Zaira Travel Stories... : Incredible India Part 1

This was my very recent trip, flew to India and visited Delhi, Agra and Kashmir. This 5 days trip, we spent most of the days at Kashmir whilst the rest are at Delhi and Agra. It was not a very lucky trip, i can say, but of course there was still elements of learning that i could gain through

India 31/1/2019 - 5/2/2019

Day 1

Arrived at KLIA at 7.30am, after checked in, i proceeded my steps to Golden Lounge Regional which is situated at International boarding just next to the euro train station. Well, actually i searched for this Lounge for almost half an hour. The map shown in web is different from the actual location. Maybe web yet to be updated. I have only 30 mins left before boarding, hence i just shown my voucher and took simple breakfast i.e Harsh Brown, Baked Bean, Bread, Scrambled Egg and Ice Lemon Tea (Is these called as simple?? 🤔🤔).

Golden Lounge Regional, International Departure

Simple breakfast as mentioned above 😁

Boarding at 8.30am, the flight took 5hrs to reach Delhi. We reached Delhi at local time 1pm. Delhi time is 2.5hrs behind Malaysian time.

Inflight meals by MAS

Delhi from the air. Not so nice photo since i took out my phone late

Our driver, from Lucky Flower already awaited us at the airport. They brought us for lunch at Qutab Restaurant, just nearby Qutub Minar. Before reached the restaurant, of course almost hour on the road for traffic jam! Its normal to face traffic jam in KL but the locals driving manner here was totally out!

We planned to visit Qutub Minar after the lunch but, yeah, just after having our lunch, we have been told by the driver that the attraction has been closed due to system down (so unable to issue the tickets). As simple as that! 🙄. Well, its a just beginning...

I recommeded for you to eat here. Can considered as clean

Briyani Ayam. One serving can be shared by two peoples.

Delhi Haat ~ Clothing, accessories and decorations sold here

Our driver divert our way to this shop, since we told him that we want to buy sarees, kurtis and anarkalees. Since this was the only shop/bazaar that we went, of course i could not compare the quality, price and designs. I think if you walk around Chandni Chowk or stalls along the road you can get cheaper price. We spent more than hour here. I bought a piece of anarkalee with short sleeves. So, i have requested the tailor to extent the sleeves to become a long sleeves and they agreed to sew it with no charges. Apart, i also bought a saree. Its 6 meters long so i can have 3 pieces of cloth and skirts 😁. Dont forget to bargain. Even not much discount given, but i managed to get free pashmina from the purchase...😏

Thousands of selections ~ pashminas, sarees, anarkalees, kurtis and many more.

Too early to shop. Its around 4.30pm and we left Delhi Haat for Red Fort. Again, need to went through this bad traffic. The best thing here was, when we were on the road, lots of sellers came and knocked your windows offering you to buy various kind of foods, toys, and whatever they were selling. They striving for life, of course.

People selling peeled coconut 🤔🤔

Arrival to the Red Fort...the driver dropped us at the road side just few meters from the Fort. Herm... I could see a lot of yellow barriers (written as Delhi Police) in front of Fort's entrance. Just wonder what was happening. After asked around, yes, as expected, the Fort was closed. Reason being, there was a cultural performance happening at the field next to the Fort. As simple as that. Since we could not enter into the Fort, even no chances to snap photo at the entrance, we just walked around and snapped photo outside the wall. At least something than nothing. So frustrated since there is no alert or information from the driver or Lucky Flower on this closure. 😒 Maybe they also dont know, i guessed.

The yellow barriers

The cultural performer marched to the field. Not sure from which ethnic

And the same goes to this one

This was the best shoot that we could get. The wall fence only. Sigh. Maybe this is one the reasons i should repeat India 😁

While waiting for the driver to fetch us, we observed around the Fort. Here was what we found out:

Golden Mosque, situated at outside the southwestern corner of Delhi Gate of the Red Fort

The trishaw, Delhi version

Chai, the milk tea which popular in India. One cup for only Rs20 only. Tastes good and not give harm to my stomach. They sold it at the roadside 😅

So, after got few findings nearby the Fort, the driver fetched us. We told them that we wish to go to Jama Masjid to take pictures and perform prayers there. Yes, he brought us there but there were very bad traffic nearby the mosque. You could see how bad it was by looking at the picture below. Everybody refused to move and to give and take, ended up, it caused very long queue and bad traffic. They just dont bother other people behind them waiting so long in the traffic. What a stubborn people 🙄! Our driver gave up after almost half hour there we were still not moving, hence he decided to make a u turn and proceeded the journey to India Gate as the day getting dark. We just followed his plan with a broken heart. 😢

Stucked and nobody would like to give and take to move

End up, this was the best photo that we could snap from the moving car 😭

We reached India Gate later on. The driver dropped us at the road side and we walked down for 5mins to the Gate. India Gate is located within Delhi Town, few kilometres away from Jama Masjid. India Gate is a memorial to 70,000 soldiers of the British Indian Army who died in the period 1914–21 in the First World War, in France, Flanders, Mesopotamia, Persia, East Africa, Gallipoli and elsewhere in the Near and the Far East, and the Third Anglo-Afghan War (Wikipedia). The height is about 138 feet or 42 metres.

There were huge crowds of foreigners and locals hanging around there, buying and selling, taking pictures and its like celebrating a fiesta. Since its getting dark, we just take few photos, got into the car and went to the hotel to check in, afterwhich we had our dinner and rests.

Our flight to Srinagar was at 7am the next morning, so we need to have enough rest to ensure we wake up very early in the morning.