India

AT THE GATE OF INDIA WITH JORG AND VIVIANA...TRAVEL FRIENDS..

DUST STORM ON THE FREEWAY .VISIBILITY NEAR ZERO.

Delhi.: INDIA.:

 I decided this time to take a comfortable bus from Agra to Delhi as I felt like a change and the new freeway (with tolls ) is really something. built for the Commonwealth Games this is a great roadway system with wide lanes in both directions.. The main problem was getting out of Agra City and shaking off the complete traffic chaos that is the area around Agra...Once on The Freeway it was a fast trip until we were hit by a blinding sandstorm..This slowed things dramatically as I was a little nervous as this wasn't the place to be stuck on a Freeway  with virtually no visibility at all..This lasted maybe five to seven minutes till it cleared reasonably well to see and then it rained. The Bus Station on my arrival in Delhi was non existent...just an area for busses to stop and unload...Here I was confronted with a long and arduous arguments with Tuk Tuk drivers as to a price to Delhi Central Railway Station being the only foreigner that alights from the bus I am prime target for scammers and" rip off "drivers..It is raining heavily.. there is no shelter.. I am pissed off with aggressive Tuk Tuk  drivers... I finally come to a reasonable although still expensive trip to my Hostel by Dehli Central. I am once again staying at a "Zostel " hostel..like the one in Agra only much larger. This is more like an installation this hostel..although the breakfasts are really good and lots of them. I meet my friends and we go out to eat and discuss our itinerary for Delhi we have four days here. So much to see and the best way to see it. we decide on a daily hire of a taxi to be the best way to see all of the wonderful sights that there are ...This also will include lots of walking ...as usual..

STARTING TO CLEAR

The INDIA GATE:
Originally called The All India War memorial is a War memorial located astride the "Raipath" on the eastern edge of the ceremonial axis of New Delhi formerly called "The Kingsway"
India gate is a war memorial to 82,000 soldiers of the undivided British army who died in the period of 1914 - 21 the first World War in France., Persia, Mesopotamia Gallipolli, East Africa and also in the near and far east, and the Third Anglo Afghan War. There are 133,00 service mens names inscribed on the wall including some of The British Army. Even though this is a War Memorial it evokes The Architectural styles of The Arc De Triomphe in Paris , The Arch of Constantine outside the Coliseum in Rome and The Gateway to India in Mumbai, and was designed by Edwin Lutyens.
  In 1971 following The Bangladesh Liberation War a small simple structure, consisting of a black marble plynth, with reversed rifle capped by a war helmet bounded by four eternal flames was built beneath the soaring memorial archway. This structure called "Amar  Jawan Jyoti,"  or  The Eternal Flame of the Immortal Soldier since 1971 has served as Indias Tomb of The Unknown Soldier.   : Thanks to Wikipedia for this information.

TYPICAL UTTER TRAFFIC CHAOS.

WITH FRIENDS HERE AT THE GATEWAY.

THE GUARD AT THE MEMORIAL HERE.