Delhi
Looking through my mother's eyes...more like her *REALLY* thick glasses.
Back from a strange journey. First stop was New Delhi, India to join mum at the *takes a deep breathe* Asia Pacific Regional High Level Meeting on Socially-Inclusive Strategies to extend Social Security Coverage hosted by the ILO and the Government of India Ministry of Labour and Employment. *gasp* *breathe*
First impression Delhi. Hot. Too damn hot. It was different kind of heat, like standing next to an oven. The airport was under renovation, didn't really think much of it going through because it wasn't as massive as Suvarnabhumi. With mum on the wheelchair it was a speedy voyage through Immigration and then our luggage was the first ones out. The hotel guys were at hand, and so was the ILO people. We were squeezed into a car with mum's wheelchair, our luggage and another guy who they thought was going to push her around during the meeting. Funny. The guy didn't speak a word of English. We got to the hotel, the Taj Palace Hotel and was sent straight up to the room where they checked us in. Had to call down to the front desk to play interpreter with the so called assistant. Our room was, for the time being, adequate enough. It was an older room, and we were put here on the sole reason that the upper floors were being renovated. But we only found this out the next day, they're reason was there were no other rooms available. Typical two step dance routine.
Next day, Saturday, was spend being absolutely lazy in the room. By noon we soon discovered that the building work they said wouldn't bother us, started bothering us. After a few phone calls we were finally moved to another room, a suite, at no extra expense. And so it was more relaxing, this time in a bigger room.
Sunday was spent on a half day tour of Delhi in a hotel car with a private guide. And the other half in the room, me fiddling about on the net and mum rehearsing her speech for the meeting. We had dinner, get this, in the hotel restaurant called Orient Express. It's a restaurant in a train carriage, much like the dining carriage of the real Orient Express:
Imagine, fine China, crystal glasses. I started the evening with a 21 year Portwood Balvenie. This was living it up. Dinner started with Foie Gras, Filet Mignon and for dessert, the best chocolate pudding I've had in a long time. Funny. To find this kind of dining experience in Delhi.
This made me slightly curious about the Oriental Express, the real thing. Ah, the old age of train traveling, they say the closest thing to it nowadays is the First Class on the Singapore Airlines A380.
The next few days were spent in a conference with mum, as was said earlier in the post. It was a good experience to listen to all the different SS programs other countries had to offer. Refreshing to know as well that we're all in the same boat, cruise ship, whatever...we're all in different compartments though. And that's talking about the Asia Pacific Region. Much to discuss about the subject but I doubt it will hold any interest at the moment.
We decided to leave India early and skip the day we were supposed to go to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. To be completely honest, I didn't feel like I was losing out on anything. It would have been a long voyage to and fro, it was raining, and it was a monument dedicated to love. Way to rub it in to the single gal. Plus I've heard people talk about it, and it wasn't as grand as I would have imagined it to be. All I wanted was to relax, more importantly, I wanted to relax at The Oriental in Bangkok. Apparently, so did mum.
And here it is.
On our last day in Delhi, we spent a good time in the hotel shopping arcade, buying carpet. Mom paid a pretty penny for three pieces and a few duvet covers. Not the best place to be buying such items as it is a hotel store and it will be more expensive, but due to the lack to time, mum settled for this.
So, that was Delhi in a nutshell for you. I wasn't too keen on India to be honest. The curiosity of the land and its people has been satisfied. No more wondering. No. Really. No more wondering. This in one subcontinent that I won't be visiting again. And it's not bad or anything, it's just not..preferred.