Pre-departure questions... Cars, bedding, makeup, shops and PANIC!

Haylo

My trip has been severely preponed* and "India time" is approaching fast. I have a bajillion things running round in my head, few of which are rational thoughts so be kind!

1. Recommendations please for reliably getting to new job on time on Monday morning, we're nowhere near a metro station unfortunately. Any recommended companies for hiring a car & driver for the day?
2. What bedding is available in India - what do people with AC generally sleep under? Can you get light quilts, of the sort that are down filled, that you put into a cotton cover? If we turned the AC down, I suppose we could sleep under a sheet but that would take some getting used to.
3. Question (mostly!) for the women, is it worth bringing makeup or is it too humid in Delhi? Not for the daytime obviously, but I do have a dinner party to attend one evening, so the only non-AC time will be house to car! What do others do?
4. Are there likely to be any shops in Vasant Vihar which will be open on a Sunday evening? We're bringing basics with us, so should be okay. But for instance if there is somewhere we can buy pillows, that might be useful - we may not have quite enough room in our cases for those!
5. I am excited but rather nervous too, I've never travelled to Asia before. Is this normal, or is it just me?

wonderwomanusa

I've seen lovely cotton-filled quilts at the Gandhi Ashram shop at CP. I don't think I've ever seen down in India, but have also never looked for it.

I can't wear makeup in the heat; it clogs my pores and then my hair becomes wet with, um, perspiration. Eyebrow pencil and lipstick are all I carry.

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kristinm

We are cosily sleeping under a lovely block printed cotton filled quilt we bought at Anokhi and brought home.. mmmmmmm... We saw many cheaper ones in lots of markets - but this one is gorgeous (it wasn't very expensive in our terms anyway, just compared to other Indian stuff).

Don't know about makeup (although you never see an Indian woman without it!) but I spent a mere $30 Australian on buying almost the entire Biotyque range before I left India - such great products! Except the mascara - which although luscious runs like mad!

They are almost empty now - sob...

Nick-H

I don't know if the quilt, duvet-style. has become at all popular up in those Northern places that actually have winter? Doesn't Delhi have days and nights when a not-so-light cover might be appropriate?

Generally, I use AC at night not so much to cool the room as to take the humidity out --- but Mrs N would like to sleep in a cold room with a fan on, and I can't stand either .

Your AC machine will really eat up the electricity, especially if you use it to turn your place into a fridge! Your first bill will help you to acclimatise.

Just beware of those dreadful rubberised coir mattresses, that are relatively soft to people who are used to sleeping on a thin mat on concrete: they are awful. a genuine-latex foam mattress is much better, and (people will try to tell you otherwise) it is also cooler. Even my wife agrees on that one, and you can see we have different ideas about ideal temperatures!

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Aishah

FabIndia also have good quality homewares including quilts - one in Khan Market.

With regard to a/c - I set ours to 27'c and sleep only under a sheet - it's a comfortable temperature for summer. Once the room (which is currently around 29'c} reaches that temp. permanently and starts dropping as winter begins to set in, I only use fans.
I think it's pointless having to rug up because your a/c is too cold! A waste of energy as well - at 27' the 'fridge' part in one hour only works for around 20 mins. to maintain it.
Make up? I only use lipstick but as weather becomes more dry moisturisers are needed. Indian products in this line are cheap and brilliant - Ayur makes an excellent 'cold cream' which can be used as a moisturiser and it costs less than 100r. for a large container. Himalaya have nice face moisturisers, also not expensive.
I'm going to move this thread into the Delhi forum Haylo - more experts there re shopping! I don't know about Vasant Vihar for shops at all, but I'm sure locals will. There is a Radio Cabs thread here started by Shashank which might help you out in an emergency.

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brownboy66

chances are if you step outside your abode in the morning, hold up your hand and shout "taxi" - you will be run over by the mob of autos, taxis, and/or general but interested spectators wondering what these two foreigners are trying to do. There will certainly be an auto or 10 in the immediate vicinity (being Vasant Vihar) - if not a taxi or taxi stand somewhere nearby.

Possibly your partners work will have a taxi company they use on a regular basis. If they are picking you up at the airport - grill them then and maybe ask them to go past a taxi stand near to where you are living and you can make a booking for the next morning there and then.

They will be reliable - but that's just the vehicle your in. Can't vouch for the road you will travel on or the other drivers (or the cows, etc)!


If you come from the mountains then you will like the AC on high, and will want to sleep under heavy bedding because it remains you of being trapped in a blizzard....just like home! If you come from the oceans you'll have the AC turned down and will sleep under a sheet or light duvet. If, as a couple, one of you runs hot while the other runs cold then you'll do what most couples do - one will steal all the bedding while the other one freezes.

I think a couple of others have already mentioned places to go to for bedding (like fab india). You wont have a problem - plenty of choice.

everything will be open, not sure about shops in VV that stock pillows (there is a fab india shop nearby but not sure if its open on a sunday). There is a emporium in Vasant Lok called Obama's which is open on a sunday and does have some limited bedding, and pillows (I think). Not a vast range though.

you forgot to mention "panic"! You might also find yourself using the phrase "is this normal" alot - so here's the answer.....yes. Its all normal. You're about to go on a sensory extravaganza - and you'll love it.

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kristinm

I love that Ayur cold cream as Aishah knows - I genuinely think the Indian skin and hair products I bought are the best I've ever used - and that includes the expensive ones! By the Way - Aishah, or anyone - kind of off topic but I guess Haylo will need to know these kind of things too, so I won't PM - how do I wash that Anokhi quilt? Do I stuff it all in the washing machine? Hot or cold? Do you hang it or dry it flat - unlike the cheaper ones it has been stitched loosely in lines, I guess to prevent it clumping - but I want it to stay fluffy..

puchoo

Sorry , i think you told me this before but where again is the office?

Each block in VV has a main gate ,as soon as you step out you should see enough auto guys parked outside. A taxi is something you would need to call , the entire concept of 'raise and hand a taxi comes' does not really work here. Every colony will have a taxi stand serving it and you need to call them and tell them to send on.

With respect to bedding , i could not have described it better than BB really. Me being from the mountains n all means AC on high , airflow direct on face and big blanket...! , and i wont have it any other way..!

I am assuming you will have mattresses atleast??

Fabindia will be open on Sundays. There is a very big store in VV where you can get sheets, blankets etc but not entirely sure about mattresses.

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Haylo

Of course! Cotton would be far better than down, thank you.

Just googled Anokhi, it sounds great!

Yes, how do they do that?

Oh, I'll look at that, I use Clarins, but it is ridiculously expensive.

Not a fridge, but I'm only there for a week this time, and my partner's starting work the day after we arrive -so it will all be very busy and getting a good night's sleep will make a big difference.

That is VERY good to know, if I sleep on a too-hard mattress my back really gives me some grief.

I like the bedroom fairly warm, it is just that we find it hard to sleep under just a sheet. I feel somehow naked!

I'm sure we'll get used to it, but that will take a while. Thanks for the tips about moisturisers, it's good to know the names of local products.

That radio cabs thread is very helpful, I have noted their numbers.

kristinm

I used to use Clarins - I suppose I'll have to go back to it once my Biotique runs out unless I can get some over from India..

Anokhi and FabIndia are both fantastic

The mattresses in India are like flat thin boards.. (well where we stayed anyway) & the beds underneath are flat boards rather than slats - and I thought my back would give out for sure - but it actually gave me no trouble at all, not even a twinge!

puchoo

.....I could not agree more , a bad nights sleep and i am the "Grumpy One"

Haylo

I'm stunned, what a great response, I feel slightly less scared already!

We're being met by a one of his employers drivers, but we can still ask them to drop by the taxi stand. Very good plan, thanks!

I can't wait. (Cliche I know, but I am hoping to see an elephant in the road at some point!)

We don't have many mountains, but we do have a pretty hill or two! England can be cold and my house is Victorian - and it is only in fairly recent years that I have had heating in the bedroom!



That was the "Rather nervous" bit. British understatement at its finest...

Ooh, in that case, recommendations please for a really good conditioning treatment.

It's in Chanakyapuri.

That's good to know, thanks. Will find the taxi stand and get their number too.
Haha, know what you mean! Sleeping well is so important, on oone foreign camping trip I lugged an inflatable air bed and pump around in my backpack - everyone thought I was NUTS, but if I get a good night's sleep, I can handle whatever the day throws at me.

Oh yes, we have beds, his employers have arranged a few grocery basics, and a great starter set of crockery / cutlery, sheets and towels and so on to use until our shipment arrives. But no pillows.

Haylo

Noooo!

"There can be ONLY ONE!"

brownboy66

Depends on where the house is Puchoo - not every street in VV is in a gated block (none of the roads off the ring road are gated I think - and the flow of taxis back and forth is pretty constant) - and for some of the streets leading to Vasant Lok that are full of appartment blocks - not gated and tons of autos, taxis around.

never had problem flagging down a taxi there.

puchoo

Maybe , maybe not....might be meeting someone in VV today workwise, maybe ill go confirm where exactly the block is..