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Published: September 21st 2007
Self Portrait
on the plane to Delhi!After a fun train ride back from Bangalore to Chennai, an expensive night at the Raj Palace and an early flight, we arrived in Delhi, the capital city of India. At first I was very pleasantly surprised to find almost NO honking! Turns out it was only because it was a lazy Sunday afternoon with little traffic but it was a nice respite from the eternal beepdom still.
Our driver for the day had a nice car and was easy on the eyes. Unfotunately, he was not so easy on the wallet and took us to a very pricey restaurant for lunch. We enjoyed our meal anyhow and went for an afternoon of excellent spiritual sightseeing. We started at the Bahai House of Worship, a beautiful feat of architecture whose lotus-like temple houses such doctrines as the equality of men and women, the elimination of prejudice of all kinds ad universal peace. A tad idealistic? Perhaps, but being a hippy-at-heart I felt right at home (finally!) and settled in for few moments of meditation before making my way out to another series of uninvited photoshoots (oy).
Next, for sunset we ventured to the glorious Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, a spectacular
gold-domed Sikh temple (c. 1664). Being Sunday, we were treated to the bustling sight and sounds of the holy day. After removing our shoes and covering our heads we made our way with the masses towards the music inside. I am not a Sikh, nor a Muslim, nor a Hindu, nor (really) a Christian but in instances like this, I truly believe in s/he who guides the soul-fabric of everything. I sat, cross-legged on the floor, listening to the beautiful music and songs, the words of which I didn't comprehend (but didn't need to). I teach women how to channel the eternal vibration and wave of the Earth in dance and I saw this beautiful ritual as just another intersection with the same force of divinity. I left feeling tremendously uplifted and blessed for having been able to visit this nation which holds such spiritual gravity and resonance.
In the morning we moved hotels and began a fresh day of sightseeing in the blistering sun. I had not appreciated the total effects of the heat here in the north the previous day because of our late arrival and time spent in an A/C car. Now, however, in the late
morning, visiting the outdoor grounds of the Qutb Minar Complex, I felt the full effects of Delhi with its 40+ degrees and 98% humidity. Here I thought I could perfectly handle the heat that India had to offer. Well, that was before coming here! Oppressive would not be doing it justice... really...
A day of sightseeing, a visit to Connaught Place and I can say I am ready for my dad to get here and get the hell out of over-populated, polluted (sound and air) cities and into the peaceful serenity of Ladakh (I hope... god, I hope). The first of these wishes was answered more quickly than the latter. My father arrived from his flight and after anxiously waiting to spot him I did (whew!) and felt instantly relieved to have a familiar face in a foreign place. I was so excited to see him, but equally excited to introduce him to the Indian experience, in all of its beauty and hardship...
His first reaction, while driving down the very well constructed Delhi highway, was that it looked like a cross between Hamilton and Brampton. That reaction, however, was short lived. After a night (well 3 hours
really) of sleep, we set out the next morning for Agra, to see the Taj Mahal (yay!) and forever change my dad's first impression of India.
The best thing about Agra is what it is famed for; the Taj Mahal. It was a truly spectacular sight to behold ad I have no doubt that the masses of millions will flock to its beauty as long as it stands. Seeing it on very little sleep, jet-lagged ( poor dad!) and in 43 degree heat left something to be desired though and our guides primary roll seemed to be to take pictures of me and dad, as I think I know more about the world wonder than he did (PhD my ass!)
After being taken to an overpriced restaurant, quite obviously in cahoots with these tour agencies from the look of the patrons, we were taken to see a "marble inlay" display.... a.k.a. a marble shop where they expect you to buys things you neither want nor need. I knew what was happening before it occurred, and even voiced my suspicions, asking if we were bing taken to a jewelery shop. "No madam, no. It is a craftsman demonstration." Right.
The Tower of Qutb Minar
The Phallic Symbol, alive and doing well in Delhi :) We went inside. No, not a jewelery shop, a marble crafts shop. My bad. We got in and out as quickly as possible (to the surprise of our guide and driver) and made our way to the Agra Fort, declining the extensive tour in favor of a drive-by and getting rid of our less than knowledgeable guide as quickly as possible. After having to convince our driver at some length that we did not want to go to his friend's jewelery store, we began our 5 hour drive back to Delhi.
While the Taj was nothing but magnificent and the scenery along the way was of great interest, after the mayhem of Delhi and Agra I was more ready than ever to leave it all behind and flee to the serenity of the mountains... or so I hope!
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