India's capital comes in two, contrasting parts. There is Delhi, chaotic and sprawling, whose rickshaw clogged streets are lined with street vendors and food stalls, cows, rubbish, filth and excitment. New Delhi lies to the south in complete contrast, its wide, clean tree lined boulevards seem the very picture of calm and serenity. The city is tied together by an extensive metro system, which although comfortable, can get extremely crowded. While from the Bangkok skytrain durians and balloons are banned, on the Delhi Metro it is forbidden to carry any "human skeletons or body parts," which was a major inconvenience. Security is high here, with more metal detectors and baggage x-rays just to alight the metro than boarding a plane at Sydney Airport. At the Red Fort it was slightly disconcerting to see a a machine gun set up, pointing at the entering crowd.
At 3.30am on Friday morning I was awoken from my sleep by a knocking on the door. It opened to reveal my mother and brother, fresh of the plane from Singapore. 3.30am is not exactly the best time of night for a family reunion, but despite still being half asleep, it was a wonderful moment. Once again, I have company on my adventures around the world. Over the past three days we have soaked in the sights, Delhi's Red Fort, the massive nearby mosque, the taj-like tomb of a Mughal king, the site where Gandhi was assassinated. Of course Delhi's sites are not without their hassles, harassment from rickshaw drivers, demands of payment left right and center from an army of touts who will find any excuse to take your money. All part of the India experience, shared, with family.
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