Amiram Hayardeny's My China Experience

India Trip – Day Ten: Back to Delhi

We left Agra in the morning after a royal breakfast at the Clarks Shiraz.  Not a great hotel, in need of a major overhaul, but the breakfast was spectacular.  In fact, Agra is the same: in need for a major overhaul, despite having the world's number one wonder of the world...

The ride was uneventful.  Our guide, Kishan, whom we fondly call “Shirkhan” after the character from the Jungle Book, told us that all industry in a radius of about fifty kilometers was shut down, so the Taj Mahal enjoys no pollution, and therefore more picture-perfect days.  In any case, right after the fifty kilometer line we've started seeing some small and large factories.  The largest we've seen was a factory for processing of sugarcane.  Trucks come in from many miles away, to unload the raw sugarcane.  They went in a long line.  Coming from Israel, where no sugarcane is to be found, I always find it fascinating (and flavorful).

Driving into Delhi is hell.  If you're anywhere around the world, complaining daily about your drive to the office, about the traffic jams, the smoke and smog, the horns, the noise, the attitude and the driving – I challenge you to come drive in Delhi.  Trust me, you will miss home after three minutes.

We stayed at the Maidens Hotel.  Beautiful, built by the British over fifty years ago.  The room was spacious, comfortable, hot water, heat, everything.  Recommended.

We pretty much collapsed, knowing that the next day, we have another long train ride, this time to Haridwar.

Posted at 07:42PM Feb 13, 2008 by Amiram Hayardeny in Personal  |  Comments[2]