I was suffocating to death in my room. It was gone 2am and 30 degrees Celsius outside. What the hell was the aircon doing? Certainly not helping. Hotel Paradise was anything but…
I knew I had to keep my cool…. wait… no, that would be impossible… I had to keep calm. I got up and exited the building, accidentally waking the receptionist who was camped out in a sleeping bag by the door. Getting out for a night walk in this mysterious new city was greatly calming and helped me let go of my frustrations. The streets were mostly empty and peaceful and I could not yet tell what the darkness was hiding. I could see no monkeys but heard strange noises that sounded suspiciously a lot like them. I saw groups of drunken people emerging from clubs and walking home through the streets. This hasn’t been a common sight in India, and it almost made me feel like I was back in Europe…
I used the Zomato app to order some aloo paratha from a late-night restaurant and had it delivered to the front steps of my hotel where I munched it in the presence of a bunch of stray dogs who snuck up behind me.
It was merely hours after I’d arrived in this place. A City called Chandigarh. I came here straight from Rishikesh. During a brief stop along the bus journey, when I had a short break to stretch my legs, I turned around to see another white man staring at me in disbelief. He was a Frenchman called Leo who lives in Chandigarh, working at the French embassy. He couldn’t believe I was here and we exchanged contact details so we could reconnect in the city. I genuinely wondered if I would get any sleep at all, but a good night walk and a dose of parantha turned out to be exactly what I needed to send me to the land of dreams.
Come morning I got a take-away latte from a nearby chocolate shop -a very pleasant place full of miniature chocolate Taj Mahals – and walked the beautifully pleasant streets of Chandigarh.
What a place this is! I’d have never discovered it, never even have heard of it, had I not told Anshu I was heading to Amritsar. She told me I should come here first and I am deeply glad I did. Chandigarh lies roughly halfway between Rishikesh and the city of the Golden Temple. It is 260km north of Delhi and unlike anywhere else I have been in India. It makes Rishikesh seem as busy and hectic as Mumbai, and somehow it appears even cleaner and more relaxed than even Indore. Verdant green trees populate the sidewalks, and instead of cows along every road, there are cycling lanes! Yet again, I feel like I have crossed into a different country altogether.
Almost everyone here seems to be Sikh. Another big difference I’ve noticed between Chandigarh and other places seems to be the abundance of bars and night clubs… perhaps they are just more noticeable here.
My walk led me to the stunning Sukhna lake. Street-food stalls and palms lined the broad footpaths around it and families took paddle boats out upon the water.
The air was roasting yet welcoming. It was a pleasant heat not an abrasive one. I embraced it and headed off away from the lake, in search of Chandigarh’s renowned Rock Garden.
My journey in search of the Rock Garden yielded wild yet peaceful views, and despite the multiple signs warning of deer attacks, I didn’t see a single one. Everywhere oozed tranquility.
The Rock Garden turned out to be even more tranquil than the place surrounding it. A park filled with abundant nature, a variety of strange sculptures, peaceful waterfalls and awesome swings which I probably spent far too long on.
Come evening, I freshened myself back at the “Paradise” Hotel and headed out to catch-up with Leo and find out more about his life in this place.
Leo told me to meet him outside a bar called Jugnu. He was there waiting for me along with one of his work colleagues, Malkeet, a native of Chandigarh. And so… A Frenchman, an Englishman and an Indian walk into a bar…
We had to buy our drinks outside the seating area and bring them in with us. Leo and I got bottles of Story Beer while Malkeet got a bottle of whisky. As we entered the hall, I was told by Leo that women are not allowed in here. Only men. There was a special designated space next to the eating hall where men could go to talk to women.
Malkeet is Sikh. He’s in his mid-thirties but looks younger. He told me a bit about Punjabi. He’s been helping Leo to learn Punjabi. Being in the state of Punjab (the capital no less) Chandigarh is a Punjabi speaking city. Just another of many factors making it feel like I’m in a whole new land. And in a way, I am. Leo also told me about his job here in Chandigarh – how he got it through an EU programme. He told me about how everyone at the office celebrated his Birthday by taking it in turns to hand feed him Birthday cake. I can’t believe Leo lives here. Living here would be insane. It would be like nothing else.
The Story Beer was damn tasty. Such a good heavy beer I have not had in a long time. Malkeet started ordering dishes of food to the table. I had the time of my life drinking Story beer and chatting with Malkeet and Leo, putting handfuls of peanut masala in my mouth, munching tandoori chicken, and finally, Malkeet’s favourite dish, lemon fish. The lemon fish was by far the best of the lot. It was at least 3 levels beyond delicious. Whatever the adjective is for that.
Once the plates of food had been cleared away, a plate of spoons laden with a green gel was set before us. I took a spoonful, the flavour in my mouth changing from that of a sweet dessert, to toothpaste, to finally, a soapy after-taste.
Malkeet and Leo have been thinking of going to Amritsar. Malkeet is trying to get Leo to go. Leo’s been living here a good few months after all, and he has not yet been to see the glorious Golden Temple. I of course am also heading to Amritsar, so the two of them might join me. But first? I am rushing head first to Delhi. Ponneyin Selvan Part 2 is the sequel to the South Indian film I watched in London last year. It had a big impact on me and I wouldn’t miss the sequel for anything. So I’m rushing to Delhi just for Ponneyin Selvan Part 2 and then I am rushing back out again…
