24 April 2009

First Impressions

Dellhi is warm, hazy, chaotic.

I did not get much to see about the city since I mainly stayed in the south part of town where my hosts live. I wanted to experience the quiet Delhi. So I went to the Lodhi Gardens (park in a wealthy part of town with some nice old structures), then ventured to Humayun's Tomb (Mughal emperor- impressive mausoleum which is a percursor of the more famous Taj Mahal) and finished with a visit to Baha'I Temple which is shaped into a big lotus.

I will wait for my return to Delhi in a week to view the more emblematic landmarks such as the Red Fort or Jama Masjid. Right now I am in a train going to Jaipur. I am admiring the barren landscape and have come to see through the train window people living in slums going through their morning ablutiongs, going to school or to work, living their daily lives. This morning while my cab was driving me to the train station saw many people on the streets sleeping anywhere they could. One learns to be humble.

I also saw elephants and camels as mode of transportation this morning. Actually one thing that so far stuck on my mind is traffic. It is chaotic and the only rule is that the bigger and faster has the right of way. But on the same highway one can see cars, trucks, motorcycles, auto rickshaws going against bycycles, rickshaws and people walking. It is quite an spectacle. I am sure there are accidents; just surprised I have not seen any yet.
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