Delhi and Trains

Delhi is an enormous metropolis with a reasonable amount of green parks spread through it. As with almost all tourists in big Indian cities, we see a very small portion. We did a bit of exploring and stayed for a night in southern Delhi with a Indian friend we met, but otherwise we remained in the area of Paharganj. This area is like a clogged artery of chaotically bustling, narrow streets packed to the brim with vendors of all types. There is an endless array of food stalls and vendors that we delight on- dals, samosas, masalas, lassis, curried vegetables, chapati, paranthas, paneer, palak... the list goes on. Delhi is also known as the massive shopping market of India, and the streets are truly jammed with any kind of good one could ever desire.

Fried balls of dough- a real delicacy.

One of the main streets of Pajarganj, which felt like a frying pan at 110 degrees.

Rickshaw driver enjoying the cool morning air.

Welcome to the Indian Railway, the largest utility employer in the world. While this system appears to be a total disorganized mess of tickets, numbers, stations and waitlists, there remains some unknown order to it all behind the scenes. We took several overnight trains, each experience different depending on the four other people we shared our berths with- we had peaceful trips with mannered families and pushy travel with drunk men.

Our sleeping berths offered great views of the passing countryside and we could also hang outside the train between cars for incredibly hot but fresh air.

During our trips we hopped off at stations to enjoy various fried breakfasts and chai. If you think that coffee is a craze in the U.S., chai seems like the lifeline for the entire country.