Drive to New Delhi

18th September 2018

We have a last look out our bedroom window in Agra before checking out and driving to New Delhi the is morning. The sights and sounds of India are very nearby.

The cows are off on their morning pilgrimage to get some free food

Meanwhile the construction industry needs raw material

This morning we are heading away from the countryside, and although Agra has a population of 2.8 million, it is a blend of city and country.

Once out of Agra, we are on a newish tollway, and the ride to New Delhi will be mostly along this road. There is a lot less traffic and other obstacles (cows, donkeys, goats, antelope etc), so it is a comfortable ride and reasonable speeds. The countryside is very fertile and flat and we see lots of cropping. Rice paddies start to dominate as we move further along the road, and solid stone construction materials are replaced by brick factories.

We cross back over the Yumani River, which is the source of much of the water used for agriculture along this route.

Whilst it is mostly crops grown intensively either side of the road, we did see some livestock including this gathering of cattle that appeared to be a get together of several farmers

After 3.5 hours we are getting into a cityscape with large residential high rise developments rising out of what was previously farmland. This commences in a place called Greater Noida which seems to be a relatively new development area, with residential, office buildings and a new metro system that runs from here into New Delhi.

Greater Noida becomes Noida and then New Delhi. We drive past the largest Hindu Temple in the World, Akshardham Temple, with a Metro station nearby

Ahshardham Metro Station

We know we are in New Delhi, as the traffic is grinding to a halt, and we finally reach our hotel which is located in the centre of the City, by just after 1pm.  our driver for the past 9 days is leaving us today, as he is based in New Delhi and has a new assignment, so we will have a different driver for tomorrows tour and to drop us off at the airport the following day. The driver has been fantastic, both as a very capable driver, and as a nice man who gave us a lot of insights along the way, had a good sense of humour, and nothing was any trouble. 

We are staying at the Le Meridien and it is a big hotel, but very nice. It has a big open atrium with the rooms located around the edges on all 4 sides.

Red pin denotes hotel location

Looking out our window, for the first time we have been in India, we are looking out over a sea of green trees with a few buildings visible above the canopy.

After lunch and a rest whilst the outside temperature dropped a bit, we ventured out for a walk at 4 pm, as it is a nice green area with proper footpaths. We ended up speaking to a couple of locals along the way who were very friendly and offered advice on when to walk and what to avoid.

Even though we are in an upmarket area of a big city, it still is "Incredible India"

An ideal spot to wash your clothes

The streets are very clean, and we have been pleasantly surprised in most places we have been with the concerted effort to clean up litter. The Government have a Clean and Green Campaign which is widely promoted and really seems to be getting some traction.

Tomorrow is our last day in India, and we have a tour of New Delhi organised and it looks like a pretty full day.