Delhi
The train arrived in Delhi at around 8 p.m. and, lovely as the people were, I was
more than happy to disembark and be away from the staring eyes. My bike or bags
weren’t anywhere in sight and I made my way to the parcel office (an experience in
itself). Already dark, it took wading my way through muddy puddles, rail tracks,
past stray dogs and goods stacked sky-high, but the bicycle wasn’t there either. I
decided it was best to locate accommodation and collect the bike and panniers in
the morning.
At the best of times, Delhi is an over-commercialised madhouse and even more so
when arriving in the dark. Due to Diwali celebrations, making my way along Main
Bazaar Road was in a sea of light. It must’ve been around 9 or 10 p.m. and the
streets were as busy as peak hours in any megacity. The difference was the road
was congested with bicycle rickshaws, tuk-tuks, pedestrians and cows.
I sauntered past vendors selling curry and roti, beggars and scrawny-looking kids
who quickly asked for handouts. Finally, a bed was found at Namaskar Hotel and I
could’ve sworn it was the hotel I stayed at in 2008.
Delhi
Waking with a sore throat and blocked nose wasn’t surprising following the train
ride, and I searched for vitamin C and my bike—both of which were easily located.
The short ride from the train station to my hotel reminded me of how trying cycling
in India could be.
Feeling downright rotten, the following day was spent in bed nursing a thick head
and sore body. I couldn’t afford getting the flu as my time to reach the Pushkar
Camel Fair was running out fast. The air quality in Delhi is extremely poor and I
hadn’t seen the sun in days. Still, it made for interesting pictures.