Arrived safely in Delhi

Safe and smooth flight. Computers all down at Indian customs so we waited in line for at least an hour. Krish, our guide, waiting on the other side to bring us to our elegant hotel.

First impressions from long ride through city to hotel: air very smoggy, grey, smoky. City fumigating whole areas against Dengue fever. Tiny impromptu markets dotted along streets on back of small trucks or on card tables, often a gas ring with someone ladling from one cooking pot into bowls. Men urinating along roadside, a frequent sighting. Lush, green trees and numerous parks. Trash and litter everywhere. Women in a rainbow of saris, often riding sidesaddle on small scooters behind men, with a baby or toddler tucked in the middle. Terrifying driving conditions, no obvious rules, horns blaring, cars and bikes and buses and trucks all jockeying for a space on the road.

An excess of laborers. We watched two men on a scissor jack hanging a huge sign at the airport while 6 other men "assisted" or supervised on the ground. One seemed to have the sole job of holding a spray bottle and moistening the back of the sign pieces before they went up. After checking into hotel, within minutes we had a man arrive to turn down the bed covers, then another to bring our luggage, and a third to check the plumbing. Very specialized small tasks seems to be the norm. Everyone seem to have at least one assistant.

Hotel room lovely. Delicious light dinner with Dahl, garlic naan, curried veggies. And sleep, blessed sleep. Now it is 2:15 am here, we are wide awake, but will surely sleep more before this night is through. Wifi very expensive at hotel ($9 for an hour) so posting blog will be infrequent, at least in this town. Excited!!



-Indian breakfast


Hotel pool and smog

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Location:Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Marg,New Delhi,India