I arrived in New Delhi from Amritsar via the Amritsar-Delhi Shatabdi Express Train, which is by far the quickest way between the two cities. The train left at 05:00, arriving at New Delhi Train Station at 10:30, with the same amenities included on the last Shatabdi Train: Tea, biscuits, water, breakfast and a newspaper. It is quicker then flying if you take into consideration the wait time at the airport, plus travel time into the heart of Delhi and is also considerably cheaper.
New Delhi was not as crazy as I was expecting, perhaps because I have been in India for over 2 months now, but for me it was definitely manageable. I was staying at Backpacker Panda, a short walk from the main station up Main Bazaar Road. I would recommend this hostel for the very comfortable beds, 24 hour hot water, good WiFi, a relaxing common area, a kitchen if you wish to cook, great location and it somehow blocks out the noise from the madness outside. It is within walking distance of many of the sights I wished to see in Delhi and if not there, is a Metro Station pretty much next door, meaning it had good connections to thec city and the Airport. Main Bazaar Road was incredibly busy, the streets lined with a plethora of shops, restaurants, bars and cafes and the streets swarming with a range of different people. There were business men in suits, beggars, shop owners, rickshaw drivers and locals all going about their daily business. Make sure you keep an eye on your things, but this really goes without saying everywhere in the world, it just feels more likely in this area.
The following day I set out to explore, walking to Connaught Place. This was a lovely area with ring roads of shops circling around a pleasant park. I then continued walking towards Urgasen Ki Baoli, a massive Stepwell situated in a now built up posh area. It was definitely worth the trip up there and was free to enter. I then continued walking towards India Gate, a fantastic archway situated in a large park. It was very busy around the gate but you can easily relax in the shade of the trees in the surrounding parks. I then took a long walk to the Humayuns Tombs, which were said to be the inspiration for the Taj Mahal. I had never heard of Humayun and I’m still none the wiser as to who he was, but it was definitely worth the 500 Rupee entrance fee. The building was incredibly impressive with a striking likeness to the Taj, just built with red stone instead of marble. It was a very quiet, peaceful area and the gardens were fantastic to relax in and remove yourself from the noisy streets. I think I walked about 5 miles in total so caught a rickshaw back to Connaught Place for a much needed coffee.
The following day I planned to go to the Red Fort in Old Delhi, but the price had been raised from 250 Rupees to 1000 Rupees so I decided not to go. I had seen many impressive forts in India, especially in Rajasthan, and I didn’t want to have to withdraw more money out on my last day. This brought me to the end of my 2 and a half months in India. I am now flying out of Delhi and heading to Athens and Santorini for a while, and from there, who knows!