With all the excitement and/or jet-lag I was only able to get about three hours of sleep, which, as it turns out, really put a kink in Zyanya’s plans for my first day in India. I was only able to realize what those plans were after we had breakfast at the hotel. I jumped in the shower and when I came out I saw a white envelope where I expected a Zyanya to be. Inside was a letter that I’ll paraphrase here:
I love you! I’m really glad you’re here, but I feel like I’d be doing you a disservice if I took you around Delhi instead of letting you explore Delhi by yourself. As such, I’ve laid out some letters throughout the city, each leading you to the next. The last one will lead you to me. Oh, by the way, it’s hot…drink water.
Think Amazing Race but with a much more valuable prize at the end…and I get to be the winner! This idea was jokingly mentioned before Zyanya left on the trip, but I never thought it would actually come to fruition.
The first two check-points were incredibly difficult – I’m not gonna lie. They weren’t difficult because they were challenging, per se, just difficult because of my stupidity. But I did learn lessons.
The first stop was a sweets vendor on the South Entrance of the largest mosque in India (within walking distance from the hotel). Lesson #1 – mosques aren’t that big. I feel quite silly now for leaving that mosque thinking it wasn’t “big enough”, walking a mile to the bigger thing on the map which turned out not to be a mosque at all, then having to walk back to the original mosque in >100 degree Fahrenheit heat.
The sweets vendor led me to my second stop, which was a tourist spot near the New Delhi Railway Station. Lesson #2 – Delhi is not a walking city…not matter how close they look on the map. I thought I would be able to walk the distance between the mosque and the railway station, but that turned out to be a huge mistake. But I finally made it. With two stops down and way more walking in the hot sun than was necessary (or smart coming from 40 degree temperatures not too long ago) I was eager to find out what the next destination was.
As luck would have it, the music store that Zyanya left the third clue with was closed, so I had to call her to get that next destination. There was a flower vendor outside of the Hanuman Temple that would have my next clue. Lesson #3 – 300 Rupees is far too much to pay for that rickshaw ride. Lesson #4 - there are a lot of Hanuman Temples in Delhi. The one that my (scoundrel) rickshaw driver took me to, the one with the big red Hanuman about 4 stories tall, was not the one that Zyanya was referring to. Anyway, I made it to the right one, found the right guy, did a little praying inside the temple and was off to my final destination – India Gate!
And there she was….
25 April 2010
Welcome to India
This incredible adventure for me began as I boarded the plane in Seattle, WA. With only four hours of sleep the night before I was exhausted but on an incredible high fueled by my impending “homecoming.” I call it a homecoming for two reasons: (1) I’m Indian and was about to visit India for the first time; and (2) home is where the heart is and the person who has my heart is in India.
Boarding the plane was also the first time I was able to give the trip much thought. With all the work, prep, packing, etc. it was very difficult to squeeze in time to actually think, plan, reflect on the journey I was about to embark upon. Not to mention, I was supposed to be responsible for planning the itinerary through Gujarat and Rajasthan. Oops!
Three thoughts resonated through my mind. First, there was my Dad telling me that, “when you step off the plane, just…expect a culture shock.” This comment shouldn’t come as a surprise necessarily. However, it is a little odd coming from someone who has never been to India. Second, there were the countless people telling me that I was a brave idiot for wanting to spend the month of April in Gujarat and Rajasthan. I usually replied with, “Yeah, I know it will be hot, but I’m sure it’s survivable.” Third, I was just really excited about the food!
Expecting the trip from Seattle to Delhi, by way of Seoul, to be the longest 26 hours of my life (yes, even longer than my 26 hours in Spain), I was pleasantly surprised when, after Law Abiding Citizen, The Blind Side, some people-watching in Seoul, and a quick 6-hour nap, I was going through customs in Delhi.
Landing in Delhi at 1am has its downsides; for me the biggest downside was not fully experiencing true Delhi. Far from chaotic, the ride from the airport was relatively uneventful. The driver that was sent by the hotel to pick me up from the airport was easy to pick out – he was the only one standing outside exit #1. The roads were relatively empty – to the point where the driver could actually stick to a lane. It would have been interesting to see the Delhi I expected to see, but I was glad that the lack of chaos got me to the hotel faster.
I did finally make it to the hotel. I checked in. The desk clerk called Zyanya to tell her that I arrived. The bell-boy packed my stuff into the elevator and when he opened the door and I saw Zyanya standing there waiting I did what any good Indian boy would do – I extended my hand for a handshake.
Boarding the plane was also the first time I was able to give the trip much thought. With all the work, prep, packing, etc. it was very difficult to squeeze in time to actually think, plan, reflect on the journey I was about to embark upon. Not to mention, I was supposed to be responsible for planning the itinerary through Gujarat and Rajasthan. Oops!
Three thoughts resonated through my mind. First, there was my Dad telling me that, “when you step off the plane, just…expect a culture shock.” This comment shouldn’t come as a surprise necessarily. However, it is a little odd coming from someone who has never been to India. Second, there were the countless people telling me that I was a brave idiot for wanting to spend the month of April in Gujarat and Rajasthan. I usually replied with, “Yeah, I know it will be hot, but I’m sure it’s survivable.” Third, I was just really excited about the food!
Expecting the trip from Seattle to Delhi, by way of Seoul, to be the longest 26 hours of my life (yes, even longer than my 26 hours in Spain), I was pleasantly surprised when, after Law Abiding Citizen, The Blind Side, some people-watching in Seoul, and a quick 6-hour nap, I was going through customs in Delhi.
Landing in Delhi at 1am has its downsides; for me the biggest downside was not fully experiencing true Delhi. Far from chaotic, the ride from the airport was relatively uneventful. The driver that was sent by the hotel to pick me up from the airport was easy to pick out – he was the only one standing outside exit #1. The roads were relatively empty – to the point where the driver could actually stick to a lane. It would have been interesting to see the Delhi I expected to see, but I was glad that the lack of chaos got me to the hotel faster.
I did finally make it to the hotel. I checked in. The desk clerk called Zyanya to tell her that I arrived. The bell-boy packed my stuff into the elevator and when he opened the door and I saw Zyanya standing there waiting I did what any good Indian boy would do – I extended my hand for a handshake.
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