Today we headed out to see the ‘Garden of 5 Senses’ . . . a 20
acre site/park in New Delhi. Something different to get away from the sounds
and chaos of everything else . . . Government website description is as follows:
“The
Garden of Five Senses is not just a park, it is a space with a variety of
activities, inviting public interaction and exploration. The project, developed
by Delhi Tourism Transportation Development Corporation, was conceptualized to
answer to the city's need for leisure space for the public, for people to
socialize and unwind. Such spaces add atmosphere and life to a city and cater
to all sections of the society”
We get there and notice signs stating “Please remain decent, you are under surveillance” and alike . . . . Weird. It then became apparent why. HEAPS of young Indian couples obviously use this as a 'necking point'. They were everywhere. Sitting on benches around the park, lying on the grass, and then the closer you looked we started to see them behind bushes, under trees, behind walls. You name it. They were everywhere. Occasionally we would see what looked like Park Security sitting among them and holding a big stick.
It was very strange and entertaining.
However they were the most interesting thing to see in the garden although we are not sure which of the senses they were supposed to represent. The park is just another of India’s good ideas gone bad/not quite realised. The fountains were dry and cracked. The lawns and gardens untended. What looked like quite large statues and monuments on the website were under knee height in reality. It was very disappointing, although not unexpected. The other good thing we found in the garden was a run of coffee shops and restaurants. We chilled in the sun and drank our lattes. The weather has been great the last few days and has lost its bite of the first few days back in Delhi.
After some chill time
in the hotel we head out to our local shops for a wander. This place
really takes off at night and there are people wandering around all over the
place. Jase heads off to check out the music and DVD shop and Wendy
decides to get her hands Hennaed. Not sure why, but it seems to be the
thing you do when in India and with only one day left, it seems it’s now or
never. They came out great but it made for some interesting sitting
around time in the hotel while they dried. Being hand fed and having
drinks brought to her lips on demand seems to be something Wendy could get used
to way too easily.
Dinner was in our new
favourite restaurant. We have started eating out of the hotel for half the
price and it’s a very short walk across a car park to get to. We have
eaten there the last two nights and tonight when we arrive our regular table
has a reserved sign on it for us. We think it will also be the place for
our final meal before we leave.
The last day.
Well it is here.
Our last day in this vibrant, crazy, dusty, dirty, exciting country. A
late start sees us heading out at lunch time to a modern temple built to
celebrate India and also Swaminarayan Akshardham. (a prophet of the 17th century).
The buildings are ornate and the grounds are the cleanest we have seen in our whole time here. This is probably due to the huge number of staff that wander the grounds. At one point we spot 20 gardeners on their knees, in a line (not dissimilar to a forensic search) all looking for weeds. No one seems to find any, but they continue to crawl along with their tin collection trays until they reach the end of their allotted piece of field. No cameras are allowed. We wander the grounds and enjoy the sunshine and the silence and once again seem to be a curiosity for the locals.
The buildings are ornate and the grounds are the cleanest we have seen in our whole time here. This is probably due to the huge number of staff that wander the grounds. At one point we spot 20 gardeners on their knees, in a line (not dissimilar to a forensic search) all looking for weeds. No one seems to find any, but they continue to crawl along with their tin collection trays until they reach the end of their allotted piece of field. No cameras are allowed. We wander the grounds and enjoy the sunshine and the silence and once again seem to be a curiosity for the locals.
Back at the hotel, and
the time has come to commence the final pack for the trip home.
NOOOOOO. Will it all fit? What will it weigh?
We complete our cases
and head downstairs to the doorman to use his luggage scales to assess the
damage. We take a deep breath and load Wendy’s and do the happy dance
when it comes in with 5 kilos to spare on the luggage limit. Jase has a
whopping 7k left, so after dinner, we are going to hit the shops again….
Just joking. See you all soon, we take off from here 9am(ish ) India
time.
indulging in the only sense that was not mentioned in the brouchure...taste
the not quite huge monuments we were promised
mixing it up with the locals
their penmanship was amazning
fast and delicate, they were a joy to watch
the finished product
