2006-12-16
No, it’s not about Robert, but Lal Qila (the Indian name), the fort built by Shah Jahan.

We rest for two days after our trip with Singh, while we get some problems regarding the website solved (we’re now able to post photos). We then head back for the streets of Delhi, for visiting the Red Fort.

This fort was built between 1638 and 1648 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, who also built the famous Taj Mahal. After trying to make different auto-rickshaw drivers understand where we wanted to get, we finally find one and bargain for 50 rupees the ride (around €0,85).

The auto-rickshaw is perfectly designed for those wanting to deeply breathe the car exhausts. The traffic is heavy, and after a quarter of an hour, we find ourselves at the foot of the fort.

The imposing red ramparts really are impressive. We find the entrance by following the crowd and get in a line of about a hundred people. After a few minutes of waiting, we get to a guard who asks for our tickets. Oops! So this is not the line where we buy them… Indeed, the guard shows us where they are sold, and there we buy our at full price at the “Foreigners” ticket window. Then we get back in the line.

A guard comes to Maïte, telling her that the line in which we’re waiting is strictly for men. In fact, we realize that we have to be searched before entering. As the line for girls is nearly non-existent, the guard tells Hugues that he can come also, so that Maite doesn’t have wait for him. Thank you, mister guard!

We finally enter the fort. The sun shines on these imposing ancestral buildings. The architecture is impressive. Especially because what’s left is just a pale reflection of the old fort. Our Lonely Planet guide gives all the information we need on the history of the fort and the functions of all the different buildings. This guide is really helpful.

A group of school children seems more interested in our camera than in visiting the fort. They turn around us and make us feel a little uncomfortable, but we’re starting to get used to it.

Then, after touring the fort, we peacefully relax in the sun, facing the buildings, on a bench in the middle of the fort area. But soon after these moments of tranquility, three guys get seated on the bench in front of ours and turn around to stare at us like we are some sort of aliens. It’s hard to act like nothing happened for more than a few minutes. So we decide to head back.

The traffic is even heavier now than it was when we came. We reach our room. For us, the hostel is a haven from all the outside chaos. After spending a few hours out of it, it seems bizarre to feel calm without being stared or called on.

We go for an early dinner at Sonu Chat House. We find Jessica the Canadian there, without Dave, who has been sick for some days now.

It’s always tiresome for us to go out, but we feel more and more comfortable in the street, and we manage to avoid the scalpers better and better. This town is really a unique experience. We wonder how the rest of India is compared to this.

This text has been voluntarily translated from French by Cristina Lumezeanu. Big thanks to her! If you think there is a translation mistake, don’t hesitate to contact us.