Arrival in India (Delhi) was relatively uneventful, but I suppose that's in part because the heat is missing. I was briefly worried about my bag but it finally came through on the conveyor and I found myself a taxi to get to the one Hostel I'd managed to look up before arriving. My taxi driver of course tried to scam me and take me to a travel agency that would 'double check my reservation', but I managed to escape relatively painlessly.
Made it to the hostel and found only dorm beds available for about $2/night, so I signed up for 2 nights and went about walking around. I soon found that this hostel was pretty much no where near anything, unlike what the web had led me to believe. So instead of exploring I wrapped up some reading and had an early night (or so I thought). In the room I was the only traveler and the rest were locals. I'd managed to fall asleep around 10 but by 11 was awaken by loud talking and lights being flipped on, which went on for about 30 mins by which time I was wide awake. Somehow a mere 2-5mins after the lights went out everyone in the room, but me, appeared to fall asleep...that's when the snoring began. A medium volumed man started on one side of the room but in no time it seemed to be a competition for who could be the loudest. I quickly broke out my industrial strength earplugs which had been crucial in other hostel situations and had been able to block out almost all sound in all similar instance thus far. Alas we were dealing with a super human set of snorers, even with my plugs firmly in they were coming through loud and clear, I was amazed. The sheer volume also appeared to be vibrating the bed I was laying on. Finally around 1am, having been up for close to 30hrs I slept.
The next day I decided to hop onto a blitz tour of Delhi which covered most of Delhi's sites the names of which I couldn't understand and so can't remember, except for the Lotus Temple. We certainly packed it in and it was a full, tiring day.
Getting ready for bed that night I noticed that all the loud guys had checked out so I was thinking a good night's sleep was in store. I should mention that a fundamental flaw of this dorm room was the fact that the door once closed from the inside can't be opened from the outside. With lights out and door closed I was asleep by 10 but by 1030 my neighbor received a cell phone call which he proceeded to answer and talk for 30mins at full volume after which another guy showed up and the two of them switched on the lights and had a chat filled with extremely loud piercing laughter, but finally settled down around 11:30. Asleep by midnight, but it was not to last. About 12:15 there came a loud banging at the door, since it seemed to wake no one else up I hopped up and opened the door only to be screamed at accusingly for locking this guy out, being half asleep I replied 'yeah whatever' and got back in bed. Apparently after I fell back asleep someone got up and closed the door and I was roused by more pounding close to 1am. Getting up to answer the door I was met by the same irate man from before screaming at me for closing the door...well, having been woken up 3 times already I was no longer in the mood and I lost it. I started yelling back and let a few choice expletives fly, as a result the angry little man finally shut up and went to bed and I got to sleep close to 2am. And so went my introduction to India. I think I'm done with dorm rooms...
Photos: Delhi
Made it to the hostel and found only dorm beds available for about $2/night, so I signed up for 2 nights and went about walking around. I soon found that this hostel was pretty much no where near anything, unlike what the web had led me to believe. So instead of exploring I wrapped up some reading and had an early night (or so I thought). In the room I was the only traveler and the rest were locals. I'd managed to fall asleep around 10 but by 11 was awaken by loud talking and lights being flipped on, which went on for about 30 mins by which time I was wide awake. Somehow a mere 2-5mins after the lights went out everyone in the room, but me, appeared to fall asleep...that's when the snoring began. A medium volumed man started on one side of the room but in no time it seemed to be a competition for who could be the loudest. I quickly broke out my industrial strength earplugs which had been crucial in other hostel situations and had been able to block out almost all sound in all similar instance thus far. Alas we were dealing with a super human set of snorers, even with my plugs firmly in they were coming through loud and clear, I was amazed. The sheer volume also appeared to be vibrating the bed I was laying on. Finally around 1am, having been up for close to 30hrs I slept.
The next day I decided to hop onto a blitz tour of Delhi which covered most of Delhi's sites the names of which I couldn't understand and so can't remember, except for the Lotus Temple. We certainly packed it in and it was a full, tiring day.Getting ready for bed that night I noticed that all the loud guys had checked out so I was thinking a good night's sleep was in store. I should mention that a fundamental flaw of this dorm room was the fact that the door once closed from the inside can't be opened from the outside. With lights out and door closed I was asleep by 10 but by 1030 my neighbor received a cell phone call which he proceeded to answer and talk for 30mins at full volume after which another guy showed up and the two of them switched on the lights and had a chat filled with extremely loud piercing laughter, but finally settled down around 11:30. Asleep by midnight, but it was not to last. About 12:15 there came a loud banging at the door, since it seemed to wake no one else up I hopped up and opened the door only to be screamed at accusingly for locking this guy out, being half asleep I replied 'yeah whatever' and got back in bed. Apparently after I fell back asleep someone got up and closed the door and I was roused by more pounding close to 1am. Getting up to answer the door I was met by the same irate man from before screaming at me for closing the door...well, having been woken up 3 times already I was no longer in the mood and I lost it. I started yelling back and let a few choice expletives fly, as a result the angry little man finally shut up and went to bed and I got to sleep close to 2am. And so went my introduction to India. I think I'm done with dorm rooms...
Photos: Delhi
1 comment:
yo sethi (as appropriate in dehli) - that dorm sounds 50x our tent experience - i have no room to complain! what are the red forst all about by the way - they are amazing...
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