Delhi Diary Day 1

Quite a stressful (for me) start to the day after leaving the hotel in an attempt to sort a Sim card out for some local data. I failed twice, both close to the hotel and by heading back to the airport where I was refused entry.

After about 15 hair raising taxi rides, I fled East for a coffee & a kombucha in Blue Tokai, the coffee — in stark contrast to whatever I drank at the Hotel this morning — was really good.

I then met my Airbnb host and checked into the apartment. It is a nice part of town, and starkly more relaxed than round Aerocity.

The apartment is great, there is a bonus roof terrace that I wasn’t expecting and the weather has been kind.

I am on the edge of a nice park with some Mughal history and the 13th century tomb of Firuz Shah Tughlaq.

I visited Coast for lunch, a Keralan restaurant and had aubergine cokum & paratha. Lots of curry leaves, mustard and coconut. That paratha was top tier.

I took a nap then an Uber to a nearby phone shop and after 40 minutes of vigorous inquisition, finally ended up with the Sim card I needed.

Started to relax and feel like I am getting used to the flow & rhythm of Delhi street life so I elected to walk back to the apartment and took a detour round the Hauz Khas lake. It is starting to feel like I ’m in the right place.

I’ve slept maybe 6 or 7 hours in about 3 days so it is takeaway (pav bhaji) and an early night. I will see what tomorrow brings.