Back to Delhi
Could it keep short for today: took the taxi from Shimla to Chandigarh and from there the train to Delhi, where we were picked up through the hotel at the train station. Left the homestay in Shimla at 10:45am and arrived at the hotel in Delhi at 10:30pm. Quite a day.
The long story is (partly… it’s late):
At breakfast we met the other guest at the homestay. A jong cupel from Colcatta. He trained once for two month tennis near Osnabrück. Together they tried to camp up in Minala, but were cut of by the snow. Hm. Snow? Heard that one before.
The parents of our host watched closely TV this morning: results from elections in half a dozen states of India came in. They were afraid, populist might win, the one with attention for quick money and without any vision of a sustainable development of India. The mother told us, that too much uneducated people believed those promises. She said it was no longer a matter of politics, but of attitude. On the spot!
Before we left, our host told us – because the first day I said what we had paid for the taxi from the station to the house – that she had arranged that we would get a part of our money back: drivers are not allowed to scam because they are members of the local union and depend on their rules; they even might get suspended from the business.
In Kalka, our taxi stopped and we wait – not knowing for what. Eventually, the boss of Kalka’s drivers union arrived, gave us the latest news about our pick up in Delhi. And the money we overpaid in Shimla. India is full of surprises!
At the Chandigarh station we found the right platform (at this point I could understand the train number and departure information from the speakers). Reading the signs is still difficult, and not everything is also provided in English. Found the right coach and our places in it. Because after Delhi the train became a ‘sleeper train’ (as they wrote at the coaches) we both had a whole bench to ourselves. The first passanger we met was… a cockroach… Later clean sheets came in, some food and water and, of course, chay.
At some point a man came trough and asked for my signature. I looked what he asked me to sign: a Telecom contract! Didn’t do. That also is India.
We were about half an hour late in Delhi. When we left Delhi on Tuesday, the station was crowded. Now, it was just crazy. Maybe because of Holi upcoming Monday. Shall see.
In a few hours, we leave for Agra. All excited, already!