An easy flight from Amsterdam landed us in the quietest darkness of Delhi's very early morning hours. We were picked up and whisked out of the huge halls and corridors of the airport and into the smoky denizens of the sprawling, sleeping city. Despite the early hour, and initial difficulty finding our accommodations, which turned out to be buried in the impossibly labyrinthine neighborhood of Saket's D block, we finally went to bed about 3:30 a.m., and checked off successfully navigating our first leg of being in India.
After a little orientation from our B&B owner during breakfast, complete with useful handouts, we headed out for our important undertaking of securing a new SIM card for our phone. Evidently true entertainment for the locals' slowly unfolding sleepy bodies, we persisted in looking and asking for the mobile phone shop, without the slightest success, wandering and retracing our steps countless times. Eventually we headed to a shopping area further down the chaotic road, and enjoyed short-lived success. Waiting in the phone office amidst legions, we finally were called up to the counter only to be summarily dismissed as we had no passport photo for the paperwork. No worries, the clerk assured us, there was a photo place across the road, and he wouldn't have us wait when we returned. Long story shortish, the photo place was closed due to an indeterminate "holiday", and no-one could point us to another. Once again retracing our steps we returned to the first shopping area, asking about for a photo place, and miraculously were pointed to an existent and open shop, where we were given the luxury of being "first" presumably due to our obvious foreignness. Then back to the phone store, weaving in and out of incessantly honking vehicles, motorbikes, vendors of every ilk, uniformed school kids, and untold numbers of seriously mangy dogs. Another wait, reams of paperwork, and finally the SIM card. However, --small disclaimer--it could not be put in the phone for a good 4 hours--no comprehensible explanation was offered, and we were told that it would be activated within 24 hours, which we miraculously managed to reduce to same day, promising to return--yes, again!--for the final round of whatever to get the phone to work.
Subsequently made our way to the Saket metro station, purchasing a three day pass to make our way around the city. Each time one boards the train men and women are separated, all bags are scanned, and bodies are electronically wanded. We confidently headed the wrong way first, but soon discovered our mistake, and then turned to find our way out onto Connaught Circle, where we were instantly pounced on by hordes of touts offering us all kinds of "special" information, trying to get us to the "tourist office", special shops, on any kind of tour--"of course I don't want any money" being the precursor to any and all interactions. Hard-core ignoring being the only remedy, we were then quickly threatened and/or warned about the reams of thieves in the direction we were heading, and how dangerous the neighborhood was especially(!) for foreigners. Difficult to keep the mandatory straight face. Wandered away from the circle for a little, and were surprised that this central point appeared to have become so run-down. Wandered through the park in the center of the square, although we'd been very adamantly told it was "closed", zigzagged through the spokes that radiate from the inner Connaught circle, and then back to the hotel and to a small nearby restaurant, after the necessary stop back at the phone place to activate the phone. Success at last, and finally off to bed as we got ready for some more thorough exploring the next morning.
After a little orientation from our B&B owner during breakfast, complete with useful handouts, we headed out for our important undertaking of securing a new SIM card for our phone. Evidently true entertainment for the locals' slowly unfolding sleepy bodies, we persisted in looking and asking for the mobile phone shop, without the slightest success, wandering and retracing our steps countless times. Eventually we headed to a shopping area further down the chaotic road, and enjoyed short-lived success. Waiting in the phone office amidst legions, we finally were called up to the counter only to be summarily dismissed as we had no passport photo for the paperwork. No worries, the clerk assured us, there was a photo place across the road, and he wouldn't have us wait when we returned. Long story shortish, the photo place was closed due to an indeterminate "holiday", and no-one could point us to another. Once again retracing our steps we returned to the first shopping area, asking about for a photo place, and miraculously were pointed to an existent and open shop, where we were given the luxury of being "first" presumably due to our obvious foreignness. Then back to the phone store, weaving in and out of incessantly honking vehicles, motorbikes, vendors of every ilk, uniformed school kids, and untold numbers of seriously mangy dogs. Another wait, reams of paperwork, and finally the SIM card. However, --small disclaimer--it could not be put in the phone for a good 4 hours--no comprehensible explanation was offered, and we were told that it would be activated within 24 hours, which we miraculously managed to reduce to same day, promising to return--yes, again!--for the final round of whatever to get the phone to work.
Subsequently made our way to the Saket metro station, purchasing a three day pass to make our way around the city. Each time one boards the train men and women are separated, all bags are scanned, and bodies are electronically wanded. We confidently headed the wrong way first, but soon discovered our mistake, and then turned to find our way out onto Connaught Circle, where we were instantly pounced on by hordes of touts offering us all kinds of "special" information, trying to get us to the "tourist office", special shops, on any kind of tour--"of course I don't want any money" being the precursor to any and all interactions. Hard-core ignoring being the only remedy, we were then quickly threatened and/or warned about the reams of thieves in the direction we were heading, and how dangerous the neighborhood was especially(!) for foreigners. Difficult to keep the mandatory straight face. Wandered away from the circle for a little, and were surprised that this central point appeared to have become so run-down. Wandered through the park in the center of the square, although we'd been very adamantly told it was "closed", zigzagged through the spokes that radiate from the inner Connaught circle, and then back to the hotel and to a small nearby restaurant, after the necessary stop back at the phone place to activate the phone. Success at last, and finally off to bed as we got ready for some more thorough exploring the next morning.
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