October 5th, 2009
Airports and Gandhi
No matter all the guide books I read and all the stories I’ve heard, nothing could’ve prepared me enough for my initial reaction to India. After my flight to India was cancelled in Bangkok, I had to book a room at an airport hotel for the night. The next flight would be until the next morning.
The next morning, I did get to fly into Delhi. I did notice though that there was a definitely amount of females lacking on the plane. It was mostly men. There were a few foreigners, like myself, but they were all men. I wondered if women in India don’t like to fly. When the airplane landed, all the men cheered, like they thought landing to be a rarity in planes. Then I got involved with a mix up at the airport, due to my luggage not arriving. The airlines told me they would have my luggage delivered to my hotel once they find it. Things weren’t going so well on this trip so far.
When I stepped outside of the airport I was instantly hit with the smell of India, then the heat and then just how many people there are in India. I was completely surrounded by people. When I headed toward the parking lot, there were even people lying on the curb of the road, like they were settling in for the night. There was no compunction about their activity, it seemed to be a very normal activity.
Delhi was a mess. I woke up early to tour the Jama Majid, Connaught Place, the Red Fort and Gandhi Smriti. I enjoyed the tours, but it was the heat and the chaotic nature of the people all around me the seemed to be making my visit just okay. One of the most interesting places that day was the visit to Gandhi Smriti. It was so great to read about his life, and this place was the actual place where he was assassinated and there were imprinted footsteps leading up to the location of his death. Really interesting and creepy at the same time. When I got back to my hotel room, my luggage was waiting for me.
The next morning, I meant to get up early and head to Agra and visit the famed Taj Mahal, but for some reason, I miss set my alarm clock, so I missed the train. I decided to head to Dharmasala, which would last two weeks, so I checked out of my hotel and took the train to Dharamsala. When I got there, I was suffering from severe stomach pain, so I was given some Tibetan medicine which did wonders for me. All in all I did enjoy India, but really, nothing, no books, no videos, no nothing will prepare you for this vastly strange country.
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