Delhi is a beautiful assault on your senses.
We arrived last night without incident after a 7 hour flight from Frankfurt. After clearing customs, we walked down a rather narrow hallway full of anxious loved ones awaiting their arrivals. We were very happy to see the two smiling faces of our two wonderful friends, Patricia and Safeena, in the airport. Safeena had jasmine flower bracelets for us all which smelled beautiful and were very soft to play with between the fingers. The two of them had been waiting in the airport for about three hours since Trish's flight had arrived earlier that night.
The heat hit us as soon as we walked outside. Even though the airport was quite warm, the temperature outside was brutal. It was about 2 a.m. and the temperature was in the upper 90s! After being in the temperate climate of the Netherlands, this was quite shocking. The parking lot was crowded and we looked for our car and driver who had been waiting in his car all evening.
The car ride was quite an introduction to India. It was just like we imagined but instead of imagining it, we were living it! Cars and trucks, auto-rickshaws and bicycles were making all sorts of noises, weaving around one another in a chaos that can only be described as orderly. At one point we slowed to wait for a big, fat, happy, white cow to cross the street. Happy to be at our destination, we greeted the neighbourhood dogs Sweetie and Sweetie Spot (we named the second one and there was yet a third who does not have a name that Saf knows of- we'll give him a name tonight). They live on the street in front of the house and are fed and given water from locals. It is quite distressing for two dog lovers to see homeless dogs sleeping in the dirt but today we saw many other dogs that showed us that the dogs in Saf's neighbourhood are relatively taken care of. As there is not a big gene pool for street dogs, most of them look like small, beige greyhounds with long, narrow faces and thin, curled tails.
The apartment where we are staying is nothing short of luxurious with its high ceilings, dark wood walls, and white marble floors. We have our own bedroom and bathroom with airconditioning. For those who saw our apartment in NYC, we can compare it by saying this place is at least twice the size. It is on the top floor and there are two large patios where you can stand and look out on the dry, dusty, and exhilarating neighbourhood.
After a short sleep, we woke up and had a delicious breakfast prepared by Saf of many different fruits. The papaya was everyone's favourite. We sat and talked for hours, showered, and then went for coffee at a place that resembled Starbucks more than anything. It was so cold in there and we enjoyed our coffees and vegetarian snacks while delving deep into our guidebooks to plan our month here in India. Sadly, Saf is leaving on Sunday and Trish the following Sunday so we are going to make the most of our time here while we are all together. Saf is a wealth of knowledge having lived here for a year. She has been our guiding light. She showed us her neighbourhood and took us to the ruins of the first mosque in India dating to the b.c. 1193 (or thereabouts). We also visited a beautiful, marble Bahai temple that resembles a giant lotus flower. It is often compared to the Sydney Operahouse and it's clear why.
We ended the day at a restaurant overlooking a large park and more ruins. The meal was traditional Indian fare and as such, the flavours were incredibly rich but it was better than any Indian food we've tried. It was delicious. Fitting the four of us into an auto-rickshaw built for two (or, at most, three) wasn't too easy but we travelled this way all day. It is the best way to see the life in this city.
Back in the neighbourhood after dinner, we had paan. Designed as an after-dinner mint and digestive aid, it is a mix of fennel, seeds, lime paste and a whole bunch of other things wrapped in a leaf and drizzled with syrup. It fits in the palm of your hand and is to be eaten in one bite. Magi opted out of the experience (this time around) but I tried it. It was unlike anything I've ever had. It was spearminty, spicy, and sweet all at once... I enjoyed it but was also glad when I was done all the chewing.
One thing that we expected but didn't know how we would react is the staring. We saw maybe four people of European descent or other obvious tourists today. And let me tell you, people stare and sometimes children laugh with excitement. It is kind of fun to be such entertainment, just by walking around! They just don't see non-Indian people all that often so all of us are somewhat of a novelty- except for Saf. Saf is of Indian descent but she is Canadian. Because she passes as an Indian, she gets incredible discounts on tourist sites. For example, at the mosque, we had to pay Rs. 250 and Saf only had to pay Rs. 10!
I can't think of enough superlatives to describe this day. It was very thrilling, exhausting, somewhat terrifying, wonderful, and... so many other things.
We are leaving on Thursday to take a trip out of town for a few days. We will try to write again before then.
tothesea.. indeed
love k&m