Well- it's been almost 2 weeks in Delhi, which already seems impossible to believe because I do feel like we just got here yesterday. I have to admit- the jury was still out on Delhi last week, but this past weekend combined with bits and pieces of light and wonder over the last week have started giving me reason to hold judgement, and maybe even really like it here.
Delhi, it seems so far in my brief period here, is a city of juxtapositions. Everywhere there are vast, impenetrable swathes of foliage breaking up the concrete jungle of apartment blocks and crumbling outdoor shopping areas. For every concrete patio or porch (and they are all concrete) there are 20 potted plants spilling over the sides. There are SUVs and luxury cars racing down roads past men leading donkeys and oxen. The smells- a whole block of stalls all making fresh flower necklaces and decorative strands with intoxicating floral perfumes, and you haven't made it 3 steps from the last flower stand before your eyes start to water with the most putrid, ripe, sewage smell imaginable. There are 15th century tombs scattered across grounds that abut modern office parks. And then, most shocking to the sight, even if you've been prepared for it or are well aware of the disparity across a country like India, there are the beautiful, upper-class, gated neighborhoods and malls unrivaled in opulence, all with slums tumbling out from their edges.
The differences are stark and at times beautiful and at times disturbing. The thing that strikes me as amazing, though, is how all of these people, from the highest income bracket to those without an income at all, all live next to each other, without the kind of gradual segregation seen in many other places. There are strict lines of demarcation in many places, often made with high fences and armed security guards, but everyone is living in and around each other, many trying to make a buck off the other, forced to coexist with all the peoples the city supports, not just those in their socio-economic group. Yes, the upper-echelon can confine themselves to spacious vehicles, gated communities, and air-conditioned offices, but they need only look out their window at any given time to see the other half- or in this case the majority.
On another note- we had a great weekend! On saturday we went to the concentric circle circus known as Connaught Place. It's the colonial, commercial centre with trinket bazaars radiating out from several rings of stores, banks, and way too many people. We did have an incredible lunch of dosas and thalis at a little place called Sagar Ratna. From here one could take 2 perspectives of our day- one could say that we rode the wave of Delhi, coming home feeling productive, charged, and excited, even if a little lighter in the pockets. Another could say we were taken by a string of touts- men who target tourists for business in an importunate yet sneaky manner. Personally, I prefer the first view.
We had been planning on going to the Taj Mahal next weekend, and after an amiable young man struck up a conversation with us at lunch, we found ourselves in a tourist office, talking transportation and lodging specifics, and then booking a weekend trip to Agra, where the Taj Mahal is, and to Ranthambore for a tiger safari. From there we thought we'd grab a brew to cool off and discuss our exciting if not impulsive purchase. However, being led out of the tourist office by a tiny Indian man, chatting about our upcoming trip, we found ourselves in a tuk tuk to the Craft Council of India, being handed free, albeit warm, beers and shown a variety of handmade luxury items from all over the country.
Now, do I think that amiable young man at lunch was a tout, and that we may have been cajoled into an immediate purchase and slightly over-paid for our hastiness and affability? Do I think that the tiny Indian man leading us out of the office got a commission on every tourist he sent to the Craft Council and called ahead to tell them we were expecting beer because that is what he promised us as he ushered us into the tuk tuk? Absolutely. Do I regret these decisions? Of course not! Well, not yet at least. Regardless of motives or our own role as "tourists" in these situations, we came away from a fun-filled day with an amazing trip planned that I am oh-so-looking forward to, and a Kashmiri rug! (I'll also have to admit that I'm the persistent sellers best target when it comes to textiles and crafts- I wear down like a cheap rug. Not to be confused with the very fabulous, colorful, handmade, Kashmiri rug I bought from the persistent seller...) At any rate, we are headed on an adventure next weekend and I simply cannot wait, regardless of what is in store!
On Sunday we went to the Red Fort- a massive structure built in the 1600s, large and mightily impressive. It's located in Old Delhi, a hectic spectacle with throngs of people, rickshaws, food carts, and markets.
After a great weekend, I am looking forward to the week- going to museums, a yoga class, reading, trying to find my routine here. As we become acclimated to this city, everything that it has to offer, the things that may be new, different, and at times very confusing, I am finding the delight in my surroundings and am cherishing this time while I learn to cherish this city and all that is has to offer.
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