Monday, January 26, 2004

delhi is still cold the second time around

most indian friends tell me that i should only visit delhi during winter time, because at least then it would not be too hot. but they did not tell me that visiting delhi during winter could also mean that your flight will be diverted as the Indira Gandhi International Airport is so foggy and there is zero visibility! well i guess, they either mean well by not mentioning the second fact or they just thought it would not happen to me.

well it did! and it was such a shocking thing to experience. imagine me so excited to be finally getting back to delhi and being given another opportunity to visit this old city, only to be told by the pilot that we cannot land and we have to divert to another city. not that i did not want to also see mumbai. but not from the transit lounge and definitely not while i was looking forward to spending some quality time with my one and only! and mumbai airport is not exactly the best place to get stranded as there are only three shops and no internet cafe or a bookshop to browse around...ayyoo, that was the longest short flight of my life! we were supposed to leave singapore at 9.20 pm, only to leave at 12 midnight....and arrive in delhi (my original destination) at 1.15 pm (the next day)...and i was supposed to have taken a direct flight and not a connecting flight! really.....i don't know what it is with me and delhi...it always manages to surprise me.....

but at least this time around, i stayed at Park Hotel, which is a five star hotel and was quite comfy and nice and so near CP (or connaught place), which is the central area od new delhi (at least for tourist bargain hunter like me).

i visited again my favorite shopping area in delhi, the khan market, which is an upper class and expat area. actually it is not really a mall compared to the malls here and in manila, but rather it is a block of small shops where you can find all sorts of beautiful stuff (books, saree, blouses and grocery shops). and of course, it also has quite a few banks that accepts 'plus' cards, so no need to change your US dollars to their local currency. hmmm, on the other hand, it can wreak havoc on your savings as you know you can always get money out from that atm machine! but usually i only buy books from this market. other stuff like punjabi suits, sarees, bangles and such stuff, i go to connaught place, as they are more reasonably priced there...

so what did i discover in this second trip to delhi? it is a city of great food, reasonably priced and nice indian stuff, good looking men (loads of them) and cold winter! but it can be quite a difficult city to live on most especially if you're single, a woman and unattached! not in your life atet should you go to delhi! better go to hyderabad...hahahahhaha....it is defnitely not a city for the faint hearted and for the gentle woman.

but as my one and only love is based there for now, i have no choice but to endure the long flight, the smog environment and the men culture of delhi!
at least i hope it would not be for long....