This evening Eli is returning home to Milwaukee. He has the day off to pack and prepare to leave for 16 days. I am even giving him a bag of things to take back with him to give me more space in my suitcases when I return. He is allowed two suitcases and a carry-on because he has a business class seat on Indian Airlines to Chicago. He will rent a car to drive himself home and to drive around while he is home. His regular vehicles are out of order because they have not been driven for months. Brakes have rusted and locked up.
I am not worried about being alone in India. I am a strong woman. I know how to get to the Metro which will take me around all over Delhi. Food and money. What else do I need? I can call Keary via Google phone to let him know I am alright.
Do I have anything on my wish list for Eli to bring back to India? Hmmmm Trader Joe's sourdough multi-grain bread comes to mind. Sunflower seeds and sesame seeds and orange flavored dried cranberries.
For lunch Eli and I went to the 7th Degree Brauhaus at Southpoint Mall. I had a bratwurst sandwich with french fries and Eli had polish sausages with fries. Beer was good and cold. We had a good conversation about our lives and our families.
After lunch Eli took a nap. I did some Internet browsing and found a place that was sponsoring a slum walk .. a Jamghat Night Walk from 8 pm to 10 pm tonight. Meet at Golcha Cinema and walk to Jama Masjid. The tour guide said wear long sleeve top with jeans. No camera. Don't bring too much money. I took some notes and said good bye to Eli.
I took a Tuk Tuk to the Metro and rode the Metro to Chawri Bazar. When I climbed the steps out of the Metro station, I was greeted by a strange world. I was in the middle of an outdoor market with people and vehicles going every which way. I hired a rickshaw (a man on a bicycle with a seat for two people attached) to take me to the Golga Cinema where I was supposed to meet the tour guide. It was dark outside and the street was lit up with lamps and signs.
The driver took me down a narrow street filled with queues of rickshaws, mopeds and some cars going both ways in between pedestrians shopping. The air was filled with smells and sights that filled my senses. It was all so overwhelming. Traffic was stalled and went at a snail's pace. An hour to travel a mile. I hung on to the rickshaw as it swayed this way and that way over bumps in the dirt road and was glad I was sitting in the rickshaw. I wasn't ready to be walking alone down this street.
Finally the driver got to the cinema, but it was way too late for the tour. I asked him to take me back to the Metro. It took awhile for the driver to realize that I was just going for a ride through the market area. So he took me back to the Metro station along another route. I paid the driver 110 rupies. He wanted more money, but I kept saying... I pay you 100 rupies. 50 rupies to cinema. 50 rupies to Metro. He wanted more. Another driver joined him and said 175 rupies. I said I have no more money. They both knew that 110 rupies was a good price already. So the driver gave up and said ok.
I went inside the Metro station and rode it back to Sikanderpur Station...15 stops later. At the station, I needed to get more change to pay the 70 rupies for the ride back to Eli's. I went into a little shop at the station and walked around and around looking for something to buy. I found a roll of Oreo cookies for 25 rupies. Perfect. I paid him with 100 rupies and got my change.
I sent a text message to Eli that I was safely back at the Metro. He wondered if I was done with my tour already. No. I got there too late.
Outside I chose a Tuk Tuk....Ibis Hotel.. How much? 100 rupies. No. Too much. 70 rupies. Ok. 15 minutes later I was back at Eli's apartment, safely home. What an evening. I was very tired, so I went to bed. Good night.
I am not worried about being alone in India. I am a strong woman. I know how to get to the Metro which will take me around all over Delhi. Food and money. What else do I need? I can call Keary via Google phone to let him know I am alright.
Do I have anything on my wish list for Eli to bring back to India? Hmmmm Trader Joe's sourdough multi-grain bread comes to mind. Sunflower seeds and sesame seeds and orange flavored dried cranberries.
For lunch Eli and I went to the 7th Degree Brauhaus at Southpoint Mall. I had a bratwurst sandwich with french fries and Eli had polish sausages with fries. Beer was good and cold. We had a good conversation about our lives and our families.
After lunch Eli took a nap. I did some Internet browsing and found a place that was sponsoring a slum walk .. a Jamghat Night Walk from 8 pm to 10 pm tonight. Meet at Golcha Cinema and walk to Jama Masjid. The tour guide said wear long sleeve top with jeans. No camera. Don't bring too much money. I took some notes and said good bye to Eli.
I took a Tuk Tuk to the Metro and rode the Metro to Chawri Bazar. When I climbed the steps out of the Metro station, I was greeted by a strange world. I was in the middle of an outdoor market with people and vehicles going every which way. I hired a rickshaw (a man on a bicycle with a seat for two people attached) to take me to the Golga Cinema where I was supposed to meet the tour guide. It was dark outside and the street was lit up with lamps and signs.
The driver took me down a narrow street filled with queues of rickshaws, mopeds and some cars going both ways in between pedestrians shopping. The air was filled with smells and sights that filled my senses. It was all so overwhelming. Traffic was stalled and went at a snail's pace. An hour to travel a mile. I hung on to the rickshaw as it swayed this way and that way over bumps in the dirt road and was glad I was sitting in the rickshaw. I wasn't ready to be walking alone down this street.
Finally the driver got to the cinema, but it was way too late for the tour. I asked him to take me back to the Metro. It took awhile for the driver to realize that I was just going for a ride through the market area. So he took me back to the Metro station along another route. I paid the driver 110 rupies. He wanted more money, but I kept saying... I pay you 100 rupies. 50 rupies to cinema. 50 rupies to Metro. He wanted more. Another driver joined him and said 175 rupies. I said I have no more money. They both knew that 110 rupies was a good price already. So the driver gave up and said ok.
I went inside the Metro station and rode it back to Sikanderpur Station...15 stops later. At the station, I needed to get more change to pay the 70 rupies for the ride back to Eli's. I went into a little shop at the station and walked around and around looking for something to buy. I found a roll of Oreo cookies for 25 rupies. Perfect. I paid him with 100 rupies and got my change.
I sent a text message to Eli that I was safely back at the Metro. He wondered if I was done with my tour already. No. I got there too late.
Outside I chose a Tuk Tuk....Ibis Hotel.. How much? 100 rupies. No. Too much. 70 rupies. Ok. 15 minutes later I was back at Eli's apartment, safely home. What an evening. I was very tired, so I went to bed. Good night.
