Going Solo - Delhi

30/12/07

My time in south India has sadly come to an end. So with my rucksack bursting at the seams and looking quite ridiculous on a puney person such as myself I headed off to Trivandrum airport (Kerala). After being asked to step inside the frisking booth (their name not mine!) and being given a thorough going over I was allowed on the plane and 3 hours later arrived in smog shrouded Delhi. One and a half hours and several prayers to the god of conveyor belts later my bag trundles into view - big sigh of relief! I located the left luggage office which turns out to be a corrugated iron shack in the car park. This will be home for two thirds of my luggage for the next nine days - not feeling particularly optimistic about seeing my bag again and feel like I have just paid someone to steal it! By this time it was getting dark so I decided to treat myself to a taxi. For once the lonely planet guide was invaluable as it warned against taxi scams so I was prepared. Sure enough as soon as I was setting off the taxi driver's shifty male "friend" hopped in and gave me a sleazy smile. I told him with my foot out the door that he'd better get out or I was off - he reluctantly did. Then it was the "I know a better hotel" line and then "you need to reconfirm your room - it's probably already gone" and finally "come sit in the front with me"... not on your life! After giving him many death stares I reached my destination... Paharganj, described in th guide book as "downright seedy and full of dodgy characters" - how could I resist! This area is a maze of cluttered alleyways, heady with incence, rammed with bicycle rickshaws and vibrant colours everywhere. My hotel (and it really is stretching the imagination calling it that) is dire. A rabbit warren/death trap that is still a building site and unfortunately the builders work around the clock. The room has no windows and has the ambience of a prison cell. Still it's only one night and it's close to the station which is where I'll be at 5.30am for my train to Agra.