Sometimes things just work out...

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Have you ever had one of those times when things are just working out exactly as they are supposed to? Well, it seems to be the story of my life right now. For instance...I fell asleep on a bus on the way to Goa, woke up next to 2 Swedish girls who suggested I come with them to their hotel (entirely booked for a Swedish vacation set). They happened to have a vacant room for the night...where I proceeded to crash for almost 24 hours. (Read a great book...Eat, Pray, Love) Walked along the beach for 3 hours...got the requisite Marni-burn. Got into a taxi...sped to the airport. Caught a flight to Dehli. It was even basically on time (for India).

As I got on the plane (where my New York instincts took hold...and I barged onto the plane to get the first seat)...the woman who managed to make it there before me was named Jayne...she was a mixture of British, Australian, New Zealand...and Bali thrown in for fun. She has 7 children, one of whom had spent considerable amounts of time in Israel. They are not Jewish. Jayne is in India because her husband is an engineer doing work. She, meanwhile, is FABULOUS. Not only did she help me plan out the rest of virtually every minute I'm in India (provided it all goes according to plan, which I can assume it won't...but it's a fun thought anyway)...but she also offered to drive me to my hotel where I am meeting Gail. Apparently its only on the other side of the golf course from her house. But either way, I have literally never met such incredibly generous people as I have on my travels here. Jayne even called me to give me more details today.

Anyhow, once I got over my astonishment of this generosity...I arrived at the hotel where I was meeting Gail. And let me say, I am not particularly sure if its because of how I have been traveling for the past 2 weeks, or if this place is truly everything I am making it out to be...but I think I am currently taking up residency in a literal palace. There are smells of some undescribable flower literally WAFTING through the air. WAFTING, I tell you. I am almost certain I am not in India. I took my first shower with water pressure. I no longer have shampoo permanently clinging to my hair. I am in paradise....

But back to Gail...its great to see someone you know so far away...and we've been having a great time...Today we spent walking the streets of New Dehli finding little things along the way...shirts...beads...Pizza Hut, KFC, T.G.I Fridays. This is definitely not the same India I have been wandering for the past 2 weeks. But apparently its one and the same, and an India I must acknowledge is an amalgamation of developing, developed...and struggling to find itself all at the same time. I think Dehli exhbits this more than I have seen before...and I will have more to say on that when we visit Old Dehli on Monday.

But for now...I must go enjoy my sleep on a bed that has a real mattress...and get up at dawn to see the Taj Mahal.

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Comments

[guillaume]

nice to see everything is ok (even the bed) I spent 2 days in palolem ... and flew rapidly to jaipur where I am the elephant festival was the march 3 (wnderful hotel pearl palace hotel) I will be in udaipur the 21 for the mewar festival 9 young women and women walk in procession in all the street of the city ) see you Guillaume