As I decided to leave my corporate job, the first thing that came to my mind was to travel. Well actually my good friend, Hridaya had it in her mind since long to take a trip to the Himalayas for her birthday. I was anyway thinking to leave the job and at my parent's 25th-anniversary party, she acted as a catalyst for me leaving my job and traveling with her to which my and her parents agreed.
Cut to the travel day, we boarded the train to Delhi. Two of Hridaya's friends also joined One of them was traveling with us on the trip and the other one till Delhi. While in the train, we hogged on a lot of delicious food made by Hridaya's mom and the snacks we had brought. There is something compelling about the Indian Railways, that when I travel with someone, especially family and friends, I tend to get bored easily and gorge on a lot of food. But if I travel alone, I sometimes even skip having dinner. Don't know if other people also find this relatable.
As the sky darkened, we talked about various travel stories, made fun of each other and talked about other random stuff. Also, these guys were surprised as to how can I pack all of my travel essentials in a small backpack, that too when we had to pack winter wear as we were traveling up north. Well, my secret is to roll and pack a minimal number of clothes and take only the mandatory items. This way, even when we had to go on treks during our trip, it didn't hinder with my stamina.
After some time, when we got a little bored again, obviously, we started eating! The next day, we reached Delhi, our stopover at 11 in the morning. As we got out of the train and then the station, it was not at all cold even though it starts to get a little chilly from November.
After reaching our friend's flat, we freshened up and chilled a little bit. As we got hungry, I remembered, one of my good friends, Rufus had recommended before to eat the burgers from Burger Singh. It is pretty popular around the city. I couldn't eat them the last time I was in Delhi, so I thought why not try it out now and see what the hype is all about. I decided to order the bestsellers - Chicken United States of Punjab, Amritsari Murgh Makhani Burger, and American Grilled Chicken Burger. I must say, all of them were delicious! I liked Amritsari Murgh Makhani the most. It was so filling and full of flavors. After filling up our tummies, we headed to the Karolbagh Market. We took a cycle rickshaw to get the feel of old Delhi. As we entered into the crowded area, the whole market smelt of street food and was filled with small shops stuffed with mostly winter wear and accessories.
Others with me went their own way and I met another friend of mine from college after years. He showed me around the nooks and corners of the market and after some browsing, we came across India's first ever Mc Donald's which was open till date. Isn't that pretty awesome!? We didn't eat there, as I was already full but I couldn't help and stop at an old chaat shop a few steps ahead and eat the lip-smacking Pani Puri or as the Delhiites say, Golgappa there. The puris you get here in the capital are made of suji (semolina), and not wheat flour as it generally is around the country. I found the suji puris way tastier than the normal ones. The mushy masala or the filling, which comprises mainly of mashed potatoes and various spices, was also a great mix. And the spicy water, which is filled in the puri, is all you need to enjoy this savory crunchy pocket of deliciousness. The spiced water is said to be an effective remedy for an upset stomach too. At the end of the plate (which comprises of 6-8 puris) the shopkeeper gives you a dry puri, without the spicy water. This acts as a palette cleanser. After that, with no plan to eat anything else, we came across another hidden gem, Roshan Ki Kulfi. This is the oldest and the most popular restaurant in the city and I could see why. The crowd was flooding in to eat the delicacies there. The kulfi falooda was indeed delicious.
After some roaming around, I bid adieu to my friend and went on to get ready for the adventures waiting for us in Kasol!
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