Day 1!

Yesterday was an absolute whirlwind!

After a cancelled flight from Melbourne to Sydney, once we arrived we literally ran to international check in just making it in time for our bags to be put on the same flight as us! However we are so lucky to be joined on our adventure by Motti, the National Sales Manager for Air India who has been absolutely phenomenal and ensured we have been looked after and we didn’t miss our flight! 

After a 13 hours flight with some delicious food our Air India flight landed in New Delhi at about 3.30am (Indian time). We headed through immigration then were met by our Wendy Wu guide, Vish, who whisked us through baggage claims and customs and straight out to the pickup point for our bus. Boarding the coach we were given a beautiful flower mala (garland) to welcome us to the country, then we headed to our first hotel for our trip.

Once we arrived at The Park New Delhi we were checked into our rooms and had some breakfast and a quick nap before we were off exploring the nearby areas of New Delhi. We went to a bunch of different stores, learning about hand made carpets, saaris, marble sculptures and so much more! 

We also took a few tuk tuk rides to different shops around the city and believe me when I say that everything you have heard about the traffic in India is absolutely true! It is absolutely wild to be in such a small vehicle speeding along streets where the road rules are treated like suggestions and the people beep their horns just to let other drivers know they are merging. It is so loud and so busy, but was a thrilling experience!

A quick group lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe New Delhi and a bit more walking around then we were back to our hotel for another shower due to the 30 degree heat and intense humidity, then we were off again!

Our guide, Vish, took us to Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, a historic Sikh shrine built on the site of a bungalow owned by Mirza Raja Jai Singh where the eighth Sikh Guru, Guru Har Krishan, stayed in 1664. I’ve included a photo explaining the whole history of the shrine, but it became so significant when  the Guru helped cure people suffering from a cholera epidemic with water from his well, which became a sacred pond called the Sarovar.

We also got to go into the kitchens of the community operated soup kitchen which runs 24/7, 365 days a year and feeds over 35,000 people every day. It is open to every person of any faith, whether they be tourists, locals or the homeless, no one is turned away and no one leaves hungry. These aren’t just seen as meals, but as Prasad (holy food) and a blessing for anyone who eats there. For me personally, it was an incredibly humbling experience to get to walk through the kitchens and dining hall and even roll some chapattis (which is a lot harder than it looks to get right!)

I found myself being so in awe of these beautiful places that I forgot I was a foreigner, especially because the people are so welcoming. However I was very quickly reminded when people, especially children, wanted to take photos with me because I am a white person with tattoos!

We then went inside the temple of Gurdwara Bangla Sahib where no photos were allowed but it was an absolutely breathtaking combination of stunning architecture and people practicing their faith together.

Then it was outside to see the Sarovar (pond). People of the Sikh faith believe that the waters hold such strong healing properties that there were many there bathing new born babies, drinking from the pond, sprinkling the waters over themselves, dipping their feet in and even one man swimming (against the many signs not allowing it).

Finally we headed to a local restaurant (down a suspicious looking alleyway) called Cedar Club House where we had a delicious mix of food from all different cultures, however it was much more western than Indian! I am so glad that we have such a knowledgeable guide with us as this was the third time Vish has taken us down a shady looking road which led to a hidden gem!

By the time I got back to my room I was at about 40 hours of being awake with only an hour nap in the middle. I was so tired that my eyes literally hurt and fell asleep before having the chance to write any of this down!

So that’s a wrap on day 1 which is being posted a bit late! I’m excited to see what else this beautiful country has to offer!

Laura xx