Pullman New Delhi Aerocity Hotel and Aerocity environs

Laura and I arrived in Delhi after a 15 hour flight on Air Canada. The plane and Air Canada service was excellent. I even liked the curried chicken meal. Customs was not at all onerous. We caught a taxi which drove us to Aerocity which appears today to be a ‘gated’ hotel enclave not terribly far from the airport.

The Pullman Hotel is where the International Society of Addiction Medicine is having it’s annual meeting this year.  We’ve arrived a few days early and planned a couple of tours.  In the lobby we saw that the Ortho Medicine conference was going on now.  Our rooms are elegant and cozy. After sleeping a few hours we had the delicious Pluck Restaurant brunch. There was an Indian station, a chinese station and a European station. We had bacon with chutney and paneer, mango yogurt and mango lassies, followed by expresso coffee. A great way to start the day. 

Derek and Naomi the breakfast connosieurs, loving breakfast so much as their favourite meal, they held the breakfast to beat all breakfasts at their wedding. They’d love the Pluck breakfast and their toddler Faith would fit right in with the other children enjoying the first meal of the day. Family is so important to Indians that Faith would love it.  

“I don’t know if I’ll need another meal, “ Laura said as we walked about the Pullman  lobby looking at the gallery of fine Indian art. It was lovely. Certainly themes brought to mind the art of Persian Canadian artist Rojina. I loved Laxman Aeley’s family portraits but most of all Laura and I loved the piece Waiting for God.  

Now I’ve left Laura in the elegant rooms to nap and read while I’ve made my typical walking circumference of my area. In cities I resist peeing like I wood around my campsite in the woods.

It’s reminiscent of Singapore here, Definitely a gated community with checkpoints,  guards, metal detectors, and cars checked by yellow lab dogs I presume are especially trained.  I noticed this in Saipan and Milan and now it’s increasingly prevalent. When one considers that tourism is a multi billion dollar business annually and that Egypt once one of the greatest tourist destinations in the world has lost 90% of it’s tourist trade since the Muslim Brotherhood association with terrorism against Coptic Christians.  Today it’s Christians and Jews who are the most persecuted in the world. But tomorrow it could be anyone. The LGBT community attacks too often involve collateral damage.  Who wants to work or vacation where the violent are intent on ruining everyone else’s party.

When I was young I didn’t think like this and enjoyed a bit more edge. But since being mugged and robbed by a gang of Muslims in Atherns screaming “infidel” I’ve never run so fast or felt I was getting too old for this nonsense. If I’m not going to be issued with a rocket launcher like the one in Bruce Coburn’s famous song I’d like to be protected.  

That’s why I loved Singapore. I never felt so safe in a city since the Canada of my childhood and here in this gated corporate community I feel safe. It’s a bit sterilized but I’m weary of thieves, bullies, thugs and drug addicts. Working so many years in the Vancouver’s Downtown East Side has taken it’s toll.  With an increasingly bizarre government rewarding terrorists and Judge Currie going easy on criminals with illegal guns shooting at police, I’m afraid to walk in downtown Vancouver.  Gun control simply ensures the elite have gun s while the middle classes don’t and the criminals always have weapons.  

I asked Anand Ojha  the delightfully helpful and knowledgeable Pullman Office Manager, if it was safe for Laura to walk to the nearby malls.

 “Yes, yes. If you want too we can even have a little taxi take her and bring you back. Just ask.” As I found the mall is only two blocks and the area is incredibly safe and genteel.

I like to walk and ended up here at Costa Cafe in the gated mall walk way.  The malls are remniscent of the ones I first saw in Hong Kong, like the Gallerina in Saipan. .  They had them too in Adis Ababa Ethiopia.  Lovely corporate shopping zones. Lots of western high end shops with intermittent local talent. 

 I told Laura I’d reconnoiter.  She wanted to see the East Indian fashion. She ‘s always loved the way Anita and her daughter’s dressed. Laura said Samena,her Indian friend at work , wears a beautiful tunic and slacks that Laura thought she’d  like too, so colourful with glitter and gold.

I liked seeing the Royal Enfield motorcyclesas part of a clothing display.

It’s peaceful here. The flowers are beautiful. Smog is a problem. It reminded me of London and LA 30 to 40 years ago.  

“It’s like the forest fire air we had in Vancouver last summer’,Laura said commenting on the haze lying over the city.  

I confirmed the tour tomorrow to the Taj Mahal. Pick up at 7:30 am.  Today’s an easy day.  People watching is so sweet here, lots of families, beautiful girls and little of the obesity so prevalent in America.   But this is a select jet setter community. Middle and upper classes. A pleasant retreat.