Delhi Part I on Film

Hey Film Friends! It’s been nearly half a year since the previous blogpost but I’ve decided to start blogging about my month long India trip before the end of the year. Here it is. India was a place I’ve always wanted to visit. I fell in love with her ever since I watched Wes Anderson’s The Darjeeling Limited and saw Steve McCurry’s photos of the country when I was a kid. I had the opportunity to visit in late April of 2018 when there was a 2 to go deal from Singapore Airlines. What a blessing. On the last day of the sale, I managed to get a very spontaneous friend, Jaegen to come along with me on this adventure. Without further ado, let’s go to India!

We were visiting India in midsummer and so, immediately upon touch down, we got to experience the great Indian heat. It was a dry kind of heat. Somewhat like standing in front of the oven with the hatch open. Well, at least we weren’t sweating from the humidity. It was night time by the time we arrived so we decided to get an Uber to our hostel, goStops Delhi situated in the outskirts of Old Delhi. We got supper at a nearby Naan place and retired for the night.

The next day, we got up bright and early and decided to explore the district of Old Delhi and some sights around the area. We chose to walk as we wanted to absorb more of the atmosphere. But anyone who’s been to India will tell you, India is overwhelming for first timers. There’s so many things happening at once. Morning chatter, commerce, people zooming around in tuk tuks and scooters, cows and goats walking on the streets. It’s sensory overload. Didn’t help that I was still adapting to a new pair of spectacles I got right before the trip. It was giving me a headache. I had to proceed at a snail’s pace.

Cross section on the corner of our hostel.

Many alleyways exist in Old Delhi and sometimes they just lead into a religious school, home, shop.

After a long and exciting walk across Old Delhi, we arrived at our first spot, Jama Masjid, one of the largest mosques in India. There, we observed faithful Indian Muslims going about their religious rituals and took some photos. It was midday and the sun was right above us, heating up the sandstone floor beneath us making it unbearably hot to walk with our bare feet. Lucky for us, the mosque, probably experienced with the summer heat, had pieces of cloth placed along the courtyard for people to relieve their feet from the heat.

It was in Jama Masjid where we made our first friend in India, Jeong, a solo traveller from South Korea! He asked Jaegen to take a photo for him and our friendship began from there.

Red Sandstone that gives the mosque its distinct red colour.

Photos up till now were shot on the Contax T2 with Fuji C200. Developed and scanned by Photocity Lab in Bangkok, Thailand.

From the Jama Masjid, it just a short walk to our next location, the Red Fort of Delhi. Jeong joined us for the rest of the day and it was nice having him around. Along the way we saw people hiding in the shade, away from the harsh, glaring rays of the sun. They were all very friendly; smiling and waving to us. That’s one thing I learned early on my trip to India. It’s that the Indian people are a inquisitive, friendly people. A lot of times, they stare, but that’s just what they do. They usually don’t mean any harm. One gets used to the staring after awhile.

On the walk to the entrance of the Red Fort, we were surrounded by the majestic and somewhat threatening walls of the fort. Imagine you were a conquering army looking to invade the Red Fort, you’d be face with these walls that stretch for miles and in an intimidating red colour.

Intricate designs on the ceiling of the Red Fort.

30 minutes later and ₹550 (SGD10) poorer, we finally got into the compound of the Red Fort. It was nice to get out of the sun, if only just for awhile. The place was so huge, we spent awhile just plotting a starting point for our journey. In the end we decided to start in the middle, at the Diwan-i-Aam, the Public Audience Hall. This was where the emperor gave his audience and where state functions were held. The buildings were in a sandy red colour which photographed beautifully. What I was surprised to observe were the number of Indian tourists in the Red Fort itself. Occasionally, you’d see a few caucasian tourists but for the majority, it was Indian tourists.

Another thing I observed was how green the Red Fort actually was. It was unlike the other parts of Delhi I’ve witnessed so far. I guess in an effort to draw more visitors to the sites, they’ve decided to green up tourist locations. Really enjoyed that little detail.

After exploring the Red Fort for what felt like hours, we decided to go on a little self guided food tour of Old Delhi’s must eats. At this point Jaegen needed a little break and so, he decided to head back to the hostel first. Jalebi, Chaat, Kachori and Paranthe (Prata for Singaporeans). We ate and ate until our stomachs nearly burst. Everything was so delicious. But if I had to choose, Aloo Chaat (Fried Potato) would be my favourite. I don’t know how they do it, but each piece of potato had a nice brown crisp on the outside and a nice fluffy inside. The spices were just seasoning on top.

On the topic of eating street food in India, I had been warned by friends and coworkers before heading to India, to not eat street food or risk getting “Delhi Belly” (Food poisoning). But the foodie in me just had to try what was arguably the soul of Indian cuisine. I was not let down. Also, the vendors were all so accommodating, smiling and posing for the camera. India is really a photographer’s paradise.

We ended the food tour with a visit to some nearby houses with intricately painted house fronts. I didn’t get many photos because it was getting dark but it’s definitely worth popping by to take some photos. The place is called Naughara. Here’s a funny little story: At that point, I really needed to use the toilet urgently and there wasn’t one in sight. So guess what, I used a street side toilet, which was literally just a little shack on the corner of the street with walls just covering your sides and a roof. But your back would be exposed. I only found out it was a toilet when we saw a line of locals queuing up to use it. Talk about local experiences huh?

The sun was setting and Jeong and I were feeling like a beer so we googled where we could get beer and the closest was a government wine and beer shop. Apparently in India, you can only get beer from these shops and restaurants/bars. The people seemed really agitated when I got closer for a photo. Maybe they don’t like to be seen purchasing alcohol. Anyway, we got our beers and decided to walked to the nearby Yamuna Ghat to chill.

Photos up till now were shot on the Contax T2 with Agfa Vista 400. Developed and scanned by Photocity Lab in Bangkok, Thailand.

After navigating the roads and pathways, we finally arrived in the village surrounding the Yamuna Ghat. It was completely different from what I’ve experienced of Delhi so far. Peaceful, quiet, slow. There was a time stopping quality about it. We made our way to the waterfront and watched people going about their routines. Praying, washing, swimming. It was clear the river meant a lot to these people. Jeong and I found a nice spot and took out our beers and sipped, watching the sun fade into the distance.

About 20 mins later, someone from the village came and told us that we weren’t allowed to consume alcohol in public. At that point, we only had a few gulps of beer left so we downed the remaining beer and looked for a tuk tuk back to the hostel. We made plans for the next day and parted ways.

Photos up till now were shot on the Contax T2 with Fuji C200. Developed and scanned by Photocity Lab in Bangkok, Thailand.

This brings me to the end of the first blogpost about my month long trip around India! What a first day. We did so many things and experienced, truly experienced India for the first time. If you’d like to read more about my travels, look out for updates on my Instagram or subscribe via email below. Next up, read about my second and last day in Delhi. Till then, keep shooting film friends!