Delhi - Day One

The flight from Bangkok to Delhi went very smoothly but our arrival at the Delhi Airport wasn’t what I expected.  I found myself mildly disappointed.  In my head there were masses of people milling around haphazardly, cows wandering outside, and elements of danger lurking everywhere to take advantage of the naïve traveler.  Instead the Delhi Airport is very modern, attractive, spacious, and efficient.   Although it neared midday, it was relatively empty, with no long lines, and no scammers present.  We cleared immigration in record time and were greeted warmly by everyone we met.  Our prearranged driver was there patiently waiting for us at the exit and off we went to the city. 

These Little Guys are Everywhere.

A few short kilometers away from the airport the image started to change.  I am not going to go on and on about Delhi traffic but it is something to behold.  Italian drivers have nothing on their Indian brethren.  Our first “ah ha” moment occurred at the first pedestrian light.   We were on a two-lane divided highway and I could see a red light ahead with folks crossing the road.  Our driver blew through the red light at high speed, narrowly missing the folks crossing.  I must have let out an audible sigh because our driver turned to me and quietly said, “there are no rules in India, sir.”

Some of the roads have painted lanes but I never saw them used to guide traffic.  If there were two painted lanes, there were four lanes of traffic, three lanes, six lanes of traffic, etc.  The best way I can describe the driving is to compare it to a NASCAR race, without the order.  Everyone is constantly looking for gaps to exploit.  Horn honking is constant but usually not negative.  It is a warning that I am coming through, so watch out.  The bedlam occurs on the inner city streets.  It is not uncommon to see vehicles headed in the opposite direction to what you thought was the flow of traffic.

Motorcycles and scooters are everywhere and none move in a straight line.  Deborah described it as a moving symphony of constant weaving bugs.  It is completely normal for cars to turn right, from the extreme left, across six lanes of traffic to exit the road or to simply exploit a gap.  Bigger is better but rickshaws, tuk tuks, and pedestrians do not seem to fear buses and trucks, despite the visible dings in all vehicles, large or small.

By the afternoon we were brave enough to take a ride on a pedal powered rickshaw.  Riding a rickshaw in heavy traffic is an experienced to remember.  Rickshaw drivers think nothing of turning sideways into oncoming traffic to cross.  More than once we looked up to see cars so close you could see the nose hairs of the drivers and count the pores on their foreheads.  Our driver implored us to keep our limbs inside the canvas and pot metal passenger cage for fear of losing them.  At one point Jinder was sitting on the back of our rickshaw when a fast moving motor cyclist came up and purposefully tapped Jinder’s exposed foot with the front wheel.

Negotiating "The Deal"

Stan & Doreen Take The Lead

Check Out the Overhead Wiring!

Arrived Safely

These Cyclists Earn Their Pay!

Speaking of Jinder, he, Kal, Doreen, Stan and Darshan (Kal’s sister) were all in the hotel lobby waiting when we arrived.  Typical of the Eveready Energizer Bunny, that disguises himself as Jinder, we were off touring within the hour.  Jinder arranged our personal driver and air-condition van, available to us 24 hours a day, for our six days travel in the north.

Delhi is India’s capital and as such, is filled with grand parks, monuments, palatial residences, flowering public gardens, resplendent deciduous tree, and seats of political power.  Indians are justifiably proud of the “New” Delhi.  Most signage is in both Hindi and English.  Modern improvements to infrastructure are ongoing.  The city’s is developing a new underground metro started as a legacy of the 2010 Commonwealth games.  New construction is prevalent but like Bangkok, contrasts are also everywhere.  There are 1.2 billion people in India and nearly 500 million live in poverty.  Outside of “New” Delhi lies “old” Delhi and the surrounding suburbs that are not as well developed.

On the drive from the airport I spotted a mother bathing her child in a mud puddle on the side of the road.  Less than a block from our hotel are alleys where one can see evidence supporting every poverty cliché you have ever imagined.  A drive through “old Delhi” revealed an underside with people living lives with the barest of necessities.   Tin roofed structures fill every available nook and cranny as folks create homes wherever then can. 

Old Delhi

Old & New Everywhere.

I have been told that the “upside” of India is that in the last decade, the number of people in poverty has decreased dramatically by as much as 200 hundred million.  That still leaves millions without but the middle class is growing in leaps and bounds as the poor make the transition to better lives.

We enjoyed an afternoon sightseeing in the Red Fort located in Old Delhi.  It is a massive red stone fortification that once housed the royal residence and ruled all India from within its walls.  The ornate gold leaf overlays have long ago been stripped but it does little to diminish the architecture of the structures.

Foreigner's Pay Much More.

The Red Fort

The Princesses Felt Much at Home in the Castle.

Our driver also described many interesting sites as he toured us around the city.  The reverence for Gandhi is evident in many parks and statutes.  The India Gate is a famous landmark surrounded by green spaces filled with citizens and tourists alike.  We enjoyed an authentic Indian lunch in a small neighborhood restaurant.  As we left we saw a man sitting on the ground with playing a flute.  As you probably guessed, as he started to play, the top of the basket started to rise and the head of a snake appeared.  An Indian cliché, but it happened.  The man stopped playing and asked for money to restart.  None of us like snakes all that much so we left.

Just Missed the Cobra's Head for Photo.

Our hotel is very high end but due to the political climate all vehicles, luggage and patrons must go through security checks much like an airport when entering the hotel.  Inside we could not have been treated better. 

We ended the day with a return downtown to wander and enjoy a few drinks on a roof top terrace in Connaught Place.  We were even brave enough to cross four lanes of traffic on our own.  Connaught Place is the left over from the British administration that decamped India in 1947.  It was cool to sit and enjoy a few cold Kingfishers and imagine what life was like back in the day.

No Internet so I don’t know when this will get posted.

Bangkok - Day Two

Day Two touring in Bangkok proved interesting.  We saw some of the things on our list but also learned a valuable lesson about being a wary traveler. 

I’ll preface my story with the facts that Thailand people, from our brief experience, are extremely friendly and pleased to have tourists form the centerpiece of their economy.  The city of Bangkok even has a dedicated Tourist Police force.  The existence of the police force and the various public signs and announcements, clearly demonstrate how much they care but scammers are in all cities and countries.

After a huge breakfast/lunch we set out for the Grand Palace.  The Skytrain to Riverboat portions went without a hitch.  We did get on the more expensive riverboat but in the end it made no difference since we never bought a ticket.  We felt unintentionally fortunate getting off at Pier #9 and headed for the Grand Palace.  A huckster approached us offering a ride to the Palace entrance 100 meters away.  I simply replied “no English” and he left us alone.

As we approached the Palace gate a man in uniform told us the palace was closing for an hour.  I had read that the Palace had regular noonday closing and it was 11:30 so it made sense to us.  It was at this time that a young man approached and offered some advice in English.  He disarmed us immediately by stating that he was a volunteer/teacher from the university and he did not want any money.  He said that we since we had to wait an hour we should take advantage of the time to see the Smiling Buddha.  Before we knew it he escorted us across the busy street, arranged and negotiated a cheap price on a Tuk Tuk, and away we went.  Red flags were rising in each of our minds but we weren’t saying anything.  As we began motoring away from the Palace we looked at each other and immediately knew something was not right.  At the first stop light we leapt from the vehicle and screamed out “changed our minds”.  I threw him 10 baht for his trouble.  Maybe it was legit but it didn’t feel right and it was only after that Deborah mentioned she had noticed the “volunteer” making a cell phone call as we pulled away.  We assume it was to one of his cronies saying, “we got two more.”

Later in the day our suspicion was further confirmed.  We were walking by an entrance to the Palace we knew was unused because a tourist policeman told us the day before not to go there.  As we walked by a man approached us wearing a Tourist Police badge but not police shirt.  He had a piece of paper (looked like a bookmark) with “Tourist Police” sticking out of his pocket.  It was the same piece of paper I had in mine.  He intercepted us talking as if we were headed to the unused entrance.  He stated emphatically that we could not enter because it was a Buddhist holiday and only Thai citizens could enter.  Before we could say a word… you guessed it, he suggested that we should … visit the Smiling Buddha and that he would arrange a ride.  We walked on.

We never did go into the actual Palace.  We did wander the Palace grounds.  Unnerved, we visited the Wat Pho temple next door instead.  It was beautiful and while wondering the grounds we came across the WatPo Thai Traditional Medical Massage School.  Feeling a little stressed we went in.  Deborah opted for the Foot massage and I the full body.  My massage was relaxing by the end but difficult during.  Being a little larger that the average Asian citizen, they brought out the largest young man they had.  For a full 30 minutes he pounded me with his hands, ground me with his knees and elbows, and stretched my joints to degrees I didn’t think possible.  I have never had a man's hands all over my butt but this guy squeezed and ground my butt with his elbow (at least I think it was his elbow) for at least five minutes.  He pulled my joints to a point I felt they were coming apart.  Later, Deborah was pleased to hear that there were no embarrassing incidents as a result of him pulling each of my fingers.

Enjoying the Grand Palace Grounds

The Tranquil area at Wat Pho

Note the New Buddha Deborah is Sporting!

Way Pho Temple Grounds

We were finished with touring by the end of the massages and returned to the hotel to put in some pool time relaxing in the sun.  Karma got us on the return trip when we got on the wrong riverboat again.  This time we were asked for the tickets we didn’t have and it cost us 40 baht each instead of the regular 15.

Beers and Pizza Back at the Ranch.

Our time in Bangkok ended with a trip to the night market and a little shopping.  Tomorrow is the final leg of flying to New Delhi and a reunion with Team India.

Don’t know when but more to come.

Ps.  I just remembered something noteworthy.  During our last evening we were in the Skytrain station at 6 pm.  The public address system played a short bar of music and everyone froze in his or her places.  It was rush hour in Bangkok so this represented a large number of frozen folks.  I thought it was the start of some kind of flash mob but then the music started again.  The people in uniform stood at attention and everyone else just stopped moving.  We think it was the national anthem.  It lasted about a minute and as it ended, everyone else started.  Kinda cool and weird.

Bangkok - Day One

Bangkok is a huge city.  Twenty-two million people confined in 600 sqare miles of space.  The airport is 25 kms from our hotel in the city’s center.  Thankfully we had pre booked a driver to meet us at the airport.  We were too tired to think and thankfully he whisked us away to the hotel in an air-conditioned limo.

The Eastin Grand is very upscale, with an infinity pool on the fourteenth floor, its own stop on the BTS (Bangkok’s sky train), and within easy walking distance to many attractions.  Fortunately for us, “upscale” in Thailand doesn’t translate to “expensive” in Canadian dollars.  Bangkok is a city of contrast, huge modern, prosperous looking buildings sandwiched between broken-down, derelict, poverty filled abodes and shops.

Eastin Grand

Day one of our sightseeing began with a plan.  The all-inclusive breakfast was to serve as both breakfast and lunch.  It was fabulous with three food stations serving everything you could imagine.  Cereals, pastries, and different varieties of fresh fruits at one, nine cooks at the next preparing all the different meat groups and omelets cooked to your specifications, and an all-Asian fare buffet.  We had no difficulty satiating ourselves to last until the evening meal.

Off On Our First BTS

River Travel Through the City is Easy & Inexpensive

The actual sightseeing plan started well then quickly turned, but not in a bad way.  We bought our BTS One-day pass for unlimited use of the Sky train and our Chao Phraya Tourist Boat Pass for the same.  We made our way to the river Chao Phraya with the intention of accessing many sites.  The Grand Palace, home of Thailand’s Royal Family, was the initial target.   Upon arrival, a Tourist Policeman took us aside to warn us about pickpockets and overcharging drivers.  He also said the palace was closed at the time but that we were “lucky”.  The Royal Mausoleum was open for visitors.  He explained that it is only open one day a year for citizens to pray for the royal family.  He quickly tucked us into a Tuk Tuk, told the driver where to go and what to charge us and away we went.  Apparently you must be flexible in Thailand as well as India.

Tuk Tuks Waiting For You

The Royal Mausoleum is where generations of Royal ashes are interred.  The grounds have ornate crypts, beautiful gardens, surrounding the royal Buddhist Temple where the Royals pray for their ancestors.  We were the only tourists there.  They do not advertise their one-day opening per year.  The Minister in charge of the site met us and for the next two hours we were his personal guests and he was our personal tour guide.  At one point he sat us down on some benches, under a large shade tree and explained his life as a Buddhist and the role of Buddhism in Thailand.  As the curator of the site he was immensely proud of the art and architecture and went to great lengths to explain the meaning of all the precious stones that prevail in Buddhist art.  At one point our host’s boss, the Minister in charge of all the Royal sites of Bangkok, joined us and he too, proudly explained the history of the place and its impact on the city.  Both men were loyal monarchists and conveyed great love for the current King and his family.  A wise traveler once told us to expect plans to be waylaid but to also be open to even greater experiences.  We would put this experience down as testament to this fact.

The Whole Place Reeked of Serenity.

Our New Friend - The Minister-In-Charge (He had painted the door)

Royal Prayer Temple

The Buddha Weighs 800 kg of Pure Gold.

Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on your perspective), both men advised us about a little known shopping secret.  Thailand is world famous for its precious gems and stones.  Our hosts informed us that the Royal Lapidary Jewelry Co. was open to the public that very day.  It is only open to the public one day, every 33 years.  Both men had been there in the morning and purchased for their families.  The number “3” is the lucky number in Thailand so we had to go.  The minister arranged a taxi, walked us to the stand and said good-bye.  He started saying goodbye with a North American shaking of hands, moved to a Thai cupping of hands and bowing, then moved to a hug with a cheek brush, side to side.  If he had moved to kissing I may have had to deck him but I think he sensed it and stopped short.

We came away from the experience with a lot but most importantly we think we have the whole hand clasping, head bowing thing sorted out.  Hands looking like they are in prayer and bowing replace shaking hands.  The hands are brought together cupped; fingers touching but not palms – lotus style.  Clasped hands touch different parts of the person’s anatomy depending on who they are greeting:  1) hands are clasped with top fingers to top of forehead when acknowledging God, 2) touching top of nose for Royals, 3) the tip of the nose for parents, 4) under nose/lips for family, 5) under the chin for friends, and finally 6) middle of the chest for meeting people younger than you.  We now do #6 a lot.

The Royal Lapidary shopping experience was unique.  Normally open only to wholesalers, the company was celebrating it’s 33-year of opening.  We had our own sales person for the tour.  The Royal certifies each precious stone and this certification cannot be found elsewhere.  I won’t say how much money was spent but one of our party impressed the company so much they arranged the company car for us at the end of the tour to take us anywhere we wanted.  I asked permission to take pictures but was quickly surrounded and given a firm "no!"

So… in terms of sightseeing… we didn’t see anything we had on our list but all in all it was a great day!  Maybe tomorrow will bring different results.

We Never Tire of Different Sunsets.

The day closed with a fine traditional Thai meal at the Thanying restaurant located a short walk from the hotel.  The restaurant choice came as a recommendation from sister Rita who dinned there previously.

Early to bed to ready for Day Two.

The Journey Has Begun

Our trip began with a 4:30 am wake up call and a 7 am arrival at the Vancouver Airport, courtesy of Spencer.   Thank goodness for NEXUS and eye scans.  We were able to bypass the long security lineups and sailed through US Customs.

Yes, I said US Customs.  When you travel on points you get what you get, especially when you only book two months in advance.  We flew Vancouver to Seattle, Seattle to Seoul, and Seoul to Bangkok.  We are staying in Bangkok for three days to see the sights but more importantly, to adjust our body clocks before flying to Delhi on March 7.  Our fellow travelers will arrive in India on the 7^th.

Thank goodness as well, for the fact we spend so much money on our VISA cards.  We focus so much on squirreling away points that we changed dealerships at the last minute when buying our last car.  The deal breaker was our demand to double the down payment dollars we could put on VISA.  The fellow we were dealing with for over a year said “No”.  We found someone else who said “yes”.  As a result, we are flying Executive Class on this trip and are taking advantage of the many Airport Lounges offering free food and drink.  

We are also thankful the lounges are secure.  Our trip had barely started when we had our first “adventure”.  We were in transit between the United and Asiana lounges at SeaTac when Deborah noticed she was light one carry-on.  Back on the shuttle, across the airport, up the stairs, back into the United Lounge and there it was waiting for her.  I may have to tether Deborah to my side for fear of losing her in India.

The trip from Seattle to Seoul was long but comfortable.  Eleven and a half hours, all in daylight, most over land.  This fact surprised me.  We crossed over the Pacific but via B.C., Alaska, and Siberia.  Asiana Airlines was first class; they even had five different folks in suits out on the tarmac at SeaTac waving good-bye.

Arrived Seoul around 6:30 pm Monday (1 am home time Monday).  Into the Thai  Air lounge for a few draft beers and Thai salad.  Deborah took a turn at the grand piano entertaining the other guest (three Buddhist monks quaffing beers in a corner).  

We finally arrived at our hotel in Bangkok after approximately 29 hours of straight travel time.  I think we managed about 6 hours of sleep over that time.  Dead tired now but will post before sleep.

Bangkok sightseeing tomorrow.

View from our Bangkok Hotel When we Woke.