DELHI YMCA - witches, hair washing and Whisky Galore, 1977

[The YMCA continues to be our home as it becomes increasingly obvious that Asian Greyhound have never sent tickets for our return home - paid for the previous September.  But eccentric ballerina's, a clothes sale and Whisky Galore keep up our spirits.]

TUESDAY 4TH JANUARY, 1977

"We were joined at breakfast by one of the "witches"!! (Two bony women with scraped back black hair, pencilled eyebrows and tight-skinned, gaunt faces, who sit in garden too - Nikki calls them the witches).  She was Aussie with cultivated English accent; loved London and the Arts (!) - a ballerina also feeling "the call of India".  Runs her own company and has a theatre room in the Sydney Opera House!  Very easy to talk to but we can imagine a Prima Dona.

Into B.A - Nikki got telegram - her parents in touch with Asian Greyhound - said sent ticket on 20th Dec! (Supposed to be in Kathmandu by 14th!)  She sent another saying to buy ticket as desperate.  Went to GPO - no tickets.

Read!  Bored silly again.  Went into B.A in evening. Nothing.  (No shops open but had found chemist, so washed hair in afternoon for something to do!)  Sale still on - succumbed to temptation and tried on half of garments!  Had great time tossing clothes all over the place! (Bought 2 tops again).

Waiters in a bad mood tonight - ours was rude and refused to change a note for us, as well as ignoring us and serving us last!  Bed early - reading "Whisky Galore" now!"

STILL IN DELHI WITH NO TICKET HOME ... 1977

[Another day of fruitless searching through post office mail and waiting for telexed replies to our messages home via British Airways.  I escaped to the world of Cathy and Heathcliff ...]

MONDAY 3RD JANUARY, 1977

"Into B.A in morning - no messages.  Went to Delivery GPO - man at desk asked for intimation again but let us up this time.  Nothing came - checked American Express mail too. 

Read [Wuthering Heights] in garden most of day.  Sale on in hall [at YMCA] - had pleasant half an hour going through tops and dresses - we bought 2 small tops!

Bed early - nothing else to do."

DELHI YMCA - reading, sleeping, eating and being preyed on by the CHILDREN OF GOD, 1977

[In the sanctuary of the YMCA we slept and read and ate, waiting for news of tickets or contact with family.  Temptation came in a strange form - young wide-eyed converts to the Children of God (a cult that believed Jesus was coming within the next 20 years) who wanted us to go and stay with them.  We'd never have to worry about the next meal or running out of money again - they would look after us.  We'd heard rumours about free love and that they'd been kicked out of Kathmandu for proselytising, so politely declined.] 

SUNDAY 2ND JANUARY, 1977

"Big breakfast - cornflakes, poached eggs, toast and coffee.  Phoned B.A to see if any telex - but no reply yet.  Sat on veranda and wrote diary!  Feel better staying in nicer place and not wandering the streets of Delhi.

Sat in small garden below and had coffee.  Read all afternoon.

"Children of God" came and talked to us in lobby.  Strange but cheerful.  I still reserved opinion - don't like the St Paul approach having it [religion] rammed at me.  Theirs is a new order they say - will have nothing to do with the old - I don't agree there because rejecting too many people out of hand.  They don't believe they'll have a problem of age because Jesus is coming within the next 20 years.  Their group was thrown out of Kathmandu for open preaching; in India they are taking over Mission Schools etc.
(Subsequently had 2 more of them pushing pamphlets at us in the streets).

Supper - Indian food again, then went to bed before 9.0!"

NEW YEAR'S DAY IN DELHI - YMCA liver and jelly, and a dog-eared copy of Wuthering Heights restore morale, 1977

[It's New Year's Day and rather than wander the streets we decide to take refuge in the YMCA in the hope that money will come and we'll be able to afford it.  It comes with "a nice institutional atmosphere" (we must have been feeling low) and comfort food - liver and cabbage Indian style and milk jelly.  It's here that I read Wuthering Heights for the first time and am completely bowled over.]

SATURDAY 1ST JANUARY, 1977

"Decided to move out and spend money on room in YMCA because can't be long till money comes through.  The American said he'd gone to bed at 9.0 last night!  Said goodbye and left.

Back to B.A. - no telex from London yet.  Went to park and ate our grapefruit and some bananas.  Lay in sun - I slept while Nikki wrote to Chris.  Avoided open air cafe!  Went to YMCA and booked in double room Rs86 - between £5-£6 including breakfast.  Nice institutional atmosphere! - i.e. pretty clean, nice lobby, little balcony opposite room overlooking small courtyard with chairs and tables.

Sat and had coffee in lobby - nice American from Mrs Calaco's came in and chatted with us - he's thinking of changing rooms because the Dutchman snores so loudly (Nikki says surprised he doesn't choke himself!)  Walked into centre with him.  We went to B.A again!  No telex.  Man gave us tea in back office, talked of his New Year.  Insisted on NY kisses and hugs as we left!  Why is it that as soon as you talk they presume they can get fresh with you?!

Went and bought more throat lozenges and asprins, then bought "Wuthering Heights" [from second-hand book stall] and went and had coffee and a pattie.  On way back met JB Singh - we thought we'd avoided him so well!  Authoritatively arranged that we would meet him tomorrow at open air restaurant - though we said we might be flying out.  We said too ill and tired to go to his cousin's party tonight.  I had sore throat today too.  Finally disengaged ourselves - he thought we were still at Mrs Calaco's.

Back to hotel at 7.30.  Nikki went straight to bed.  I went down to restaurant and had lovely Indian dish - basically liver, rice and cabbage - but done up in nice sauces with strange sounding names, together with dahl (quite spicy) and sweet chutney.  Then had a milk jelly and coffee.  Restaurant was fairly empy and quiet.  Went to bed - read Wuthering Heights till just after 9 then slept till 8.45 next morning when knock on the door!"

TOILET GRAFFITI - MA CALACO'S, DELHI, NEW YEAR 1977

Our Delhi accommodation so far was a hotel that reminded us of a brothel and a hostel that was basically a doss house - Ma Calaco's.  But she kept a motherly eye on us - providing us with old sleeping bags (I don't like to think how often they'd been used and by whom) and turfing out two blokes to another room so we could have charpoys to sleep on.

It may have been basic but you can always tell a high-class establishment by the graffiti On the toilet walls:

GOD IS DEAD (VOLTAIRE)

and underneath

VOLTAIRE IS DEAD (GOD)

HOGMANAY IN DELHI - dancing to Abba with Delhi's "trendy" then ending up in hash-filled doss house; 1977 begins.

[The New Year, 1977, was seen in rushing around in a Buik between posh parties in Delhi and dancing to Abba.  But Nikki was ill and all we really wanted to do was go back to Ma Calaco's doss house and our hash-smoking room-mate - an eccentric but kind Dutchman who caught mice and made us coffee!]

FRIDAY 31ST DECEMBER, 1976  - Part Three

"This party was full of the trendy young of Delhi - all in Western clothes.  Abba was playing.  Small room for dancing - Nikki and I both dancing with JB Singh.  Although it was the house of best friend Chris, he kept saying they only went to such a small party so others wouldn't say they were too grand to come - some friends!  Nobody seemed particularly ecstatic to see them!

Nikki not at all well and nearly asleep.  Kept asking them to take us home but wouldn't listen; said we had to go to another party first.  Nikki pleading with them by this time.  Stopped at really posh place - big party of about 100 people - but we sat in car while JB went into say hello.  Already Pixie telling him to look out for other girls - kept boasting that all the "trendy" people of Delhi were there - all properly invited etc.  Imagine if we'd walked into such a place with our jeans on!

Finally agree to take us home to Mrs Calaco's.  JB insisted we'd meet next day at open air garden.  Dutchman and weird Yank who'd moved out for us, were in the room - stoned on hash.  Dutchman quite amusing and cheerful though strange.  Long fair hair and long beard - made us some coffee. Fell into our dirty sleeping bags and slept."

HOGMANAY IN DELHI - from doss house to posh house! scruffy overlanders join the jet-set, 1976

[The Hogmanay search for tickets goes on - we bump into a friend from the bus trip but he's got no money left either.  Then somehow we stumble into the world of rich Sikhs and the Delhi jet-set and suddenly it's party time - in rotting jeans!]

FRIDAY 31ST DECEMBER, 1976 - Part Two

"Went back to register mail place - nice man allowed us to look through mail - nothing.  Rang up Old Delhi post office - but nothing either. 

Back to British Airways - met Ian [elderly Swaggie from bus trip] on the way!  Fell out of scooter rickshaw and rushed up to him crying and gabbling our story - so relieved to see someone we knew!  Poor Ian couldn't understand at 1st!  Couldn't help because no money left - flying out that night.  Went to B.A. - Telex back [from Asian Greyhound in Windsor] saying Mrs Flynn away till 4th Jan, but no details!  Ian and nice Brum girl came in.  Asked them what they thought of telexing home for money for 2nd ticket as B.A. suggested.  She said A.G. could easily cancel and refund 1st ticket and Ian said they must! 

Felt doubtful because Mum and Dad not on phone [on Skye for New Year], could only give Granny's address and number.  They encouraged us to go ahead - so B.A. sent off telegram.  Other alternative was to wait and see if tickets come - but money running out and if with Ariana or Iraqi - wont be flying till at least next weekend.  Felt at our wits end.  Had to cash more money - asking rickshaw man for Ivory Hotel - in fact was Imperial I meant.

Sikh came up and asked us what wanted.  Said would walk us to Imperial Hotel becuase going that way, then said cold so must have a coffee.  Doubled back to open air restaurant - lovely Xmas tinsel streamers etc gleaming in dark.  He invited us to party for New Year's Eve with Embassy people etc!  We only had jeans to wear (mine just about rotting away!)  Said it didn't matter.  Took us to Imperial - really posh - his relations ran it!  No cheque service till Monday! 

Dropped us at Mrs Calaco's to get ready.  Nice American occupying 4th bed in the room - he felt lost, wondering what people were doing for New Year's Eve.  Went to Palace Heights to see if Gary and Beryl were there [friends made in Kathmandu] but they didn't turn up - so met J.B. Singh who took us out in taxi to posh part of New Delhi - full of Embassy people.  Took us to his uncle's house - uncle is a member of Mrs Gandhi's gov! and very high up in Sikh religion - pictures of him with parliament and a painting of great religious conversion with him on elephant!  He's 86 - was out to dinner in poshest hotel in Delhi.  Cousin came down - a real character - Indian playboy grown to fat; talked all the time about his trips to Europe, his girlfriends, the jet set in Delhi - said would take us to loads of hotels and parties and have better time than at home!

He waited for his father to bring car back while JB took us to a really posh hotel  - Akbar Hotel - very modern and plush guards on the door dressed in red uniforms and medal ribbons.  Everyone in gorgeous saris and smart suits.  Sat in one of bars and drank cinzano red!  Nearly £1 for each drink - super!  Waiter dropped tray load of glasses.  Cousin (called Pixie) finally came and took us in his vast smooth car - which he drove as badly as the taxi drivers - to another party.  So spent 12.0 and beginning of 1977 in the back of this huge Buick!"