2.5 kilometeres

One thing really amazes me and even boggles me is the unit in which distance is quoted to me in Delhi. In Mumbai when you asked someone how far away was a certain place - my answer (a standard format most times) was either how long it takes to get there by a certain mode of transport- like train, bus, autorickshaw or even walking and how much would it cost me by the respective mode of transport.

Of course not to imply that this is the best method of communicating distance but well. In Delhi, much to my consternation, everyone always talks in kilometers and I never ever get it. Is it far away? Well its nine kilometers away.. So will it take long? Depends on traffic and how you drive.. How much will it cost me? Depends on the autorickshaw driver..well I just never get it.

Yesterday night a friend and I decided we wanted to have a couple of drinks and he being as bad as me, with directions, came armed with a map (thats another thing I like about Delhi.. maps actually correspond to places but may be some other time). Sitting in a plush, lounge-ish place with shrieking girls next to us, we decided lets head to some place which would stay open longer into the night (and would be in Delhi essentially).

Got directions from one Surjeet Singh - accha T junction pain pahoonchthe hi right le lijiye and aur phir 2.5 (dhai he said) kilometer pay hi yeh hotel dikh jayega.

Incidentally we were search for the Hotel Park Royal and Athena within it. So we started. Somehere along the way realised that we were astray.. so we stopped this time at a petrol pump and asked for directions. And guess what we were still 2.5 kilometers away! Then with a new set, we set off again.. only to stop 2 more ice cream vendors, two shop owners, one more petrol pump attendant, to ask for newer and fresh versions of directions.

All this while it was only 2.5 kilometers away! I love this place.. anywhere from GKI to GK II to Chanakya Puri to god knows where else.. Hotel Park Royal was only 2.5 kilometers away...!!! What planning I say.

We finally arrived at a building that looked like a hotel, was open and was called Intecontinental Eros. In all these people, no body even once mentioned that Hotel Park Royal was no more! Hmmph.

Locating Athena within the premise got us another quirky direction - accha aap right jao, parking ne niklo and neecho mudh jao and athena dikhega. Needless to we kept wondering how to go below the hotel!! Do I even need to add that Athena was closed?