So, a few of you may know that I own a particularly edgy T-Shirt that proudly displays the fact that I have walked 45 miles on Dartmoor National Park in a 'race' known to locals as TEN TORS. The T-Shirt is a striking mottled grey and says in lurid red writing (cleverly sculpted to look like a hill) 'Ten Tors 2005'. Aside from the fact that it betrays my lack of real sporting achievement at school, it does not mention that, as well as walking a heck of a long way with a giant rucksack, you must also be able to read a map. THANK GOD I LEARNT TO MAP READ. This, my friends, is a life skill I have come to cherish as I roam from one identical street to the next in a place where there are no street names, and very few signs in general. So to all you hockey players, netball players, tennis players, football and rugby players (etc. etc.), the only sport you need do at school is MAP-READING. I will therefore BRANDISH my T-shirt for all to see when I'm home, and add to it (if I can find a lurid red pen) 'India 2012'. Back off cool police.
That said, map reading in Old Delhi takes on a whole new dimension. That there are no road names is a given. Contrary to the roads in New Delhi, however, these ones are so tiny and crammed with vehicles and humans that you can't tell where the road you have taken is going, where it will end, or if the turning you need to take off it actually exists. Therefore, you need to study the map to gain a sense of direction and guess, as best you can, the shape and curvature of the road. Now, for those of you who have travelled in packs, I'm sure getting lost has actually led you to discover some incredible things. But if you're on your own, you do NOT want to be chilling with Mr Tobacco chewer and his rickshaw-driving mate, musing on the meaning of life. Whenever I've dwindled a bit I've generally been harassed by shopkeepers, children or strange men. Neither of these things are part of the cultural experience I'm looking for. SO, getting lost or stopping to read a map is a no go. I therefore was visibly RELIEVED when I crawled out of the literal maze of lanes called Chawdri Bazar in Old Delhi, and ended up at the location I was looking for. This was the FIRST time I've missed a companion traveller because I felt deserving of a firm pat on the back. Awkwardly, I gave myself the thumbs up instead. Thankfully no fellow traveller was there to see me do that. Me and that Ten Tors T-Shirt really do belong together then.
So a summary of the oddities and experiences of today.
-Visited Red Fort- World Heritage sight, giant red brick old palace thing. V impressive. Had to cross the biggest road yet though. Took photos. That's what you do when you visit a World Heritage Sight. . . And that's also what you do if you see an albino wandering around Red Fort. In fact, you actually stop the school children you're supervising and point me out, like I'm part and parcel of the whole experience.
-Visited Jami Masjid- Delhi's oldest mosque, also enormous. Nice moment: listening to call to prayer whilst waiting to enter, passing time by sketching and being joined by ten school girls who watched my every moved and looked up at the thing I was drawing when I looked up. AWFUL moment (humorous if not involved): The locals make all Western women wear a luminous coloured, flowery gown to'cover up' even if they are already covered up; I was told by a girl who has been that you can refuse because they're doing it to identify tourists to tour operators etc.; I refused, I was turned away, I had to accept, I entered- not only with a crop of white hair- but now also dressed in a bright pink gown, felt even MORE vulnerable and ridiculously stupid PARTICULARLY because the other Westerners were proudly wearing theirs, believing that they were wearing native, respectful attire; Instead, you look across this huge courtyard and see giant pink and yellow idiots plodding around; how could they not realise the joke is on us??!! Victory moment: climbed to top of tower and saw panoramic views across Delhi; climbed down, man appeared trying to charge me 50R for my getting my shoes back (which I was told I had to leave at bottom of tower); I said 'NO' and walked off. Oh yerrrr. I'm no fool (but Imogen, you're STILL wearing a pink and flowery gown)...
That said, map reading in Old Delhi takes on a whole new dimension. That there are no road names is a given. Contrary to the roads in New Delhi, however, these ones are so tiny and crammed with vehicles and humans that you can't tell where the road you have taken is going, where it will end, or if the turning you need to take off it actually exists. Therefore, you need to study the map to gain a sense of direction and guess, as best you can, the shape and curvature of the road. Now, for those of you who have travelled in packs, I'm sure getting lost has actually led you to discover some incredible things. But if you're on your own, you do NOT want to be chilling with Mr Tobacco chewer and his rickshaw-driving mate, musing on the meaning of life. Whenever I've dwindled a bit I've generally been harassed by shopkeepers, children or strange men. Neither of these things are part of the cultural experience I'm looking for. SO, getting lost or stopping to read a map is a no go. I therefore was visibly RELIEVED when I crawled out of the literal maze of lanes called Chawdri Bazar in Old Delhi, and ended up at the location I was looking for. This was the FIRST time I've missed a companion traveller because I felt deserving of a firm pat on the back. Awkwardly, I gave myself the thumbs up instead. Thankfully no fellow traveller was there to see me do that. Me and that Ten Tors T-Shirt really do belong together then.
So a summary of the oddities and experiences of today.
-Visited Red Fort- World Heritage sight, giant red brick old palace thing. V impressive. Had to cross the biggest road yet though. Took photos. That's what you do when you visit a World Heritage Sight. . . And that's also what you do if you see an albino wandering around Red Fort. In fact, you actually stop the school children you're supervising and point me out, like I'm part and parcel of the whole experience.
-Visited Jami Masjid- Delhi's oldest mosque, also enormous. Nice moment: listening to call to prayer whilst waiting to enter, passing time by sketching and being joined by ten school girls who watched my every moved and looked up at the thing I was drawing when I looked up. AWFUL moment (humorous if not involved): The locals make all Western women wear a luminous coloured, flowery gown to'cover up' even if they are already covered up; I was told by a girl who has been that you can refuse because they're doing it to identify tourists to tour operators etc.; I refused, I was turned away, I had to accept, I entered- not only with a crop of white hair- but now also dressed in a bright pink gown, felt even MORE vulnerable and ridiculously stupid PARTICULARLY because the other Westerners were proudly wearing theirs, believing that they were wearing native, respectful attire; Instead, you look across this huge courtyard and see giant pink and yellow idiots plodding around; how could they not realise the joke is on us??!! Victory moment: climbed to top of tower and saw panoramic views across Delhi; climbed down, man appeared trying to charge me 50R for my getting my shoes back (which I was told I had to leave at bottom of tower); I said 'NO' and walked off. Oh yerrrr. I'm no fool (but Imogen, you're STILL wearing a pink and flowery gown)...
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