Ah, at last we have stopped for long enough for an internet cafe session! It has only been 5 full days since myself and my 6 wonderful lady travelling companions touched down in India for the first time, though we have packed that much in it feels like longer. I figure I am writing quite a comprehensive journal on a regular basis so I will do a whistlestop description with journal quotes and when I return I will scan my journal pages which include rustic, crudely drawn, or sometimes just downright ridiculous drawings along with tickets and photos and such.
So, to begin... jetting off. I was upgraded into business class (whoop dee doo) which may appeal to some, however was possibly the longest, loneliest flight I have ever experienced. Sat opposite a real business man, I felt like a true fake.
"Wish girls were here as fear intense boredom! Odds on bets as soon as safety talk is over, movable divide between myself and flying compadre opposite will fly up." I won my own bet.
"First time as passengers in India. MANIC. Arrived very nervous and suspicious of scams... Roads are crowded and unpredictable! Rules seem to be, use horn alot, the vehicle/cyclist/pedestrian/animal in front has right of way (even if it is not in front yet), and most importantly, there are no rules. Area around hostel seemed bad at night. Areas go from decent living conditions to intense poverty and vice versa rapidly, a huge culture shock- so many sleep on streets, filthy streets and buildings much more dilapidated than expected. Look like corpses on death wagons. Dogs everywhere. Scared of rabies babies. At hostel, surroundings grim but inside basic yet comfortable. Difficult to sleep as on on constant alert, turning to check door everytime about to drop off."
Ok, so this sounds like a bit of a nightmare, but trust me it gets better, way better. Ah, so was about to leave you teaser with a photo and go, but monsoon rains just hit and I forgot to bring my brolley out with me. Rookie error, will run to hostel when calms down a bit in a mo.
This is the beautiful Hindu Akshardam Temple which we visited the next morning. You can just see in this photo part of the long wall covered in sculpted elephants. Quotes accompanied the engravings, sometimes hilarious seemingly unfinished stories in the English translatich aimed to teach a moral but sometimes just did not make sense! Felt a little less beautiful once learnt that it was only built about 4 years ago, after passing the intense poverty felt by so many in Delhi. Same went for the insanely clean metro system built for the commonwealth games last year, although we were appreciative of it, particularly the women only carriages where we could take refuge from men's stares for a short while.
More later, for now rains died down so safe to leave in white shirt. I'll leave you with some photos (internet found for the moment) of more to come...
