Monday/Tuesday: Delhi

I realized that this is going to work out great as a way to journal my trip (at least for part of it). We'll see how good I keep it up.

Monday we flew into Delhi - it was nice that Nick was there to pick us up as it would have taken awhile to figure out how to get anywhere, and don't forget that by now I've got about 10 hours sleep in 4 days (I didn't get much sleep before leaving - trying to finish up work stuff).

As we were heading out the airport, Nick calls the taxi driver - instead of taking one cab to the airport and another back, you use the same one, even though he had been there about an hour due to flight delays. Luckily we took a taxi (more on that later) - although it was an old Ambassador - which only added to the feeling I had as we drove back into the city that I was in some strange period movie. I don't know what I was expecting, but I knew I had no idea what to expect as this is so different from any travel I've done. And yet it wasn't that strange - all thanks to tv and movies. It was stangely familiar (especially since we were just in London) due to the British influence. Plus it was great to have just picked up Dad and Barbro who had just come back from visiting India - they were full of fresh experiences - one being the immense amount of honking that is done. Which frankly is such a good idea. It was so fun driving back - they follow really closely, they don't stay in the lanes, and they honk constantly to let people know where they are (especially for those blind spots). They even have written on the back bumper of many trucks the phrase "please use your horn"! Our taxi driver just weaves in and out of traffic, pushing over against cars, cutting in front - it was aggresive driving (the kind I like) but it wasn't offensive as it was the norm and all the drivers knew. And you have all types - big buses, cars, auto rickshaws, mopeds and motorcycles, and bicycles and pedestrians - all over the place. The driving is much more interactive here - none of that mindless driving you have in the US where you realize you don't remember the last 5 minutes. I kind of wish I could drive here - but would need to know exactly where I was going. The closest I have come to this in the US is not NYC or LA, but Boston - especially in the city - so that's good. And enough about the driving.

Monday wasn't much - we walked to the local market in Nick's neighborhood - it was very shocking in that it seemed a lot poorer than I think it was - lot's of food merchants on the side of the road. We spent the rest of the day hanging around Nick's apartment catching up and even decided in the end to order in some food (was going to write indian food but that's like saying I eat american food at home). Nick let us take a two hour nap in the afternoon, but was good at keeping us up until almost 9 pm (I didn't quite make it as I was soo exhausted - I'm used to being mentally tired, but now my body was just starting to shut down too - physical exhaustion was taking over).

Tuesday we had agreed we would just sleep in, but in retrospect should have agreed on a time as both mom and I slept until 2pm - yes, that's right, we slept for 16 hours! The first 10 hours I had just passed out, and than we had a glorious thunder storm in the early morning hours and from then on I knew I should get up but was just so groggy I couldn't, kept falling back to sleep - it almost seemed like I had been drugged - drifting into and out of consciousness. Plus the rain all morning kept things quiet in the neighborhood, although there were still several dog fights.

Once we were up we had for breakfast - you'll never guess (well maybe dad and barbro will) - Corn Flakes - even here it's amazing what you can buy, although I guess this has only changed recently in the past seveal years. We went to the Craft museum and got to take our first auto rickshaw - the picture above is from one, but will need to take a picture of them - they are these green and yellow vehicles that are ??? - will just take a picture later. The thing is you have to haggle over the price - so far we've been leaving that to Nick.

The Craft museum had an extraordinary textile section - I can't wait to go shopping now! It's amazing how unique the styles are from the different regions in the country. We flirted with the idea of flying up to Kashmir for a few days (I wanted to go for the yarn) but decided against it due to time and money. The museum had a "gift shop" which was basically people selling their wares (so different from the Tate a few days ago). I'm starting to get a sense of the constant demand on you for money - and this was mild to what's to come. Some great stuff - unexpectedly I saw these wonderful paintings - like etchings, so detailed with the finest of pens and wonderous inks. Some great textiles - but they sure love their mirrors. I would find a beautiful piece and then turn it over and there were little mirrors embedded in the fabric. The museum is created out of parts of other temples and other old ruin pieces of history. In one courtyard is this pigeon stand and if you look closely - on the ledge in the distance is a chipmunk! (ok he might have run off when this particular picture was taken as I don't see him anymore) - but a chipmunk - I thought those were North American.

We than visited the Lodi Gardens which are near the embassies and rich neighborhoods - first time seeing more western dressed 'locals'. Really this is when I started to take pictures and realized, that as a family we are bad at keeping our eyes open.

There are two tombs I think the one Nick and I are standing in front of is called Shish Gumbad and the one below is the Bara Gumbad - both from the Lodi period of reign (15th/16th centuries). Wonderful architecture.

In the park there were alot more dogs. That's another helpful hint dad and Barbro passed on - the popultaion of wild dogs is incredible - you seem them eveywhere - very strange. There were about a half dozen in and around this one tomb - just resting and playing. You are in the middle of a lush park with lots of people walking and playing, you almost think the dogs belong to someone, except that you see them on the streets, in the markets, everywhere - they're like squirrels. No one pays any heed to them and they pretty much stay out of your way.

The park was a welcome break from the city - quiet, cleaner air (the pollution is amazing, I have an itch in the back of my throught - as if I'd been smelling paint fumes or something - and it's been raining which makes the pollution less).

For dinner we went to Khan market near by - one of the more upscale places. I should have taken a picture but it was getting too dark - but it doesn't seem upscale at all - crowded, poorly kept it seems like a denser strip mall - but here is where you find Cartier watches and other high end shops - very strange. We might go to a Sahri shop tomorrow to buy clothes - I'm still torn on whether I will or not. Maybe one outfit, Nick has a friend that will help us with what to buy. So for now, I need to go to bed (it's 11 pm, and not too tired - I wonder why?:) Don't know what is in store for tomorrow, but it will be adventure - I am itching to go shopping.