We left the hotel about 0515hrs and when we pass Joney’s place we saw that it is already opened.. Haiya miss the chance to have another breakfast there… We are just so impress that they could whipped up a good meal in such a small and constrain space and plus the food is good enough…
Headed to the platform once arrived at the station… We could hear from the announcement that the train has already arrived and it is only about 0535hrs… we walked to the train and find the cabin for our seats.. Deeply hoping that this AC Chair train ride for 4 hrs will be worth it… Found the cabin went in and was please as the cabin is clean with no funny smells… And the seats are individual chairs with seat rests, but me and Ramli got to sit separately divided by the aisle… First feel of the AC Cabin for Ramli wasn’t good.. He felt that it is just the fan that is keeping it cold.. For me is good enough..
The train left about 0615hrs but the cabin wasn’t full.. We thought of changing places but just sat and see if anyone gets up at the next train station. So true enough people start filling up the seats… With experience in the sleeper class you could see the difference in the people… it is exactly like how they are separated by casts… The passengers in the Ac Cabin seems to be all well to do and spoke English.. All dress nicely and “looked civilize” enough.. Compared to the sleeper class it is totally of a different world.. Finally we could be able to keep a little of the sanity left in us…
I was sitting beside this Indian man who just cant stop fidgeting … I tried to sleep and he just kept hitting me with his arms that is trying to rest on the arm rest.. or otherwise with his leg which is trying to open as big as he can !! So annoying… that is why I mentioned above they “looked civilized”… Trying to take a nap but was kept awake by his idiotic movements.. otherwise he kept walking out to get to the toilet.. And since he is sitting inside I had to shift and let him out… Ramli was lucky a mum and her 2 kids were sitting beside him and his seat was not blocked by any thing in front so he could sit with a peace of mind…
I’m still recovering from my minor diarrhoea and had to go twice during the train ride… Luckily the toilet is much more cleaner and with no stench and sufficient water supply… Time pass quickly and it was about 1000hrs and seems the train will be arriving in Delhi on time… Was just looking around the train and I heared someone fart!!! And guess what it is the man sitting beside me, when he farted I turned around to look and he is with his most ignorant face looking at his ass cause he was sitting with his legs cross and body tilted to the side… Whoa!! Seems to me like he had to shift his butt to fart and did it without any remorse or anything.. and he had to shift his butt facing me… What the F)*&!! Is wrong with all these Indians!!!!! So Damn uncivilized!!! DISGUSTING!! I was so damn disgusted I gave him a look and walk over to another sit infront of Ramli… Bloody Idiot!!! Sigh…
The train finally pull into the station at about 1015hrs, the station is cleaned if compared to the rests that we went… But the station is very packed with people… The stairs to the platform are so packed like sardines.. We slowly make our way to the main building to get outside to take a rickshaw to the Paharganj area as stated on the lonely planet it is a backpackers hangout with loads of cheap accommodation… we knew that the place was very near to the station so will expect the auto rickshaw to costs very cheap..
We walked towards the auto pay booth and as per normal we are surrounded by the touts… so many offered prices to us.. The first one offered Rp150 and later reduced to Rp100 but we wasn’t interested at all.. Is too much!! And lonely planet did warn about all the cheats and conmens… So another offered only Rp10.. so we thought okay maybe this guy is genuine.. We went with him and told him to bring us to Rak International Hotel also recommended by LP.. We got in and he kept telling us no I bring you to another hotel we talked to him a good 5 mins insisting that he just bring us to the hotel we wanted and he kept refusing… when he finally relented he asked us to pay him Rp100 for the ride.. We were so damn frustrated by then!! Must be another conmen who is trying to get commission from the hotel that he is going to bring us… We we furious and told him forget it we will not take his rickshaw and tried to get down… He was furious the same and got down and hit his rickshaw and complaining to a fellow rickshaw driver nearby.. We couldn’t be bothered and even said he is a dishonest man and walk off…
Just few steps later another man who was in the crowd earlier came towards us and asked if we were going to the Pakistan Embassy which we asked before.. But we said no no no no in a very rude and frustrated tone!! Paharganj we said.. and he said ok please follow me… we just kept saying NO NO NO … cause we just “classified” him as another conmen… he got a little furious and said 1 MINUTE! You walk straight turn right and cross the road there is Paharganj… Oops when he finished we were quite embarrassed as we mistaken his kindness… I thank him and tapped on his arms and said he is a honest man… he said ok no problem.. I am honest man with a grin and pointed to the earlier driver who is also following us that he is conmen and cheat.. I just said it out loud without thinking of the consequences, YES HE IS CHEATER!! And I shake hands with the honest man and we walked on…
Merely just 2 mins from the station we could see a big sign “Paharganj Main Bazaar” … So it is really so near and to think the rickshaw drivers wanted to charge Rp150… We were now just really disgusted with how the rickshaw drivers are operating… Dishonest conmen!! And we swear never to trust anyone again … Luckily we bought the 2nd hand LP India guide book in Varanasi… Otherwise we might just get conned BIG TIME!!
Paharganj, Main Bazaar
Walking into the bazaar, all dusty and noisy… Also harassed by the touts of the hotels… I just ignored them and walked as fast.. One guy caught Ramli’s attention and offered a reasonable price of Rp400 for a non aircon room, he kept asking us to go view the room first no charge.. so we went climb up 4 storeys and got to the room. I guess by this time we are already exhausted with the touts and the heat we saw the room which is decent enough and decided to stay… Put our bags and went down to get to the Pakistan Embassy…Ramli went down to check in and when I came down later we only knew today is a Hindu holiday and the Embassy is closed. Sigh miss one day…
It was about 1100hrs already so we just headed out to look for internet to check on the Pakistan Embassy details… After we went to Connaught Place ( a shopping area in Delhi) to look for KFC after checking with a tourist information .. we walked as told is just near…After 15mins we arrived in Connaught place after asking the way a few times..
We walked pass shops and saw a pastry shop Wenger’s which was recommended on LP, we were looking at the pastries, sandwiches the cakes from outside and we are “mesmerized” wahhahha just like kids seeing lollipops!! We decided to take a look, 2 security opened the door for us… Walked in and I was amazed , seems we are in another part of the world.. England.. The displays and the white coats that the servers was wearing … Whoa it looks like a bakery that Mr Bean went in one of the episodes on TV… Wahahahhahaha I got a mushroom quiche and Ramli got a vege puff… They packed it in a box and we left.. Ramli tasted the puff and was impressed … Tasty!!
A few shops later we saw KFC!!! We hurried in again with a security opening the door for us.. The staffs greeted us loudly with a smile.. and of course we had to ask the most important question, is the chicken Halal? And without doubt or much thinking she replied yes sure..Okay got our confirmation…. Ordered the chicken meals and headed upstairs to indulge in the crispy looking chicken!! You could not imagine the looks on our faces when we first tasted it… It is soooooooo tasty and crunchy!!! We finished and clean up our plates… we never ate KFC so clean before in Singapore. When I mean clean I really mean clean… the bones are all stripped off the flesh and the plates all cleared of any crumbs from the chicken… Good LUNCH!!! Sitting in the KFC eating just makes me feel like home… hehehe clean with aircon … the décor is just like the KFC in Singapore…
After we just walked around the area spotting Pizza hut at first and went in just to check out the menu and if we are able to eat there… And was confirmed we could eat the Chicken pizzas as it is halal as they have a separate area to prepare vege, non vege and halal pizzas!! We were like kids in a wonderland!!! Wahahahah after we saw MAC!! But too bad they aren’t halal but they don’t serve pork and beef.. So if we wanted to we could have Filet O fish or the vege burgers which didn’t interest us since we had KFC and Pizza hut!! Yahooo!! We already planning what to eat the next day..
We walked pass a shop and a T-shirt at a shop window caught Ramli’s eye.. The shirt had the picture of Taj Mahal and written something like “Via Agra – The best thing erected for a woman” hehehe true!
We continued walking and seems we went off the track and landed somewhere quite far away… A rickshaw driver stopped and asked if we need help to get somewhere.. He showed us a map of Delhi and said he could bring us to the Tourism office for enquiry.. We said is ok you just bring us to Connaught Place.. he okok and we hopped on, next thing we know he dropped us outside a Govt of India Tourist Information, I feel something was wrong as when we told him we didn’t need any information or hotel or tour… He kept insisting we can just go in and get a free map.. I said no no need and walked away… Ramli was still listening to the man out of courtesy then a guy came out from the office and started talking to Ramli and kept saying just come in sir you don’t wan a free map… I called out to Ramli to just go … he finally walked away and I told him this should be another scam… As I read on LP the only real and genuine tourist information is India Tourism Delhi which has only 2 branches…
Walked across and went into a local Fast food joint to have a drink and ice cream and also to enjoy the aircon..Wahahahha asked the staffs how to get back to connaught place.. It is about 15mins away… Haiz kena conned by the rickshaw driver trying to bring us there.. Damn!!
Found our way back to Paharganj, went back into the “oven” room to rests… Having Maggie for tonight… Before we know it is already 1000hrs, Ramli cooked Maggie ate and tried to rest… I had difficulty in breathing and my right eye was swollen and kept discharging mucus… Sigh guess its from the heat and my flu have not recovered… Got some pills from the pharmacists and hope it works…
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