December 23, 2025
Remember how I said you shouldn't drive as a tourist in India? You shouldn't cross the street by yourself either. There are no crosswalks or traffic lights and crossing takes a special kind of skill. This is one of the many harrowing experiences we had crossing with a guide, who in this video is holding on to Stan.
The way a lot of locals get around is in this little three wheelers that we came to know as tuk-tuks in Thailand. In India they call them rickshaws, and they function like taxis. These are one-seater taxis for one to three passengers.
Two-seaters can take four to six passengers, depending on how squished you want to be.
I can't remember if our guide rode with us. Maybe he was up in front.
We took a quick cruise through the Chandni Chowk Market area around the Jama Masjid. Chandni Chowk means "Moonlight Square," which makes it sound peaceful and a touch romantic--neither of which it was. Just watching this video I took makes me feel a little green, but our ride took us to a good entry point for our walk through the streets and alleys of the market on a "Faith and Food Tour."
Established in 1910, they've had over 100 years to develop an impressive line-up:
Here are close-ups of each of the cases. The endless variety was impressive. How to choose? Impossible!
Impossible, that is, unless you have an experienced guide with you who can made the selections for you. As you can see, it wasn't all sweets. Our guide was saving sweets for another stop. I think the little puff balls are called bedmi puri. We ate them with a spicy potato curry and a some equally spicy lentils.
Continuing our walk down the noisy, crowded alleys, we couldn't help but notice the sophisticated web of wiring overhead. I have to think that electrocution is a common occurence here.
Two dogs wearing doggie cloaks slept peacefully on a platform not far from this gigantic roaring lion. (No, Bob, that's one door I don't wish we had at our house!)
The alleys are full of hidden treasures.
There are definite favorite dining spots where crowds of locals wait patiently for their order.
We generally avoid eating street food (which I define as food made and served on the street rather than at a sit-down restaurant) in third-world countries, but I've decided that Indian food is so spicy that nothing dangerous can live in it. But does this look like acceptable food preparation practices to you? Nevertheless, we ate (and survived unharmed). I think this dish is Lotan Chole Kulche, an Old Delhi delicacy comprised of chick peas in a spicy red sauce topped with . . . something. A bowl of this costs about 100 rupees, or just over a dollar.
Our mouths and tummies burning with the heat of the spicy dish, we ventured back out among the buzzing electrical wires . . .
Chris and Stan walked bravely in front of us. I know "cacaphony" usually refers to sound, but in India I think you can apply it to sights as well.
One thing that really stood out to me was the abundance of fresh produce. Carts like this were everywhere. I guess in a city of 34 million people, there are plenty of mouths to feed.
"Sharma Namkeen: All kinds of Namkeen and Special Desi Ghee Gajak." Whatever that means.
Doors like these can't lead to an ordinary interior, can they?
I think this door is the entrance of a Hindu temple. The man in the blue shirt is stringing together marigold blossoms to make the long chains and necklaces placed on statues of the Hindu gods.
The equivalent of an American U-Haul truck:
Different streets in the market specialize in different items. This is the wedding shop street. All of these items are for the lavish Indian weddings that cost way more money than most Indians can afford to spend.
Next we walked down the jeweller alley. India is renowned for its diverse and beautiful gemstones and jewelry making. It would be fun to go shopping here with the right local to guide you past the scams and to the real thing.
In the U.S., podunk hamburger joints often bill themselves as being "World Famous" or having "World Famous French Fries." We've fallen for that ruse a time or two when we were desperately looking for a good meal while traveling. I love that in Delhi Jalebi Wala billed itself as "Old Famous."
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| Picture from here |
When it is crispy on the outside but still gooey on the inside, it is removed from the oil and soaked in sugar syrup. We got ours served with a spoonful of rabri, something similar to melted ice cream. We also had a couple of samosas--good, but not as good as the jalebi.
On the outer streets we passed by a lot of traditional Indian clothing shops that sell "everyday" clothes for those with enough money to pay for them--women and men. It would be fun to try on some of these gorgeous outfits.
Before we went to India, I think the pictures below are the kinds of scenes I envisioned, and there were plenty of these kinds of scenes, but India is so much more than the crowded, chaotic market places. And the markets themselves are way more fun and interesting than I ever imagined. What a city! What a country!
The guide was not great, he spoke to fast and I eventually quit listening to him as it took more effort to stay engaged than I wanted to exert. But the tour itself was fantastic. Old Delhi is a tightly wound place with scary looking food stalls. I would never have eaten here on my own and was squeamish about eating, even with our guide. But the food we tasted was great and so interesting.
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