20th February, 2016. Day 3 - Exploring Old Delhi (20February,2016)

We awoke after a good nights sleep, and our body clock is now around tob5.30am each morning.

We have another day of exploring sensational Delhi and in particulat Old Delhi, the capital of Muslim India from the 12th to 19th centuries . Our drive takes us through the amazing and totally chaotic Indian traffic including through many of the 200,000 auto rickshaws which are located here in Delhi and dash in and out and between all sorts of vehicles in a totally chaotic fashion.

This is a normal Saturday with the exception that there are many dignitaries visiting Delhi and also visiting the Red fort complex.

we are scheduled to arrive here at the Red Fort a spectacular collection of palaces entered via several gateways and across a large moat which in ancient times was filled with water and crocodiles.  Today this is the most memorable monument in Old Delhi and symbolises the growth and development of the Hindi religion andbits influence upon the subsequent imperial governments of the greater India which at the time included all of India, Pakistan, Tibet, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.  The religious influence remains paramount with the Hindus being the predominant religion overarching all of Buddhist, Jane , Sikh and variety us Hindu off shoots.  There are also some Christian religious groups representing 2% of the population.  All coexist with occasional drastic military and other demonstrators. India remains an incomprehensible powerhouse of 1.25billion people and will soon surpass the population of China and our guide suggests that economically this republic and democracy will also surpass the Chinese economic miracle.  You just wonder in amazement as to how anything occurs with the over zealous political administration and operation, the impact of a large slow moving bureaucracy, a strong legal and judicial framework as well as infrastructure which is openly struggling everywhere.

Yet we are pleasantly enamoured with the people who are friendly, courteous engaging keen to learn and all wanting to better themselves.  Welfare as we know it just doesn't exist, there continue to be significantly entrenched class and social status issues, there are massive challenges as to pressures to grow, educate, improve and become successful.

The challenges as to the separation/ partition  from Pakistan and the troubled Kashmir problems are continuously bubbling below the surface.  There is a keen uncertainty as to the Chinese ambitions part politically and economically.  

Yet when you visit monuments such as the Red Fort the symbol of Delhi, you get a perverse sense of the strength of this nation, the determination of its leadership to dramatically change the economic  framework of this nation, with all of its dynamic interfaces, fundamentally different but also determined to grow.  You cannot but be the mpressed.

But you sense that we have only scratched the surface with the extreme differences in wealth and opportunity, the crushing demand and competition to grow and improve the lot of its people.  Yet these are only the issues we see in the mega cities and metropolis, without contemplating the challenges in rural India, which in many respect are pre industrial and n nature, totally un developed and with poor literacy, massive medical and health issues associated with basic sanitary issues for many many millions of its people.  The dirt, poverty and squalid lifestyle that we drive by only accentuates the gargantuan challenges ahead.  Similarly, the economic and pollution challenges associated with lifting the lifestyle and well being of so many seems daunting.

We arrive back having traversed Old Delhi and then across the wonderful boulevards of the government and embassy areas to our oasis, being the Oberoi Hotel , Delhi one of the world's best hotels.

Following lunch in the Oberoi patisseries we return to our room.  Ken then walks next door to the New Delhi Golf Club and watches some golf. Then purchases some golf balls etc.  This is clearly another unique environment where the old and new wealthy get together to golf with numerous ruins and monuments within its playing Perimeter.  Wealth here on a grand scale and amazingly busy with all time slots taken and a long waiting list for the day.

New Delhi, has been nothing short of amazing, with a caleidoscope of colours always against the red sandstone, a cacophony of noises including constant honking of horns of every imaginable form of vehicle.  The people are gracious and interested, want to take and be in our photographs.

We come away from here impressed by the total contradictions, the massive monuments, the scale of development,yet the perverse awareness of chronic poverty and almost pre industrial activity and pollution everything.  The forward challenges are numbing.