India here I am

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Namastay!

Finally I am in India, and so ecstatic to be here. I arrived after more then 24 hours of traveling and only a few hours of snatched sleep in KL airport. I arrived in Delhi at 9.30pm and on Ghandi's birthday, which is a holiday in India. It seemed that the whole of Delhi was in celebration mode, and there was a party in the street below my hotel room that went on into the early hours. I spent a gorgous few hours mesmirised by the spectacle below, far too excited to sleep.

My first full day in India today, and what a day it has been. I just got back to my hotel at 9.30pm after an action packed day. After a great walk into the thick of it all, I found the Delhi tourist office and booked a driver (almost as cheap and a whole lot easier then negotiating the public transport system) and saw the tourist sights of Delhi and then some. Vikkaus my driver was great, and after seeing the India gate, several tombs, an amazing Hindu temple and the Indira Ghandi muesuem, which includes her house, I then caught a glimpse of the real Delhi. We went to his house, after a mind blowing ride in Delhi peak hour. For all you adeladians, all I can say, is never complain about peak hour, ever. It took us 1 hour to travel 5 km. It felt like I was in a movie, as we negotied cars, motor bikes, rickshaws, bicycles laden with a tonne of commercial goods and the odd sacred cow. Vikkaus tells me there are only three things you need to drive in India; a good horn, one foot on on the brake, and luck! Such a mindblowing experience, I felt like a small child seeing everything for the first time. In the traffic jams, every one just stared at the white chick, but all I had to do was smile at them and was immediatly rewarded with a beautific smile and the ubicqutous (no spell check here) 'namastay'. After a full day I went with Vikkuas to his house, where his lives with his wife Muhtba, to have an Indian beer. He lives in an 'apartment' block owned by a Seik family. I cannot begin to describe the incredible hospitality of the Indian people. Everyone in the complex wanted to meet me, and it was rounds of photos, hugs, serving of sweets and my life story! The two most common questions are 'Are you married' and 'Are you a teacher'. Trying to describe a defacto realtionship to a hindu culture is almost impossible, so I have worked out very quickly it is easier to just say that I am married (sorry Jonas!). Even harder was describing to a people in a country where so many do not even have a room to call home, that my job entails 'planting trees'. I did my best, saying I made a home for animals to live in. After that I had to repeat all the hugs, kisses and hand holding when I said goodbye, with promises to visit for a meal (with my husband) if I am in Delhi again. I am so impressed with my first experience of the Indian people, they are generous, open and appear to be so very happy with the lot that life has dealt them. I had to resist giving all my rupee away to beggers, especially children, but I had some good advice from a well travelled friend, 'you can't save India'. So, I am just giving enough to each person that approaches me for one meal. That I CAN afford to do. Tomorrow I am off to Jaipaur with Vikkaus, who will then take me to Agra and deposit me there where I will catch a train to Varanissi. It is extremely cheap by Australian standards to have someone drive me to Agra, and it gives me the chance to spend some time with an Indian and exchange information. I am teaching him Australian slang (he does a great 'bullshit' with an Indian accent) and for me to learn some Hindi. So far I have gleamed enough in a day to ask for things and have a polite exchange.
This is such an amazing place, when we were driving back to my hotel at 9ish, the streets were still alive with activity, food stalls, people in groups, small children running around and just a huge sense of socialising. Oh, and the cows.

I am sure tomorrow will bring more adventures and more suprises, I am starting to realise in India to expect the unexpected and be ready to be amazed.

Did I mention the cows?

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