#3 72hours of Delhi
Don't go travelling alone in India as a women they said.
Might be a bit exaggerated.
Or not.
But after 72 hours in Delhi I know this:
I can't go down the street alone for 100m without being spoken to, ask where I'm from, where I am going, my name, if I play basketball or if I want to have a ride.
My usual approach to a new city, grabbing a coffee to go and strolling around or just sitting on a bench and watch people does not work here. It's very difficult to just 'explore' the city by yourself.
At the same time, walking down the street with a travelling-friend from the hostel or a local indian who you became friends with (and who showed you a most amazing food place where only locala go) you are (mostly) fine.
Now let's talk safety: when even the locals tell you they will send you a TukTuk after dark to pick you up and drive you back after dinner... You might wanna take this serious. I have not felt threatened yet in my 36 hours of being here, but it is very clear that women, especially women alone, have a different standing here than in Europe.
Being treated with fake friendlyness and passive-aggresion at the tourist information where I raised my voice about my train ticket with I still didn't receive 24hours after paying for it ("women, calm down and start smiling") this makes for a whole new experience. (Side note here: first and last time I am booking a ticket at a tourist office. By now I got recommended better ways how to do it. Things you learn by doing.)
And yet.
Being told by the hostel to not talk to the lokals and just ignore them, my best contacts so far happened when I just started responding and talking to them. Otherwise I would have never found this indian lunch spot for locals, where I had delicious Chole Bhatura, Palak Paneer and Byriani. Or this lovely old lady running a nitting store offering me chai and a little cooking course in traditional Indian kitchen if I want to come by for lunch. (Side note: being afraid of food poisening I drank the Chai with mixed feelings. But all was fine!)
Yes, as a women alone you are talked to over and over and over again. But so far, in all cases, even though intruding, people where friendly, kind and wanted to help you.
It's a fine line being told to not trust anyone, but do decide to trust after all.
Going through a range of emotions it is difficult to name my feelings: a constant vibration in my whole body, a tension, restless legs, awareness and attention to everything around you, scanning your environment, over-stimulation of the senses, trying to scan the environment, figuring out where to go while at the same time acting like I now exactly where I am heading to. Amazement, wonder, curiosity, astonishment, awe, shock, feeling fully in the present moment, fully alive, feeling too much and the urge to be invisible and to be able to see without being seen.
And experience unlike anything I had before.
Staying in a hostel with 4 other girls, my normal daily morning routine of meditation, Mantras and Asana-routine is tricky. But, as I know, Asanas are only one out of the 8 limps of yoga. Walking through the streets of Delhi has shown itself to be a form of yoga in itself: allowing myself to FEEL all the feelings that are there, allowing myself to feel overwhelmed and not judge myself for it. Letting my body feel it's feelings without labelling them as 'good' or 'bad'.
Having made friends already at the airport and in the Hostel, I feel grateful for having people around me with whome I can explore the city. Walking through the streets of New and Old Delhi together gives me an immediate feeling of safety and connectedness. Sharing the impressions, stories and looking after each other. From trying out Metro- Underground system for the first time to being on the phone with each other until we both arrived back at our Hostel in safety.
As I am writing this, I am sitting in a Starbucks café, watching the streets of Delhi through a big window. Glad for this moments of introversion, sipping my coffee and being able to just observe for the time being.
Tomorrow I leave for Agra - to be continued.
