I am here, finally, in Dharamsala. What will be my home for the next few weeks. But I want to jump back, write about Delhi and Agra, about the touring and adventures we had there before getting here (since there was no time to write in Delhi).
We finally step outside the airport, the first air we've breathed in 26+ hours, and I can't see across the street. It is night and the air is thick- fog? Smoke? It is smog, a dirty, thick, humid haze that covers the city, that never leaves. Delhi is dirty. Dirty everywhere. And crowded. I have never seen so many people in my life. You always hear this about India, but it's hard to imagine until you're actually here. We spend two days touring Delhi, New and Old, jumping in and out of taxis at temples, mosques, towers, shrines. We then spend a day in Agra, of course see the Taj Mahal, which is magnificent and somehow even more unreal than in pictures. These few days are a whirlwind. They seem to last weeks. And we are all exhausted, coated in grime, blowing black snot from our noses. We're tired of crowds, of being stared at, of being approached by beggars and merchants and pushy vendors. It's easy to fall into a sort of spiral in Delhi, to stop enjoying it.
And I am tired, and I am dirty.
But I love it.
The thing that strikes me about Delhi, about halfway through our first day, as I'm riding a rickshaw through a street barely wide enough, is that everything works. I tell my friend, Travis, that I feel as if everything is as it should be here. Why wouldn't there be millions of people? It works here- because they are aware of each other. They make space, they work together, they talk, they accommodate. The each move towards their own destination, but I feel as if they remain not necessarily in harmony, but in a working sort of chaos. Riding in taxis and rickshaws is perhaps my favorite thing. Because it is crazy, wild, terrifying at times- but I'm amazed at how it works. People drive close and fast and they don't use lanes and they honk for everything- "hey I'm coming!" "Get out of my way!" "I'm about to cut you off!" "Speed up, dammit!" "I'm about to make this turn into oncoming traffic look out!"- and they all get where they're going, in one piece. It just works. It is as it should be. We visit fabulous, impressive temples and mosques, in tact or in ruins, and even though my lungs are black, I find there is no better way to see the arches and pillars and towers of Asian architecture than in the glow of a dirty dusk, the sun bright red from pollution. It just works. It is as it should be.
It is a beautiful, chaotic sort of triumph. Delhi is.
The title of this post comes from a Bollywood movie I watched on the plane from the US to Delhi. Since I landed, my eyes have been wide, and always full of wonder. There is so much to see, everywhere. I feel as if I am on sensory overload and my mind and heart are brimming, overflowing. Travelling here, in India- it is an experiene to be had. I feel alive.
There are hundreds of pictures on my camera, but not enough time to upload them yet- I promise some will come soon. Hope all is well on your end and you're enjoying these first few days of December.
We finally step outside the airport, the first air we've breathed in 26+ hours, and I can't see across the street. It is night and the air is thick- fog? Smoke? It is smog, a dirty, thick, humid haze that covers the city, that never leaves. Delhi is dirty. Dirty everywhere. And crowded. I have never seen so many people in my life. You always hear this about India, but it's hard to imagine until you're actually here. We spend two days touring Delhi, New and Old, jumping in and out of taxis at temples, mosques, towers, shrines. We then spend a day in Agra, of course see the Taj Mahal, which is magnificent and somehow even more unreal than in pictures. These few days are a whirlwind. They seem to last weeks. And we are all exhausted, coated in grime, blowing black snot from our noses. We're tired of crowds, of being stared at, of being approached by beggars and merchants and pushy vendors. It's easy to fall into a sort of spiral in Delhi, to stop enjoying it.
And I am tired, and I am dirty.
But I love it.
The thing that strikes me about Delhi, about halfway through our first day, as I'm riding a rickshaw through a street barely wide enough, is that everything works. I tell my friend, Travis, that I feel as if everything is as it should be here. Why wouldn't there be millions of people? It works here- because they are aware of each other. They make space, they work together, they talk, they accommodate. The each move towards their own destination, but I feel as if they remain not necessarily in harmony, but in a working sort of chaos. Riding in taxis and rickshaws is perhaps my favorite thing. Because it is crazy, wild, terrifying at times- but I'm amazed at how it works. People drive close and fast and they don't use lanes and they honk for everything- "hey I'm coming!" "Get out of my way!" "I'm about to cut you off!" "Speed up, dammit!" "I'm about to make this turn into oncoming traffic look out!"- and they all get where they're going, in one piece. It just works. It is as it should be. We visit fabulous, impressive temples and mosques, in tact or in ruins, and even though my lungs are black, I find there is no better way to see the arches and pillars and towers of Asian architecture than in the glow of a dirty dusk, the sun bright red from pollution. It just works. It is as it should be.
It is a beautiful, chaotic sort of triumph. Delhi is.
The title of this post comes from a Bollywood movie I watched on the plane from the US to Delhi. Since I landed, my eyes have been wide, and always full of wonder. There is so much to see, everywhere. I feel as if I am on sensory overload and my mind and heart are brimming, overflowing. Travelling here, in India- it is an experiene to be had. I feel alive.
There are hundreds of pictures on my camera, but not enough time to upload them yet- I promise some will come soon. Hope all is well on your end and you're enjoying these first few days of December.
There is no better way to learn about the other billions of people on our little planet than to walk their streets and breathe their air. Sure sounds like you are taking advantage of every opportunity. Enjoy...randy
ReplyDeleteHello dear Hannah - How wonderful to feel India through your black snotty nose and smog filled eyes!!! Great and detailed info. Love it and we miss you and look forward to seeing you in a few weeks in the mountains. Be well and safe, our dear friend.
ReplyDeleteTammy Gillespie