A Day in Delhi's Paharganj District

Paharganj

There’s a single Delhi-bound train that leaves the western Indian city of Jaisalmer every day. Train no. 14060 is called the Jaisalmer Delhi Express (JDE). Notorious for running late, one should expect an arrival time 1 to 2 hours later than scheduled for a distance that covers 914 kilometers (576 miles); 35 stops; and approximately 17 hours and 30 minutes of train travel. Since Jaisalmer was a terminal station, I chose to experience the Sleeper Class which was relatively cheaper than the AC seats (1AC, 2AC, 3AC). When in India, I am so frugal, I might as well glue my cash to my skin. This is because, while the cost of living is dirt cheap, this isn't so among foreign tourists who are always expected to pay (so much) more for everything. A 30 rupee rickshaw fare becomes 200 rupee for someone like me, and if I haggled at every step, I'd end up wasting enough energy and time. So I scrimp - because who knows if the air I breathe gets eventually charged after a nap.

MY BUNK

My train pulled out of the station at 5:30 PM and I found myself amid uniformed soldiers, with their boots in mid-air as I slithered carefully up my upper bunk. I had to stoop not to hit my head on the ceiling. Beside me was a ceiling fan teeming with virulent grime, as though it hasn't been cleaned since its first use. The three tiers of seats-and-couches opposite mine were filled, not with people, but army sacks. I  then remembered that Jaisalmer is home to a military camp so soldiers were a common fixture in these train rides. The window right down below was blowing late afternoon winds, with sands wafting away. We were moving through desert terrain. The open window only had grills from the outside. For the next 17 hours or so, I only had my jacket protecting me from the elements. This was my choice; it wasn't very glamorous, but it’s gonna be an interesting anecdote when I am old and grey. Elsewhere, others weren't so lucky: 14 to 16 people were occupying a berth for 6. People stood by the aisle, and tea wallahs roamed the cars every couple of hours. I wasn't too amused with my seat up there as I had to jump off my bed every time I needed something, and there were bodies over bodies to hurdle. While most people find train travels convenient, I’d much rather travel by bus.

We were traveling at an average speed of 50 kilometers per hour which was slow, considering the distance we had to cover – 914 kilometers. Most of the 35 train stops lasted not longer than 2 minutes except at Jodhpur Station where a 40-minute wait for customers ensued. This was enough time to wander around, but what could you see at 10:40 PM? And who will look after my baggage?

Train route from Jaisalmer to Delhi.

A ceiling fan beside my upper bunk.

I must have dozed off sometime after midnight and drifted into a dreamless sleep. The noise of the tsai wallahs woke me up at 6:30 AM. I shivered as the morning breeze blew across the cabin. We still had a long way to go, despite having traveled 730 kilometers, stopping for a wink at Rajgarh. I've succeeded to numb the pain of impatience by flipping through my Lonely Planet, deciding where I should stay for the night in Delhi. I almost never book for accommodations in India because I find it difficult planning around trains and bus schedules, and as earlier mentioned, delays are a common thing. But this is where an Indian visit is special compared to other places. You have to allow the spirit of the place to take over somehow.

FRENZY OF PAHARGANJ

My train arrived in Delhi at half past 12, the sun beaming on a cloudless sky. Delhi Junction was teeming with frenetic energy. I walked out the station and crossed the street until I reached the chaotic row of bazaars and little shops; ambulant vendors selling freshly baked cookies and fried egg cakes; merchants peddling their colorful bags, pillowcases and shawls. The district is called Paharganj – “main bazaar” -  which is unmistakably India, with its ribald slices of local color, of organized chaos far from the grandiose veneer of Mughal tombs and royal gardens. It’s easy to lose yourself in the frenzy of Paharganj. But I always prefer to stay here due to its proximity to the train stations (long distance and city trains), as well as Connaught’s Place.

FINDING A HOTEL

It took me more than an hour to find Hotel Namaskar which was highly recommended by LP. Unfortunately for me, they didn't have an available room. But the amorous owner recommended and personally took me to another hotel just around the corner – Hotel Raj’s Cozy Inn. With relatively new rooms equipped with modern, albeit clean bathrooms, I was quite happy with mine. I rested for an hour, took a refreshing shower, then navigated through the fascinating bowels of Paharganj. My destination: the train station's International Tourist Booking Center. I needed to purchase tickets for my onward trips: Mumbai, Hyderabad, etc. I desperately needed a professional's help - away from the local crowd known to push their way between queues. Otherwise, I would never understand the Indian train system of tatkals and reservations, etc. How can one sell tickets for seats that aren't available upon the time of purchase? This is India. Getting train tickets, finding your platforms, locating your train seats are not for the faint-hearted. They require a lot of patience – and understanding.

Some 4,000 rupees later, I wasn't left with enough time to roam. Quite frankly, I was pooped! I needed to feed myself, but was tired of rotis, dahls, parathas (unleavened flat bread) and chapatis (Indian flat breads). And most times, these are the only available food non-Indians could find when you're traveling across the country. But this is Delhi where my gastronomic luck could change. I saw Hotel Sheltron, climbed to their rooftop restaurant – called Kitchen Café – then ordered Chicken Butter Masala (100 rupees), chicken fried rice (70 rupees) and a lime-flavored soda drink that one can almost exclusively find in India – Limca Cola (15 rupees). I was the sole customer so I was treated like royalty in their dimly lit rooftop cafe. Only then did I realize how hungry I was, I almost ignored the gorgeous bowls serving my food. Before midnight, I received a call from my Kashmiri friend Junaid. We spoke for 12 minutes. It struck me how concerned he was of my well being, giving me tips as though I was in Scam City. I was grateful, but I almost had to remind him I was of age to take care of myself.

I didn't quite make 12 midnight. On the road, I usually study my next-day prospects before bedtime. But it was time for a good night’s rest – right in the heart of Delhi.

This is the Eye in the Sky!

Sleeper Class. This photo only courtesy of Bradwell.

Grills on windows of Sleeper Class train seats. This photo only Ralph Velasco of Digital Photography.

Delhi train station

A messy mixed-media of sculptures at a roundabout leading towards Paharganj.

Paharganj before the onslaught of activity.

Students riding a rickshaw in Paharganj.

Narrow alleys in Paharganj. It's easy to get lost in one of these narrow streets.

The popular Hotel Namaskar.

Hotel Raj's Cozy Inn

My room at the 2nd floor.

I got a room at Hotel Raj's Cozy Inn. This photo only courtesy of Indiamike.com.

The Delhi Train Station is just a few blocks from Paharganj.

International Tourists Booking Center for foreign visitors, located at the 2nd floor of the Delhi Train Station. 

Delicious cookies (biscuits). I always get myself a few pieces whenever I am in Delhi.

Chicken Butter Masala (a paste comprising of  a mixture of spices) with chicken fried rice

Food at Hotel Sheltron - with Limca Cola, a lemon/lime-flavored carbonated soft drink mostly found in India and some parts of the U.S. Coca Cola company manufactures Limca in India.

A colorful shop at Paharganj.

Paharganj is a disrict in central Delhi somewhere between Old and New Delhi, near the New Delhi train station and Connaught's Place.

Delhi days continued here - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-rickshaw-ride-in-delhi-one-lazy.html

Views from a High Rise Restaurant - http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-day-in-delhis-paharganj.html

Ain Arabia - A Hole in the KL Wall

Getting lost has its advantages. You find yourself in places you'd otherwise not visit. While trying to find Hotel Al Jafs in Kuala Lumpur, walking along Jalan Sultan Ismail (near McDonald's), I found an arch with light yellow paint chipping off. It read, "Ain Arabia", roughly translated as "Eye Arabia". This enclave is Malaysia's homage to her Arabian friends.

The "Arab Square" (as it is commonly known) is officially called Ain Arabia, a sanctuary specifically conceptualized by KL City Hall to give the Arab expats a place they could call "home away from home". The neighborhood looks it. It has the Fortuna Hotel, shops and several restaurants serving Arabian and Yemeni cuisine, including a Lebanese bakeshop. At the center of this district is a little park constructed with Moroccan architecture. This park "garden" cost RM 2 million ( $660,000) to build, a staggering amount for the very few structures standing on a small plot. Dotted by corner trees and a big tea pot, the park has a couple of waiting sheds, concrete benches and a non-operational fountain. Traffic wardens are said to take their respite here, but the place can get eerie at night. The lights here haven't been fixed since 2009 and the place looks mostly abandoned. 

A certain Khun Pana posted this in the "Things to Do in Kuala Lumpur" blogsite, and I quote: "In the afternoons and nights the garden is occupied by jaga keretas , drug addicts and scrap collectors. Right now the garden is a 'temporary" scrap yard set up by some drug addicts." It can get hairy, to be honest. I walked around it, trying to find a hotel, and my intuition (which was probably overreacting) was telling me to leave. But the possibilities of this place look promising if the local government could spend a few more ringgit to renovate, render it child-friendly and fix the park lights.

As for the tea pot, maybe I should have rubbed it while there. Who knew? A genie could have sprung out of it, and I could do with one wish!

This is the Eye in the Sky!

The Arabian arch has seen better days.

Radius International Hotel - Accommodations in KL

Swimming pools never figure in my choice of accommodations when traveling overseas. However, in the past 12 months or so, I've been in a few with pools (Siem Reap, DaNang, Bali, Bangkok, Cebu). Either my budget allocation has drastically improved (akin to the surge of the Philippine economy) or I've been subconsciously drawn to them. But why not? A clean body of water is always a welcome sight. So I find myself in Radius International Hotel.

Radius International Hotel is a 458-room high-rise hotel situated at the epicenter of KL's hawker's street. Jalan Alor is just a block away, There are 24-hour convenience stores, ATM machines, foreign exchange counters, fruits stands, restaurants and pubs surrounding the area - and it's a strategic location when all you're after is loads of shopping and dining.

Checking in is fast, though reception at the front desk is a bit cold you feel like they'd rather do away with you as fast as they could. In fact, I wasn't entertained until I called someone's attention. Most other hotels would welcome you first even before you could open your mouth. Their personnel wait to be called, but then they are paid to "wait", right? They're "hotel waiters", and act accordingly. Why improve on their raison d'etre? After all, they won't get a raise if they assume a more hospitable demeanor. For a three star hotel, this is quite odd, considering people pay "more" to be here. And people expect a little "more" civility and warmth. This is also why Radius International doesn't rate very well with guests.

COMMON CONSENSUS

While many hotels (I stayed in 6 KL hotels during this leg of travel) of lesser cost rate 7 to 9/10 in the satisfaction ratings, Radius can only muster somewhere in the vicinity of 6's, and its clear why! In Agoda's website, a certain Phek (a Malaysian) commented, "Receptionist wasn't as nice," and added, "Wouldn't recommend it for longer stays." Tania from Bangladesh noted, "It's alright, but not great." Kamil from Singapore says, "The front desk staff needs proper upgrading in handling customer's needs." Werdayanty, also from Singapore, remarked, "The most disappointing... the staff... no smiles even to welcome the guests." And all these come from its first page alone. This Filipino traveler absolutely agrees! They need a seminar on hotel courtesy and guest management! After all, the hotel business runs on the tenets of good will, and good will flies out the window when their staff have upper lips stiffer than the Brits.

LOCAL CHANNELS ONLY

I stayed at the upper floor (16th), knowing fully well that the area is a bastion of noise. The room was spacious, the surroundings relatively quiet. Somewhere on the 5th or 6th level was the Terrace Swimming Pool which closed earlier than their published opening-closing time. The interiors were alright although this place has seen better days. The carpet, while clean, looked worn.  The television was the boxed type variety, too small and archaic for a three-star hotel this big. What's funnier, it doesn't even have cable! I've been in dingy guesthouses with one, yet here I am paying more for a hotel that can't afford cable! Isn't this amusing? So while waiting for the rains to stop, I had to contend with one of only 3 Malaysian local channels. I picked the lesser painful show - a news program in Malaysian Bahasa covering a local politician making his speech in front of a Member-of-Parliament tribunal. Before long, this politician started, albeit dramatically, singing something. In no time, all the other members joined him, as I watched a few getting teary eyed! I thought, at least I get a real-world teleserye (with no subtitles) while holed at the Radius, right? Now tell me how "International" can you get: TV shows with no international channels, signs on doors and passageways in Bahasa, reception staff who would rather have root canals than offer a smile. Very international indeed!

My bed was comfortable. The sheets were clean. Bathroom fixtures working adequately. I had a nice view of the skyline. But I had these in way cheaper, friendlier hotels.

NO WAITING ROOMS

Most guests complained of the absence of wifi signal, but I had an excellent one. This was odd because I was in fact furtively reminded that wifi is "only available at the lobby". What lobby exactly? Or where? The hotel does NOT have a waiting room. Coming in, you're greeted by a luggage counter to your left, and though there are half a dozen bellboys, no one offers to help you carry your luggage. While this is expected from cheaper understaffed hotels, you'd expect better from a three-star. And don't be shocked by the bevy of activity here. It is a zoo! If you travel to find a bit of zen, you might as well dig yourself a cave than stay at the Radius. To your right is a good sprawl of the Aroma Restaurant, but you'd have to order something to sit there. There are no couches to sit here. This leads you to an escalator going towards the mezzanine where the Front Desk (Reception) is. There's a gift shop at the right side of the counter; and hidden at the left is a business desk (hall) with a couple of chairs. The elevator is to the left of the counter. Where do you sit down? International hotels don't offer chairs? How bohemian, di ba?

This is the Eye in the Sky!
  

The scene along Changkat Bukit Bintang. 

Entrance

Escalator takes you to the very chirpy Front Desk

Front Stiff Upper Lip. Oops, I meant front desk. :)

Aroma Restaurant

My room

A nice corner

Paintings in my room (above and below)

Itsy-bitsy-bulky TV

This was considered among the hotels I researched, but didn't make the grade for this trip. Next time, I will be there.

Clean but underlit.

Terrace Swimming Pool

Radius International Hotel is located at 51A Changkat Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Call them at +603-27153888.

For more information and updates, visit their website - http://www.radiusinternationalhotelkl.com/

A conference room at the same level where the pool is.

He made a speech then started singing... and everyone emotionally joined in.

If you want a cheaper, albeit acceptable local fare, the area has several eateries and restaurants to offer, like this one - Restoran Hanifa - where for RM 7 ($2.30 or PhP94), you have 2  viands of your choice. Mine were chicken and curried vegetables on rice.

Take your pick.

Restoran Hanifa is hidden in the vicinity amid upscale restaurants. It prides itself as a Makanan Restaurant