Your first, best way to cope with Delhi is to avoid it altogether. This is a special place…
I mean – how many cities need to bulk order “No Defecating” signs? Who knew that in 2010 shitting yourself in public was anything other than very naughty? You can taste this place, in a bad, bad way.
It is not exactly “travelling” but after a night sharing a small hotel room with 2 other people, no a/c and a nighttime temperature in the 30’s I broke and developed my coping strategy : Move from a/c mall to a/c restaurant to a/c cinema. Screw the expense, get me an iced coffee.
The part of town we stayed in is cheap and at the moment far from cheerful. It’s under renovation for the commonwealth games. Imagine Blighty in the blitz. Tearing buildings down by hand at the same time as rebuilding them. Not a hard hat in sight…and people lobbing rubble into the street below. You can’t help but admire the guys doing that sort of work in this sort of heat for no kind of money.
Anyway, I did see the real Delhi, a city of contrasts. Shops that no one I know could afford to visit next door to open sewers and child beggars. Plus forty five outside, a balmy 24 inside. A brilliant metro system, a terrible poverty problem. It’s about the most exhausting place I’ve been. If you’re on of those people who likes to shop in London but are glad to get back out by the end of the day, then you wouldn’t last 5 minutes in Delhi – I didn’t.
This has made me feel hot, sick and tired just reading it! And the photos make me want to cry. We don’t realise how lucky we are. x x
But I guess seeing Dehli and places like that was one reason for the trip……If it aint a life changing experience why go?
PS Is it you or me that cant spell Delhi?
You should have captioned your photos… “What will the poor people eat? Let them eat Biscotti and drink Americano Mocha Skinny Latte’s, daaahling!”
I’m travelling like you tomorrow, all the way to Carrog near Corwen in Wales, sleeping under canvas as well. Small packets of wet wipes at the ready.
In my extensive experience of travelling, battling with nature and generally surviving shit, I would suggest you change your shirt on a bi-daily basis in countries such as India. This is necessary in order to avoid attracting the kind of insect or fungus that can cause a very nasty reaction and possible stint in a third world hospital!
The fact that the shirt you have on has appeared on repeated blog photos, and knowing your transport/sleeping arrangements, leads me to assume that you are in an even more dangerous situation, that you may not be aware of, but I fear your fellow passengers may be all to aware of!
You could be suffering from a nasty case of Bobilicus Orangicisitis aka Bobby Orange aka B.O.
Intense heat can often affect your sense of smell, so stay safe and wash your shirt, even North Face didn’t anticipate that kind of abuse to their apparel.
Yours
Bear
LOL. In this heat there is no BO. Just steam cleaning via evaporating sweat. It comes so thick and fast that there is no smell! Wash clothes in the shower at night and they are clean and dry by morning. There is no room for spare shirts, not until I dump my big boots after China. BO would be a bus crime. Not guilty your honour.
Sweat that comes out fast is understandable. However, when it is also thick, you really should see a physician.
If your sweat is thick I can only assume your urine has taken on a gnarly, grit-like consistency, as that is usually the first body fluid to be affected by the heat.
Stay Grizzly
Bear