is... in the middle.

Rapidly three young Indians are approaching. "Where are you from?"asks the first. Immediately, the second asks if I'm on Facebook, handing me his phone so I type my name. And he adds me eight away.

They ask lots of questions, Indians, so they practice their English. One of them, a cricketer, explains the rules of his sport... with a video game created by EA Sports. We have NHL 2014. They have Cricket 2014... At least I understand the principle.

"Tomato soup", shouts one of the vendors that walks accross the train all the way round. My new friend Arzoo hails, takes two and hands me one. The advice not to consume anything in the train just went to hell. At the very least, I knew that nothing had been added in the small container of soup. I worry especially for cleanliness . But these young Indians are filled with good intentions.

Delhi in one day

First and only real day of exploration in Delhi. At the agency, I had booked a driver for the day. But I needed to get there with the subway, with all my luggage.

Ripped off by a rickshaw driver 101: "I ll take you where you want for the same price as the subway!"

You and I both know very well that it is false. I negotiated and I get in. But the driver drops me a little further, saying that the road to where I am going is closed. Still, we know that this is false. But rather than me getting carried around the city by a dishonest driver, I returned with my plan A: the crowded subway, super nice with all my luggage.

My driver took me to the Gandhi memorial, a huge park where dogs roam, as everywhere in town. The park, neat, has in its center a piece of marble where the Mahatma was cremated. One must remove their shoes to get close. By handing our shoes to a guard who insisted that we gave them to him, we learn that this man asks for a tip. Leave your shoes at the entrance, unguarded, and it will do just as nicely.

Follows a visit to the Red Fort and Humayun's Tomb, a mini Taj Mahal. Children are playing cricket with nothing, dogs are mangy and we must pay attention to pigeons, which are everywhere. If the place was relatively quiet, it is difficult to take a photo without someone walking in front of the camera at the last minute.

Starting with India in the dark

The second day in Delhi has started oddly. After a night in the cold, because there is no heating in hotels and the temperature drops a lot at night, I hear something knocking on the window of my room... on the fourth floor. Pigeon! The problem is that there is a hole above the fan in the bathroom... and the pigeon uses this entrance to visit the hotel. That explains droppings in the shower... and on towels provided by the hotel .

Considering the presence of an unwanted visitor, I was allowed to change rooms for the second night.

While I was having lunch, a couple composed of an Indian man and a South African woman arrived. They just opened their travel agency in Delhi. I talked with them throughout my meal and decided to see with them if there was a possibility they could book me a train ticket to Varanasi.

Like all agencies, they drew up an entire itinerary for me. Maybe the catch is there, but the presence of the South African girl who herself lived in Austria, Germany and now in India, reassures me. I can not imagine that she would want to rip me off. After lengthy discussions, I agree to do business with them. A little more expensive then I expected for the whole trip, but at least they will book all train tickets and flights I need, a complex task for any stranger.

Generally, in Delhi, it is recommended to go directly to the train station to book a ticket. Otherwise, the Lonely Planet recommends the official government agency, but be aware several offices scammers have taken that name around town to confuse tourists. Anke and Omer, from my agency, say that even the government agency refers us to places where they receive a commission. Who to believe?

Made it to India

I arrived in Delhi after 24 hours of transit. I have not yet had the opportunity to take photos, so this post will not display any.

My three flights were delayed, but fortunately I arrived in India ahead of the original schedule.

The aircraft departed from Montreal to New York with a 45 minutes delay, the Siberian cold being the main reason. There was also an unidentified problem with the device before takeoff.

New York, security again, walking 45 miles between terminals at JFK airport, needed to print boarding passes they couldn't give me in Montreal, etc. I ran, but my flight... was delayed. They wanted to allow those suffering the effects of Friday's storm to board.

Leaving with at least a 30-40 minutes delay for Dubai which forced everyone to hurry at the United Arab Emirates airport. Upon arriving at my gate, I immediately got on my last plane.

That said, the previous flight, lasting about twelve hours, took place without any problem on the wings of Emirates. The A380 are hyperconfortables. Food was excellent. Had bigger than iPad individual screens. Small stickers to affix to our seats ao they wake us up at mealtimes... There are some companies refreshing their fleet that does not even go far.