Delhi

This morning I got my flight to New Delhi and then a taxi across to Old Delhi train station.

When I arrived at the train station, a 'porter' offered to help me with my luggage. See, I've got my laptop backpack which contains my valuables and which stays on my back or within arms reach. And then I've got my suitcase which is big, purple and weighs 37kg.

I explained to the porter that I wanted to go and find a quiet cafe or restaurant and sit there with my luggage for 6 hours, so I can get some work done. I presume he didn't understand so I just said 'restaurant' which he agreed to. Instead of pulling the wheeled suitcase along, the porter insisted on picking it up and balancing it on his head. Which made me somewhat concerned for the safety of the porter's skeleton as well as the safety of the suitcase's contents.

I followed him up a flight of stairs, his movements becoming slower and slower as we neared the top. I stayed right behind him the whole time, ready to hold him if he lost his balance. At the top, sweaty and exhausted he finally offloaded the suitcase. He took me to the "Upper Class Waiting Room" and cleared off when I gave him the RS30 he demanded (which is about 40 pence).

So where was the restaurant? Well there wasn't one. I asked the folk there and they told me that the restaurant is downstairs. Hmmm. So I pointed at the suitcase and made the facial expression "how the hell am I going to get this back down the stairs?" They pointed to the elevator and told me to use that like everyone else does. Hmmm #2.

So now I'm sat in the 'restaurant' which is actually a filthy cafe. But compared to the rest of the station it's quiet, and it's got a power outlet for my laptop. I've got 5 hours to kill before I get the overnight train to Himachal Pradesh.