Well, it's about 1:00 a.m. in India and I have finally arrived, safe and sound at my guest house. So far, it's been pretty uneventful! (Not that much can happen between arriving at the airport and cabbing it to the apartment). I was surprised to arrive at the airport and find that it looked like it could pretty much be any airport at any city in the U.S.--in fact, very clean and pretty. Pepsi definitely has the corner on the Delhi airport market--there's a Pepsi vending machine in every corner! My dad will be happy to know he could get his Diet Pepsi here.
So I was a little disappointed to see that everything looks much as it does in the U.S. The people have been super friendly--the customs control guys were so nice. My impression that it seemed very much like--well--Florida, I guess (as it was hot and steamy when we stepped outside) kept up into the airport parking lot (where we got in a nice Toyota minivan) and onto the expressway. I was very thankful, by the way, to have my awesome chauffeur waiting for me in his crisp, white uniform. He just led the way, and forcefully! He bullied us onto the elevator before the others waiting in line, then just rolled my suitcase right over the feet of a poor guy on the people mover who didn't get out of his way fast enough. I just had to follow along behind.
Anyway, it was on the first bend of the expressway that I started to notice things. I was just noticing a couple of poor stray dogs on the side of the road, when I noticed a much larger dog standing next to them. No wait--it was a donkey...nope, a cow. And there were a few more standing next to him! (The power just went out, by the way)--my computer is luckily on batteries. Hoping I did not do that by having the AC on too long???
Where was I? Oh cows. Yes and then as we pulled up to the toll booth, I started noticing some of the stranger vehicles around me. There was the bus of my nightmares--meaning--chock-full of people, little kids all sticking their heads out, all the windows down (so no air conditioning), piled high with luggage on top covered with a tarp...then a rainbow-painted TaTa pick up, and lots of people just kind of milling about near the toll booths, talking to people in the cars. Hmmm. So this is much more exciting for me!
On the down side, it does look like I will be a little confined to my guest house while I'm here--the area just outside does not look very safe for me to walk about in...camped just outside the gated apartment complex were tents, large mounds of garbage, and shady looking characters peeing into the street. So, I guess I should stick to cabs and drivers. I have tomorrow free--so I am not sure what will develop yet. The power just went off again. I wonder if this happens all the time?
So I was a little disappointed to see that everything looks much as it does in the U.S. The people have been super friendly--the customs control guys were so nice. My impression that it seemed very much like--well--Florida, I guess (as it was hot and steamy when we stepped outside) kept up into the airport parking lot (where we got in a nice Toyota minivan) and onto the expressway. I was very thankful, by the way, to have my awesome chauffeur waiting for me in his crisp, white uniform. He just led the way, and forcefully! He bullied us onto the elevator before the others waiting in line, then just rolled my suitcase right over the feet of a poor guy on the people mover who didn't get out of his way fast enough. I just had to follow along behind.
Anyway, it was on the first bend of the expressway that I started to notice things. I was just noticing a couple of poor stray dogs on the side of the road, when I noticed a much larger dog standing next to them. No wait--it was a donkey...nope, a cow. And there were a few more standing next to him! (The power just went out, by the way)--my computer is luckily on batteries. Hoping I did not do that by having the AC on too long???
Where was I? Oh cows. Yes and then as we pulled up to the toll booth, I started noticing some of the stranger vehicles around me. There was the bus of my nightmares--meaning--chock-full of people, little kids all sticking their heads out, all the windows down (so no air conditioning), piled high with luggage on top covered with a tarp...then a rainbow-painted TaTa pick up, and lots of people just kind of milling about near the toll booths, talking to people in the cars. Hmmm. So this is much more exciting for me!
On the down side, it does look like I will be a little confined to my guest house while I'm here--the area just outside does not look very safe for me to walk about in...camped just outside the gated apartment complex were tents, large mounds of garbage, and shady looking characters peeing into the street. So, I guess I should stick to cabs and drivers. I have tomorrow free--so I am not sure what will develop yet. The power just went off again. I wonder if this happens all the time?
1 comment:
Great post! Very vivid. Hope you get some sleep in your new digs.
Post a Comment