India > Delhi at night

At 11:30 a.m., flight KL871 takes off from the Polderbaan runway at Schiphol. I have a window seat. Below me, I can see Haarlem. The plane makes a turn toward Zaandam and then disappears into the clouds on its way to Delhi. The flight to India takes a little over seven hours. On the plane, I have remarkably plenty of legroom. I’ve received an upgrade to economy comfort class. Nice. I watch a movie and read the travel information about Delhi. Around 10:30 p.m., the plane lands on the runway at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. The time difference with the Netherlands is three and a half hours. In the arrivals hall, Maria is waiting for me. She is the tour leader for this trip. I also meet the other travelers. When I try to withdraw Indian money at the airport, two ATMs refuse after counting the cash.

India - View over Old Delhi from the Jama Masjid

I worry. Surely no money has been withdrawn? I decide to try again in Delhi tomorrow. By bus, I am taken to the center of Delhi. It is almost midnight. I notice that there is still a lot of traffic on the streets. During the day, it is probably so congested that it’s impossible to get through. I see people sleeping in their rickshaws (cycle taxis). I see people sleeping on the sidewalk in front of their shops. A scene of poverty that I won’t forget quickly. This is also India. In the Karol Bagh district, I get out of the bus at the hotel. Only now do I notice that it’s still close to thirty degrees Celsius. A humid heat hangs over me. I enter the hotel. After Maria gives the first brief introduction and hands out the room keys, I have a beer on the hotel’s rooftop terrace. It’s half past one.