Sweltering journey through Delhi in June.
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| Despite the hot weather, the streets are bustling with people. I would like to say that this is also part of India's charm.😌 |
The Indian summer was unbearably hot. Despite temperatures soaring above 40 degrees and suffocating humidity, the streets were filled with life and energy. The occasional breeze would cool the sweat momentarily, but beads of perspiration glistened on the faces of people in the streets.
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| In the GIF, I was on my way to the India Gate🏃. |
For those who still hold memories from long ago in their childhood, such scenes might feel familiar. That day in my memories was also very hot - when relatives and family gathered, strolling the streets before sitting down on floor mats to chat while my young self and cousins jumped around energetically between them
Nearly 30 years have passed since my memories, and now snow that won't melt has fallen on the heads of my uncle and aunt, who were once a young and handsome couple. Their faces, once white and rosy like peaches, have turned chestnut brown from the hardships of time and the glasses of alcohol they filled amid worries and troubles.
Having grown up too much, I was now bound by the shackles of shame and dignity, unable to run like I did back then. But walking through India's crowded parks, my childhood vividly came back to me.
The children there had toys that looked like propellers. They stretched their arms with all their might to send them flying into the sky, and they danced down like firefly lights. Dozens of propellers were soaring into the sky. As I watched the falling lights, lost in reminiscence, people came up and spoke to me.
'Hello, where are you from?'
They asked why I had come to India and if I liked it.
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| I recommend visiting India Gate at night, it's truly beautiful.💫 |
I talked about the kindness of Indian people (except for the merchants), their fashion style that differs from our country, and the magnificence of the travel destinations I visited. New Delhi was safer than I expected and satisfying. Prices were affordable, and while I mostly enjoyed street food and local cuisine, food of medium-high quality was very satisfactory.
During the roughly one hour I spent filming a time-lapse, I took photos with Indian people about 10 times and chatted with three groups. Just as I was taking away mysterious and good memories from this place, I smiled brightly in front of the camera, hoping that I would also become a good memory for those people
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| People I met at India Gate. Some people approached me, and we had a brief conversation before parting ways. |
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| Time-lapse India Gate. A lot of ppl were there |
Indian people I had encountered in other countries seemed selfish and difficult to befriend, but here they were innocent, warm, and kind. Sometimes there were people who followed me trying to sell something or beg, which was annoying, but thinking that they had no choice but to make money that way, I wasn't angry.
Since I spent most of the daytime with local friends, I think I had fewer annoying experiences.
India felt like a country of people with hope, but on the other hand, it wasn't always just bright appearances coexisting. Having only been in New Delhi, I couldn't know every aspect of India, but the India I saw was a country where income gaps and class culture still faintly remained.
As I traveled, the word deeply and intensely imprinted in my heart was 'fate.' Although everyone's fate may be predetermined, I often felt that everyone has the right to dream and be happy within that fate.
The day before leaving, I saw a man on the street. He was lying on an old fabric mat spread on a street stained with cow dung. In the 40-degree weather, the intense sunlight must have been painful for him to lift his head up on his own, but hearing someone approach, he struggled to raise his head with effort to look at me.
In the very brief moment our faces met before I passed by, I was quite shocked. I saw his emotion in his face. He met my eyes with an expression that seemed to curse his life and showed that he couldn't understand why he had to live like this. He had injured his leg and couldn't get up, and it seemed the only way he could clean himself was the mirage-mixed wind blowing toward him.
There were security checkpoints at the entrance of every department store, which was inconvenient, but Indian people seemed accustomed to it and put down their bags without complaint. Even though it took quite a long time, people waited patiently.
Cool air conditioning and modern, clean architectural structures welcomed people, along with elegant tableware and clothing that looked somewhat different from what was seen in the markets, and neatly suited staff standing by.
What I found surprising was the scene of customers and sales staff conversing in English. Even at the café on the top floor, some people, despite being fellow Indians, were speaking in English. When I asked my friend about this, they replied that speaking English naturally is a privilege and a source of pride for Indians. They said that these people preferred to speak English because they were upper class and well-educated. Can you imagine? In a Korean department store, customers and staff choosing jewelry communicating in English...
But even here, the armpit-flavored beverages still existed. After drinking the orange-colored street juice last time, I had resolved to have a sweet drink more suitable for me this time, but although I ordered a purple drink (which I guessed would taste like grape) that clearly had lemon in it, it still tasted like body odor.
I took one sip, tossed it to my local friend, and ordered and drank coffee instead. Since we still had time left, my friend suggested we visit a Sikh temple next.
If you've ever been interested in traveling to India, you probably know about the Golden Temple in Amritsar—the sacred place of Sikhism where food is provided for free and clean water flows.
There is such a place here in New Delhi too. I'm not sure if food is provided for free, but I had to wrap a turban or cloth around my head, take off my shoes, and wash my feet in flowing water before entering.
There was one thing I hadn't expected. You had to take off your shoes and leave them, and the place where dozens or hundreds of people were removing their shoes smelled a bit of feet. It reminded me of when students would take off their shoes to enter the dormitory after group activities at school.
The dedication of the volunteer shoe locker staff working there seemed remarkable.
Because the brick floor heated up in the hot weather was very hot, I had to move to a place with fabric mats to prevent my feet from getting burned.
It was a sacred yet fun place. In the worship area, sacred objects were at the center, and people passed by solemnly and quietly, offering prayers. The place with the artificial lake in the photo was crowded with people, and photography was prohibited there.
Nevertheless, many people were secretly taking photos. The monitors shouted loudly not to take pictures, but people would look around cautiously, take photos, and hurriedly hide their phones.
Then some boys were caught by a monitor, and he began to scold them. But a woman passing by the monitor quickly turned around after passing him, took out her phone to take a selfie, and hurriedly put the camera back in her pocket before disappearing.
It was like a game of whack-a-mole. When one person was being intensely scolded, others would take out their phones. In blind spots where the monitors couldn't see, many people were holding up cameras to take photos. They seemed to need more monitoring staff. Honestly, I followed those people and secretly took photos too. I'm sorry.😥😂
The 4 nights and 5 days in India felt very short. Since I arrived late in the evening and had to leave early in the morning, I essentially stayed for 3 nights and 4 days. Leaving my regrets behind, I treated the local friends who had accompanied me to dinner, then returned to the hotel and was packing my bags.
Especially on the last day, it was raining, so we had to part ways a bit earlier, but 2 hours before leaving the hotel, I got a call from my friend.
'Min, before you go, let's have dinner.'
'At this hour? You can't leave your house at this time.'
'It's okay, I'll make an excuse and come out for a bit. I'll arrive soon, so wait in front of the hotel.'
A photo was sent of my friend riding a motorcycle taxi in the rain.
While I was worrying if it might be dangerous, I saw my friend coming from a distance. She ran toward me with quick steps in the rain and handed me a black bag.
'These are mangoes picked from our house and samosas I made. Don't go hungry and travel safely. Come again next time.'
After a final brief hug with her and watching her ride away on the motorcycle, tears welled up in my eyes. Warmth was still rising from inside the black bag.
I wasn't hungry, but I ate it all. Soy sauce was included, but it wasn't necessary. My tears had already seasoned it enough.
It was hard to leave, but promising to meet again, I headed to the airport. Just as the people here believe in reincarnation, I hope to return one day and meet again...
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| Agrasen Ki Baoli There weren't many people here. It was very peaceful and really nice to sit here |
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| Red Fort It is incredibly large in scale and beautiful. You'll need to walk quite a lot because the scale is extremely large.
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.jpg "Qutb Minar")
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| Qutub minar |
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| Qutub minar |
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| Lotus Temple Since there are people offering prayers here, the atmosphere is solemn and you need to be very quiet. Oh, and for your information, bringing cigarettes is not allowed here, so make sure to remove any cigarettes before coming here. The security guards will confiscate cigarettes at the entrance. |
.jpg "it's me. in qutub minar")
Here is some additional information and precautions:
Avoid tap water or unsealed bottles. Stick to trusted brands like Bisleri, Kinley, Aquafina, or Bailley, which are widely available in convenience stores and roadside kiosks