Monday, November 02, 2009

Incredible India

I know you didn’t think my travel posts were over just because I finished telling you about Europe. Hubby had a lot of business travel planned for the summer of 2009 and he knew better than to think I was going to let him leave me behind in Cairo while he jetted around the world.

The end of July found us back in a place I still think of as a home away from home: New Delhi, India. Some of my newer readers may not know this but we lived in Delhi for a year, (Check out the blog archives from September 2005 through July 2006.) That was an amazing year during which we met awesome friends, had amazing adventures, and got very, very drunk very, very frequently.

Whenever we find ourselves back in Delhi, we always have fun visiting old haunts, seeing old friends (No Sunny, I’m not calling you old), and generally making a nuisance of ourselves. This trip was no exception.

Delhi is a city to eat your way through. Whether it is freshly made samosas and jalebi from the local shop around the corner or the incredible light flavorsome dishes that make up Southern Indian cuisine (as opposed to the North Indian curries most of us are more used to), there is no shortage of to-die-for cuisine in this town. Many people who visit India will return with tales of what the locals call “Delhi Belly” or as Hubby calls it “severe intestinal distress.” Since Hubby and I are seasoned travelers, we avoided this typical tourist pitfall by bringing our own local variety of “Mummy Tummy” with us.

The cure for these ailments that make the washroom your best friend is a simple course of antibiotics. The downside is that you can’t drink while you’re on this medication. “But we’re in Delhi – we have to drink!” I pouted. Due to this devilish predicament, we drank far less than we normally would. Which is not to say that we didn’t visit the all you can drink Sunday buffets or that we didn’t find ourselves at our favourite vodka bar, Aura, but we did so far less than usual since we had to time our bevvies around our individual courses of medication.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Hubby had two weeks of work in front of him, and I had two weeks of shopping in front of me. Delhi had no idea what it was in for!

Note: Most of the photos of India for the next few days are from previous trips. For some inexplicable reason, I forgot to take more than a handful this year.

35 comments:

Gutsy Living said...

I am interested in hearing more about the cure with antibiotics for Dehli Belly. Is that something you start a few days before you reach Dehli? What about drinks there? What do you normally drink? Not wine, I'm sure.

Melissa B. said...

I've actually been to the Taj Mahal. I can't find any adjectives to describe its vastness, its beauty, its awesomeness. But you came close...

Stacey J. Warner said...

So much fun, I'm dying to go to India (have been for years), someday.

much love

Betty Manousos said...

India is such an exciting country!
Thanks for your post, and there's somthing waiting for you on my site!

Pseudo said...

I've always wanted to go to India. Thank-you for taking us there today.

Connie said...

I always find that eating in the most popular places is where I find the most cooties, no matter where we go. (not India, yet) Eat at the Hard Rock, Subway, or major hotel, I get sick. Go to the local ice cream parlor, grab a bag of nuts from some little shop, or a rotissery chicken from a stand on the corner... all is good. I like how you can go to a pharmacist and ask for/get what you need asap.

Connie said...

I always find that eating in the most popular places is where I find the most cooties, no matter where we go. (not India, yet) Eat at the Hard Rock, Subway, or major hotel, I get sick. Go to the local ice cream parlor, grab a bag of nuts from some little shop, or a rotissery chicken from a stand on the corner... all is good. I like how you can go to a pharmacist and ask for/get what you need asap.

Nicole said...

Love the shots, no matter what year they are from.
And looking forward to read the Rest of this trip' stories ;)

Zuzana said...

What a great post! I so enjoyed reading this.;) I have never been to India but you definitely make it sound like my kind of place including the sights and the drinking.;)
xo

cat said...

Somehow I want to see so many places, but not India. Why? I think the poverty. And the many books I read and movies I saw about the poverty.

I am so interested in where and when you have been in South Africa - do tell please?

The Blonde Duck said...

I love reading about your adventures. It's so exciting.

cheatymoon said...

Oh wow. I've always wanted to go to India. Looking forward to more posts. Have I mentioned that I love the heck out of your blog? :-)

BLOGitse said...

Greetings from NaBlo - I left a comment but
wanted to say hi! here too - Hi! :)
I added you on my NaBlo blogroll.
See again!

Sahildeki Ev said...

I have so many memories from Delhi..Its a special city I will definitely go and check your old posts..

Unknown said...

As much as I traveled, I never got to India and am not really sure why. Love this post and your photos and am panting for more.

United Studies said...

Whenever I read about India in travel magazines, they never mention drinking. I wonder why this is?

I do want to make it to New Delhi one of these years. My grandma always loved the Taj Mahal, and so I have to visit it in her honor.

N said...

Yummmmmmmmmmm...samosas, I haven't had it for a long time and i really miss good Indian food back home.

Susie said...

Wow!! You guys really do go everywhere!!!

N said...

Hey, btw, I'm under 'Bluefish' for the blogging challenge :)

LadyFi said...

Very healthy not to drink so much! ;-)

I'm also surprised that you would be taking antibiotics for a runny tummy - unless very very ill and infected?

This is from the person who has had the most exotic diseases in the world! ;-)

lizzy-loo said...

you make me want to pack my bag. i cannot wait to visit india. putting you on my nablo blogroll. see you

Katherine Roberts Aucoin said...

I had to laugh about New Delhi and how you got drunk very frequently...not a place you would normally think of as a party town! I like how you show us the real side of places we dream about visiting.

Katherine Roberts Aucoin said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mayhem and Moxie said...

I think Katherine is reading my thoughts. As I was reading through your post, I definitely had to laugh at the reference to getting drunk very, very frequently.

I can't imagine what you were getting drunk on....beer?!?! Do tell. :)

Anonymous said...

Sounds like so much fun. I'm envious of all your travel adventures.

Samosas! Yum!

Mommy of Many said...

Thanks for stopping by. Your pictures are gorgeous. They make me dream of the days will I will travel....

Betty W said...

Ok, you make India sound nice. It´s always been a place I scare away from, but I like the way you describe it!

SurferWife said...

Ok, I am also waiting to hear the beverage of choice in India! Please share for our inquisitive minds.

Surferwife
*Blog shut down for a few days due to security purposes.*

sprinkles said...

Can I be you, if only for a little while? Your life is so much more exciting than mine. I wish I could travel to all the exotic locations you've been to!

Thanks for sharing your pictures.

مى said...

I'm dying to go to India! Thank you for this post. :)

Keys to the Magic Travel said...

India is so on my bucket list. I want to be able to travel so much that I don't need to be taking pictures of the same old things again!

Grand Pooba said...

One day I am going to be able to see all these places in real life!

Brenda said...

I want to hear more about the food in this part of India.

Sandy said...

Incredible doesn't even begin to cover it!

Dawn @ sheIsTooFondOfBooks said...

I found your blog thru BPOTW. I've so enjoyed this series on your visit back to India ... Especially the last paragraph of this post, "Delhi had no idea what it was in for!"