Time to live and travel time. Chapter 9, 10

At the time, as I found myself in Delhi, I spent 3 weeks in India and knew what to expect from the capital. Noise, gams, people, animals, cars, wagons — Everything was mixed here in unison and did not sound over. This, of course, shocks with unaccustomed.

If you are relaxing midstairs after the beaches of South India, then Delhi is forcing you to gather and be ready, because India wants to check you on strength. What are you standing, and? Prove that not weak!

I flew in Delhu after midnight and therefore I ordered a taxi in advance so as not to suffer from the road from the road in an unfamiliar city, especially as this — huge, noisy and disorderly.

I hoped I would see my name in the arrival hall at the exit, but it turned out that my driver is late, so I just wandered at the exit and looked at people around, peered into the darkness of a big city, trying to understand what I was waiting for me.

It turns out a colorful group of wealthy sikhs in color suits, but the Europeans flew off, they are the first time in India and slightly shocked, but I throw a pair of phrases with a security guard.

A few more minutes later, I see the driver with my name on a white plate, he apologizes that because of the traffic jams did not calculate time, but I don’t care, I am not offended and saying:

— Go! Show what Delhi is preparing me there!.

Delhi, like many ancient cities, is now divided into a new and old part. The cooler, just, in the old part, where I stopped, namely, in the Parhargean district, that on the street next to Maine Bazar Road, famous for the fact that you can find everything you need to find a traveler, and under the side of I was the main railway station. In a word, I stopped at the epicenter of life boiling in this hot Sun megalopolis.

After night after arrival in Delhi, I went to the city at sightseeing. I did not have time to look at it, on the same day there was a funny story «How did I offered drugs in Delhi».

I went along the highway from the Central Station and Maine Bazaar towards the center. In front of me, the pedestrian red light caught fire and I stopped. I stand waiting, and for some reason I thought, looking somewhere in the ground. The right of the right was painted some type that began to look at me. He was slightly dung. I ask what he needed, and he says do not want herbs, a guy or what’s the stronger, only TSSS? I took a little bit, in the yard day and I’m not in the center of the ghetto, so that it is right on the street to laugh. I say that no, I’m not hungry, leave your stuff with you. But it became wondering why he decided to offer my services to me. Because I am white, I say? Type I am a tourist from Europe and want to break away? He said so that he often guys in the area of ​​the Old Town take him to him, but I disappointed him with my refusal, the fact that I don’t need a foolishness, I came here at all after another.

As a result, we were walking along with him on Connot-Place there, he told various bikes from his professional experience. It was my second day in Delhi and I did not hurry anywhere.

I have long been scheduled for a few days to perform a program for a minimum with a mandatory visit to the burial site Hazrat Inaiyat Khan, a famous Indian musician and a philosopher.

I decide that it was time to say goodbye to the dealer, what to lose time, you still can’t bring any use to each other, let everyone go to his expensive. I do not know how he, and I first want to look into the red fort.

Red Fort — This is Delhi Business Card.

Fort is especially noteworthy by the fact that he was laid by Padishah Shah-Jahan in 1639, desonyful than the construction of the Taj Mahal.

The fortification of Fort marked also the transfer of the capital of the Mughal Empire from Agra in Delhi or, the so-called, Shahdzhakhanabad.

Legend walks that it was in this forty a lot later he was sharpened by his son himself, where he met his death in 1666.

«If there is paradise in the world, then he is here, he — here» — says the inscription in one of the halls of Fort, the author of which was the Persian poet Amir Khosrov, that for Shah turned out to be very symbolic, that’s just we did not know if he was in paradise or not?! What we know exactly how it is that he entered the story as one of the great rulers of the Mughal era, who left behind a lot of architectural creations and legends.

According to epitility, the red fort in Delhi is significantly inferior to the Forts of Agra or Jaipur, but it is necessary to visit it. Only if the price of the entrance ticket is not frightened. Its cost for a foreigner is 250 rupees, which scares a little and especially sad things that it is different from the price for local residents. Everyone is trying to make money on tourists as they can. Sadly, this is the reality. For local entrance costs a penny only 10 rupees than they enjoy with pleasure. At any time of the day there are plenty of people and everyone relaxed on bears and lawns, enjoying the singing of birds and cool in the shade of trees.

I, while local rested, was in a hurry to the central part of the fort, where hundreds of palaces and the dips were nested, or even thousands of pigeons. Particularly strikingly looked, as they came from the slightest noise from their nests and made a flight in the sky, filling it with various pyruetics, returned back. It was great. True beauty.

If you try, it can be found in such a crazy city as Delhi.

And beauty there at least debug. Not everyone can see her.

In this, there is even some kind of beauty that India does not open immediately, you need some time for awareness. Being a European, you will try to try on her own clothes to understand whether it is suitable for you, and if you were an Indian, then you would take everything that it is. It is already beautiful.

At the beginning of the book, I said that there is some invisible connection between India and Russia. And here in Delhi I look around and in my head there is some kind of dissonance. I see around the yellow-green Tuk-Tuki, and in the language only one incredible association with Moscow courts, where these colors prevail, in which hated borders and fences are painted. That is why such an association pops up, although there would seem another part of the world, but Moscow does not let go?! Chur me!

If in Moscow it looks like somehow, then in India with flowers, everything is in order. Full color gamut here pleases the eye. Thinking about colors and paints, I remembered one story from childhood. Strange still works our brain. anyway. Here is the story itself.

Once in the winter I was given a jacket. I was small, and a spring jacket. I immediately fell in love with her, because she struck me with his unreal beauty with a dozen pockets and lightning, as if it was bought right on the shooting area of ​​a fantastic film. Jacket blue glitter on the whole room and I hurried it to try.

These feelings do not describe words. She seemed to me, gave me the power of Superman and Batman at the same time. I felt. But even with this jacket came disappointment — it could not be put on the street to immediately show friends. Still stood winter and I immediately got a ban from my mother, that it is excluded and you need to wait for spring.

And after two months later, I, as a scratch, run away in my new clothes from the house; run across roads and through the streets, wink the blue sky and the first spring sun — My happiness there is no limit. Jacket is incredible.

15 minutes later I meet friends and we go to climb on old sheds in search of adventures. I now have a superhero jacket and nothing scary to me.

The jacket shone in the sun and I am with her.

And here Pasha shouts:

— Romik, Check! I found a balonchik with paint!

— That’s how Nakhodka! There is still paint?

— I do not know the button a bit.

— Give here, I will try.

And I tried. I managed. To my regret, I managed to release a cold silver stroke from the balonchik. Right on yourself…

While I tried to click on the example of the CEP (nozzle), the balonchik spinning in my hands and, when he splashed, I kept him right in front of myself and the jet splashed in the direction of the jacket and then it happened. I did not understand how, everything happened so instantly and I did not have time to dodge. I saw only drops flowing through my new crazy-beautiful jacket and hurt me. Really I spoiled her?

I could not believe it. Footprints spread all lower and lower, capturing the entire center of the abdomen. It was fiasco.

I started rubbing a jacket wet snow. Those sublifting paints that have not yet entered, I managed to wash off, but the stain and splashes were visible around. I understood that the jacket is spoiled and I will get a lot at home, but I never stopped her love. She was also beautiful for me, but only dirty.

At home I told everything that happened and went from the doorway to the bathroom with my mother to try to save what else remains.

After several styrics, the stain managed to almost completely remove, but due to the specific composition of the paint, the fabric on the jacket became similar to the rough crumpled leaf of the newspaper, subsequently and had to go.

But I did not notice this. She will forever remain in my memory at the moment when I was just handed it: beautiful and clean.

A few weeks later, in India, I can declare that this very beautiful country, she fell in love with himself. But it was one «BUT»…

Beautiful but dirty.

I am sure that it will find his decision, let it not now, but in the foreseeable future.

In the meantime, I moved to the exit from the Red Fort.

I do not delay there and go further, to the main mosque of the city — Jama Masjid, which is not far from the fort. In this mosque, you can climb on the very top of her high towers — Minarets and see the panorama of the city. Once a long time ago, the mosque was laid in the same Padisha Shah Jahan, today here is very crowded and beautiful.

After I go to the old Muslim quarter to find the burial site Hazrat Yenait Khan. He was a carrier of the Sufi Message — Messages about the freedom of spirit, he joined the East and West through his music and brought special light wisdom to this world.

I spent enough time so as not to get lost in the streets of this quarter, but I kindly helped his inhabitants and led me to the right place. The place turned out to be as if the oasis among the desert, the palm trees were even grew inside. In the remote room on the elevation there is a tomb (Darga), where you can stay a little in silence and pray. Harmonious place in the heart of the Muslim quarter. It was good there.

It was useful to see how representatives of various spiritual trends and nationalities can live inside one city. Everyone lives his life, trying to sow around them harmony and light. That’s the way it all seemed earlier and so it was actually.

As early as the word about the topic that worried me strongly. No, slum — This is not trash. Yes, poorly, yes, dirty, but in essence these people lead in a rustic life, because most of them came here for the best life for earnings and remained. They are forced to live here at first in slums, but then they remain at all, they even transport all relatives here.

Remember urban outskirts of small our towns, in my opinion, very much like slums. Life in slums does not make a human garbage. Read the same chantaram? This is True Story, there are wonderful people in slums.

In general, Delhi was a very big city and much easier to move here either on the subway, or on the motorbish, but I chose a move for myself on foot, only so you can truly plunge into this atmosphere, especially in the labyrinth of narrow and old streets.

I was helped by my offline cards, where I built a hiking route and moved around the city, according to him.

In the same way, I decided to visit the well-known Lotus Temple in the new Delhi and built a route on the maps and after 4 kilometers of my walking hike in the city, when I’m finally mired in old streets, which replaced the wide motorways and railways, I began to understand that will soon get worn.

So it turned out, my cards brought me to a dead end, in the literal sense, where they showed the passage, there was a huge concrete fence. I had to go back to the intersection, where I decided that I would catch Tuk-Tuk and in 5 minutes I get to the entrance to the Lotus Temple.

This is the main temple of the Baha’i religion in India. Was built in 1976 and has the shape of a scattering lotus flower from 27 petals.

The architect of the temple was inspired by the style of the opera theater located in Sydney.

Lotus Temple is a good place to mend in the center of the building under the dome where all the energy of this place is going, but it will not work for a long time, since every 10—15 minutes there are launched a new flow of tourists who constantly rustle.

Inside the temple there are no religious images, no altar, nor sculptures. These are the features of the architecture of the religion of Bahai, as stated in their scriptures.

It seemed to me that due to strictly regulated rules of visiting, aesthetics and emotions of this place could not be able to experience. From an architectural point of view, everything is very beautiful, but with the spiritual — It turned out to be too insufficient to reveal the entire potential laid in this temple of all religions. Although I think the fact is that I had little time. Next time I would stay there for a longer.

From the temple of Lotus, I went to the center on the metro to get to the gate of India. This place is opposite the Presidential Palace. The gate with which connects the long avenue, the park is equipped around it. It is nice to walk before sunset. Quiet place. You can buy lemon water and enjoy it, sitting on a bench and watching crowds of tourists driving there here.

While in New Delhi, it is impossible to confuse a new part of the city with old. They are to some extent opposed to each other. If in the old town is very narrow streets, the rag of the buildings, there is no greens, then in the new part, everything is quite the opposite. These are green boulevards, wide motorways and many modern buildings. Such Delhi can be confused with any European megalopolis. This is true.

But the most common reviews about India are such that people are in full talk «God, I got into the Middle Ages. Circle chaos, destruction and complete lack of concept „comfort“. There is no toilet paper or for money. Infrastructure is in decline, overcrowding, noise, dirt. People go to the toilet right on the streets in front of passersby. And these crowds of stray animals. Well, no average century?».

All this is so, but it is only a superficial primary look of neophyte, and to see another Indian — Fragrant, good cheerful and responsive, you need to first change yourself, start developing, like the transformation into a caterpillar butterfly. India today — This is a developing country that goes in a gigantic pace. Having been here for some time, you can already notice these qualitative changes. Here everything changes for the better. Although the path is still very and very long and I think that India will not retreat from the path of the change and one day will appear in front of the lotus that climbed over the dark waters of being.

In Delhi already, for example, there are new quarters, where everything is done by the latest technology. Contrast, of course, strong compared to the old city. On the new quarter you can walk and walk, the space and greens around, no one is trying to crush you and stun with hundreds of classes. This has a certain feature of such as talking, an ancient and historically significant city of India. For one trip you get two completely different and interesting experience.

Imagine India — This is a suburban electrician near Moscow, racing Friday night towards the area. Crowded wagons, worth a fuss, but smiles on faces. Moving sellers from all sorts. Presented? Now you have discovered India, with the only difference that everything is worth eating into the tenth degree, as well as the same.

And do not say now that you do not know what India! Nevertheless traveled in such electricians. Personally, I went to 22 years before, I was constantly waiting for them and waited for the weekend especially to gentle this carnival gathering of dacms, tourists, fishermen and other suffering to get out of nature. Look around yourself now and maybe you are aware that India is closer to you than ever yet. As a popular hit on the Sunday storage market, he seems to be already tired, but it manites with his chorus and so you notice myself singing these lines. And right, sing! Do not stop ourselves! This is india.

And seriously, in fact, I have always been serious here, two days in Delhi enough to fulfill the program minimum. During this time, you can see all the main sights, and if you wish, a few more rare places, such as, specially come and walk along the Connot-Place or Maine Bazaar Road. But since I lived in that area, my journey on Delhi began just with them.

I’m going ahead, I want to tell one story that happened to me on the last day of my travel in India, where, as Ironically, I was again in Delhi, banging in a bunch of two-hour traffic jam in a gloomy french. He always avoided Delhi, because he doesn’t love this city with all his heart, so now he looked again in the trash, which did not believe my words that this is my third arrival in Delhi, where I will spend 7 days. He tried to pee, what I did this in this crazy city all this time. And I told him that Delhi — The city is not for everyone. Delhi — This is a special delicacy and not everyone is given to taste it.

By the way, about delicacies.

Indians themselves are in eating unpretentious. As in life in general. What is very good for me. They fall late, get up early. Eating a lot of street food right on the go. Love sharp, although there are almost all acute or very sharp. Most residents of India Vegetarians, but there are meatsies. The choice of dishes is just huge.

There are people in India, or rather with one hand — right, left is considered dirty, as used in restrooms. But we have the topic about food, so sorry.

The Indians usually have breakfast very early to 8 am somewhere. Can be risen, and abundant baking. For lunch, Thali, for dinner, most likely, rice, cheese Panir. Lunch, respectively, in the middle area, and dinner with 19—21.

In Delhi, I first assigned a dish called «Thali». We can say that this is one of the main local dishes. Although I have already been in India for a couple of weeks, but before Thali, my hands came only now: and Tibetan breakfast eaten, and pellets with acute filling ate, and rice curry, and samos pies, pankor, and more fruits are different, nuts, Fresh juices.

If you caught Thali at a time, then you were very hungry. I tell, Thali — This is a kind of set of multiple dishes that are necessarily fed to the tray. There are included: rice, dishes made of dam, vegetables, curry, side dishes, chapati or mouth pellets, as well as yogurts. There is still special Thali to choose from, where the composition of the dishes offered is much wider. You can still file ice cream to him and, of course, Masala tea. Where without him!

I can say with confidence that I did not eat anything deer.

And when I first saw the size of the tray, on which special Thali served me, I thought they were mistaken — How to eat so much?! But I ate. I was very hungry from the road and only dreamed of something like that.

Everything is very tasty and I have never disappeared by Indian food: be something street kitchen or hike in a cafe. On the street you can meet different and fresh pastries, pancakes — I advise you to try everything.

Indians, by the way, are often eating on the run and in this sense, the culture of Foodtress is very developed here. You may be fed from any mobile tool, in any stall and scallet. The main thing — Do not be afraid and do not forget about ordinary precautions and hygiene measures.

For my whole trip personally, I never poisoned and did not suffer from the stomach disorder. Maybe I was lucky, but in fact the situation with mud exaggerates those who are just afraid of everything uncharted who are accustomed to snow-white sheets in five star hotels on the Europe coast, who is not ready for what happens differently, but does not mean poorly. That’s all mathematics. Who can believe after that?

You just need to follow the minimum hygiene rules: wash your arms and food, like vegetables and fruits, do not drink from under the tap and carefully examine what you buy from street stalls before putting in your mouth.

It is worth noting that the Indians themselves are able to comply with all these rules, and in some places they have developed special food consumption techniques, such as water. I call it whole art — art drinking from the bottle without touching the neck of the lips, trapping the head back.

From the first time there is few of whom it turns out, but after a short period of stay in India and you also learn how to drink.

The meaning of such a drink is that sometimes bottles may not be the first freshness, because Torgashi simply save on plastic, so be careful and buy bottles with a closed lid, on top of which an additional protective film.

As for the water I can still say that in almost all establishments on the table there is a free decanter with cold water, but keep in mind that it is from under the tap. Therefore traveling — Know that you can put in the mouth, and what not.

I hope that my book in something will be useful to you, for example, such small lifehams, because the most important thing is health and a good mood, and the rest will apply.

At the end I want to say that Indian cuisine is very diverse and tasty, do not be afraid to discover new dishes for yourself, eat with an appetite!

Usually, this is all learning before the trip, I studied a lot right on the spot, plunging into reality with your head. But I like it more, that’s all.

Once I stood on the bridge in Delhi not far from the hotel and looked at the railway station. The motors and cars were underway at the bottom, people with wagons crawled on business, and there were stalls of cows and various types of stalls, eagle and other streets near.

I did not understand what it all unites what it places it so much and soon guessed.

India — This is a country of contrast. There is always white on black, bitter — Sweet, there is a rich, but there is good on evil.

India exists in two-dimensional reality, where there is a place and adherents, and antagonists. Someone romantizes her, and someone seeing her other — shouts that india — dirt and horror. On any plus here there is your minus.

This country serves as a kind of developer and mirror. She can show in you as bad and good qualities. Such anchor even you will be surprised.

But many great people speak — The perception of India depends only on the purity of the soul of the look. Sometimes she returns you a bad reflection in your mirror, but believe me, it needs to be climbing over yourself and a limited picture of the world you see to become better.

Want to face with you — Go to India and look into your eyes with your fears, find your inner light, and if you are disappointed, then no one will keep you here.

I want to say what, so that you understood how many people in large cities.

In India, like everywhere in megalopolis, many people go to major cities to work, hence overpopulation seems catastrophic, but keep in mind that there are full territories where no one lives, because there is no work. To solve this problem, you need to create jobs not only in millionic cities, but also in villages, villages. This applies not only to India, but in general, all countries where such a skew is observed.

In the same Moscow in the morning and evenings, all the entrances to the capital stand in traffic jams, and all suburban trains are clogged with people. People where work and they are not to blame that there is simply no such in their native cities.

So do not be afraid of these people, they just go to work while you are traveling. We will be favorably and our movement on this wonderful country will be much more comfortable.

Meanwhile, my opinion is increasingly shifted towards the Central Station Delhi, where I will go to Jaipur in the day after day.

I say goodbye to Delhi, I say to him Thank you and express my respect to this Great and the ancient city!

I can not say that I fell in love with this city, rather, on the contrary, but he was not tuned to me negatively and only occasionally checked me on strength.

With varying success, I took his challenges and solved pressing questions and I can say with confidence that the next time we will be happy to each other as old people and again spend time together.

I will also walk on Delhi and surprise that Chaos, which is going on at every step, but also to rejoice at this charm who is still inherent in this contrast and bright city.

See you, friend! It’s time to leave Delhi. But I’ll come back.

Chapter 10. You can not divide on zero, or how to leave Delhi

The story of how I left the capital of the Indian state turned out from the category «Do not go kids in africa walk…».

I’m even glad what happened as it happened. I expected that at some point India wants to play with me in the game to test the power of my intentions and she played. Let it now, when I’m not ready for this at all.

In front of me stood a simple task to leave Delhi by train and everything is fine with one morning. I woke up, got dressed and went out into the darkness of the early morning near Maine Bazar Road. My way lay on the main railway station Delhi.

I knew everything about Indian trains before the first time rolled on them. I knew that the baptism of these trains should pass.

And I, being a newcomer, because this is my first time in India, I had to do it.

The first attempt in the trivandrum came out with a lump, but I did not depart. I decided to trust India and was going to go to the second attempt at the next opportunity and necessity.

Calling in advance, in 4.30 in the morning I was at the station to catch at the morning six-hour train in Jaipur, but India decided to play with me and it’s in such. Well, so be.

Premonition I suggested that everything will be fine. Honestly, I became a member of a very well planned action on the deception of a naive and sleep traveler.

Not having time to go to the waiting room, they surround me «Checked» tickets and look hard in my. Advise and remove the verdict that they regret, but the train in Jaipur today will not be from here. There will be a train from another station, but before you need to pass the ticket, buy a new one and have time to get to the desired station. AT 6.35 they promised that there would be a train and I would safely have time. I did not believe.

Breaking through the first gearbox, I moved to the platform to clarify the information on the electronic scoreboard. But it was not there.

At the final point of inspection, I was also surrounded and the concilium was once again arranged and it was at 5 am… Here are restless Indians.

To my regret, the verdict was the same. Trains from here NO.

— You need to central cash register, money, ticket..

Scraps of phrases, ahead in Hindi and broken English say, I understand that I will not be allowed further.

Not having a choice, I decided to ride before the cashier, as it was still full of time before my train. As a result, at the checkout I was told that there are no tickets anywhere and never, in general, they are trying to help. And I sit there, at the checkout, and I still do not care. I understand that either I will donate in Jaipur by train today or not. As a result, I inform them that their speeches are sweet, but I need to go to the street and squeezing your ticket in my hands. I’m sure he is still useful to me today.

For some, the task is to deceive the sleepy traveler at 4 am, this is a bullish trifle, they are so often having fun and occasionally earn. But what a dickery, you completely arrived?! Want to fool — fooling in place, but why such performances with multiple actors roll? Even in Russia 90s and then the schemes of deception were easier.

At some point I really started throwing. Very soon I realized that the driver of the Tuk-Tuka with them at the same time, and his wild harmingly glanced me completely. I joined him to verbal rewritten that what hedgehog then he needs in all this story?! I tell him: «Quickly drove me back to the station, I now arrange you «Cheerful morning on MTV».

He reluctantly luckies me back, and he will enclose something in my direction, it can be seen that he has been so drunk and on the road he also drove, screwed eight. I shout to him in response that he really took that Shiva sees everything. I wanted to get to the whole to fulfill everything conceived, so that some harmful «radiski» will not stand on my way.

After 15 minutes I was on the already well-known station, I’m trying to break through through all the checkpoint, this time no one listening to anyone and not trusting his «Winning» ticket, I rush to the schedule, to platforms. It seems that it turns out to go to the hall of the main station building, but there is still something shifting inside me, slightly squeezed the belly.

You know, this is a feeling of fear that says «turn back all, sailed», But you know that if you finish it, wait — light will appear on the side of the tunnel. We must endure and move forward through the unbearable «I can not».

I was still nervous in a tommy about my future, although I understood that the game was already finished and it’s time for me to trust the essence and be that. I do that should and point.

And here I stand in front of the online scoreboard and (about! MIRACLE. ) My train on site. He is in place and will be filed on schedule. What I was very happy!

Thank you India, for this morning game! Thank you for the lesson!

Now I am writing this note already from the train and I understand how little I lost it in the morning (only the cost of Tuk-Tuka) and how many acquired.

And, by the way, about the main thing: Moving in Indian trains has its own charm. Now checked on yourself!

Despite all these morning quests, I wanted to get squeezed from the train and feel the breath of the oncoming wind on my face so that the hair develops in all directions, and the eyes cut the morning air and I did it, just as I managed to capture my joyful face at that moment. Always catch moments!