India | One week in New Delhi
New Delhi is a city of contrasts. In this metropolis, wealth and poverty live side by side. Cows wander past cultural and historical buildings, the streets are dirty and noisy, while the finest goods are traded in markets and shops.
The Background Story
One of the places I longed for most on my world trip—and still do—is New Delhi. For a very long time, I had the feeling that I absolutely had to see this city and India as a whole. At the same time, I felt an enormous reverence for what might be awaiting me there.
When I told another traveler in Sri Lanka about my wish, she said to me: You will either love or hate India. And you’ll know it the second you arrive.
To be honest: I had never before been so excited, so anxious, and so full of anticipation at the same time about traveling to a foreign country. I had already booked a four-week yoga training course in Rishikesh, the birthplace of yoga at the foot of the Himalayas. But before that, I would still have a week to get to know the country and its people.
The Arrival
So my flight went from Bali to New Delhi, and I was so excited that I could hardly speak at the immigration counter. I was overtired and at the same time completely wired. Since I arrived in New Delhi around midnight, I stayed at the airport until sunrise—partly for my own safety, but also because I needed to brace myself for what awaited me outside.
Around six in the morning, I left the airport and got an Uber to take me to my hostel. The friendly driver handed me his newspaper and said I could already get a sense of India from it. When three boys in school uniforms, sitting on a single bike, overtook us on the highway waving at us, I was instantly hooked. I knew I was going to love it.
When I arrived at my cozy hostel, I decided to stay in the city for the entire week and booked the accommodation for the remaining days. The hostel was run by two young brothers, and their father cooked breakfast and dinner for the almost exclusively Indian guests. All three took wonderful care of me. They gave me chai, suggestions for outings, and the reminder to let them know where I’d go every day and save their phone numbers for emergencies.
On Discovery Tour
On the very first day, I met Lisa at the hostel, and that was my stroke of luck. She had been to India several times and took me under her wing. Together, we explored the culinary delights of New Delhi, she guided me through the Nepalese-Tibetan neighborhood, and we visited shopping streets packed with exquisite fabrics, carpets, and spice stalls.
After a short guided tour through the center of Delhi, I felt I could roughly find my way around and decided, after Lisa’s departure, to explore the city on my own. So I set off for the Lotus Temple—a beautiful building that offers all believers a space for prayer and reflection. I was completely moved by the architecture and the atmosphere inside. Despite the many visitors, it was quiet and contemplative. I spent several hours there simply marveling.
Later, I returned to the city center. New Delhi has an extensive metro system. The first and last car of each train is reserved for women and children, and this rule is strictly enforced, which really surprised me.
At the Red Fort, a Mughal-era fortress, I experienced a rather crazy situation. Instead of looking at the sculptures, visitors were taking pictures of me. One man even asked for a photo with his two children. I hadn’t expected to attract that much attention at such a tourist-heavy site.
I continued walking through the streets of New Delhi, where you either risk stepping in cow dung or nearly getting run over. Rickshaws, street vendors, and begging children were everywhere. On every corner, tiny street food stalls offered delicious Indian snacks.
I arrived at the Jama Masjid mosque, where I was allowed to watch the preparations for the Friday prayer. Wrapped in a shawl, I observed the bustling activity.
At a nearby market, a few local teenagers treated me to sugarcane juice. They were amused that I was fascinated by the juice-making process. In exchange for the juice, they insisted on taking a selfie with me. :)
In the evening, I visited the Akshardham Temple—a huge Hindu temple with galleries, a fascinating boat ride, water features, and seemingly endless gardens. The visit felt incredibly impressive and exclusive—not least because all visitors had to hand in their phones beforehand. I sat by the fountain and cried tears of joy; I was so overwhelmed by the experience.
The next day, I went to the India Gate. The gate itself didn’t seem particularly impressive. I was more distracted by the men offering to clean my ears on the spot with ear candles—words really fail me for that.
At India Gate, I noticed the smog properly for the first time, hanging over the city like a bell. It was warm and sunny, yet everything looked as if I were seeing it through a blue-brown filter.
Then I arrived at my final highlight—the Humayun’s Tomb. This enormous structure, completed in 1571, left me completely speechless. Saying I was impressed would be an understatement; the sheer size and the intricate wall paintings inside were breathtaking. I spent hours there, wandering, observing, and photographing the architecturally stunning building from every angle.
A bit of an unpleasant ending
Completely overwhelmed and moved by the impressions of the past few days, I headed back to the hostel and grabbed one last portion of momos from a street stall I already knew for my final dinner in New Delhi—food poisoning included. I had expected that this might happen at some point in India, as unfortunately, food poisoning is somewhat part of the experience there. Still, I would have preferred to avoid it on the day of travel with a flight and several hours in a taxi ahead of me.
With a full heart and a grumbling stomach, I left New Delhi—and I couldn’t have been happier about my time there. 🧡
Do you want to know what happens next? Stay tuned—the next entry is coming soon. :)
