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January 2002 Arriving in Delhi again, this time direct from London, was a bit of a shock to the system. This is the view from the balcony of my hotel in Paharganj in New Delhi. A typical scene on the streets with cows ruling the road (see Nigel's Indian Rules of the Road)! February 1999 On the previous trip, I arrived in New Delhi on the Rajdhani Express, the top overnight service from Mumbai taking 17 hours. This is a view of part of New Delhi railway station, a teeming mass of humanity at all times. It is a good idea to have your accomodation already worked out before leaving the train. As a westerner with back-pack, as soon as you walk out of the station, you are inevitably accosted by every rickshaw driver within 100m, all ready to take you to their 'recommended' hotel, where they will certainly be getting a sizeable commission - often up to 25% of the room price you pay. This is Pahar Ganj, just over the road from New Delhi station, and the centre of back-packer accomodation in New Delhi. I stayed in the excellent Star Palace Hotel - down a very dirty side alley but impeccably clean by Indian standards, and with very good room service, all for 200 Rupees per night. Pahar Ganj can get very congested - you soon learn that if a cycle-rickshaw goes by, you jump sideways quickly - the back is a lot wider than the front! I almost got run over by a cow on this street - they just roam around wherever they want to, and have quite sharp horns which are usually just at back-side level when they come up behind you. A 15 minute walk south from Pahar Ganj leads you to Connaught Place, a series of concentric ring roads around a central park and fountain, with lots of shops and restaurants. Note the Ambassador cars everywhere - these are still manufactured in India today to the design of the old british Morris Oxford. The joke is that the only thing that doesn't make a noise on the Ambassador is the horn... No, this is not the Arc de Triomphe - this is the India Gate on the main east-west boulevard in central New Delhi. Its a regular spot for tourist traps such as snake charmers and 'dancing' monkeys.

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