Delhi – India

In preparation for the up and coming trip to Asia it got me thinking about India. A matter of fact I think about India more than I’d like to admit.

I don’t know why but India has placed it’s firm grip on me. There is no other place like it really that I’ve been to that is.
Perhaps it is because India is where I lost myself. India is where I fell in love too.
Helplessly for that matter. There are so many emotions that are associated with this country.

Touchdown

After being dropped off by the taxi I spent my first few hours in India wandering around aimlessly in the predawn hours. This is something I’ll never forget. It was a surreal experience, walking around in a daze in the darkness of a city that I had never been to before.
Dogs were sleeping on cars, fires smouldering on the street corners.
It was fitting in a way to be able to come to India for the first time and see the city asleep.
To actually see Delhi quiet and peaceful was something that I thought would never be possible.

Checking In

After awhile I decided to head back to my hotel and check in.  It was not even 5am yet.

After traveling for a month or so I decided to read up on this country.
I found out that India’s population is the youngest in the world. They are by far the most ambitious and industrious bunch I’ve ever come across.
You can see this as you are approached by countless salesman. They come in all shapes and form. They will sell you anything without you really knowing what just happened.
There is a book I came across a few years later by Tom Hopkins. The book is filled with so much information but one quote stood out for me.

“I am not judged by the number of times I fail, but by the number of times I succeed, and the number of times I succeed is in direct proportion to the number of times I can fail and keep on trying.”

This I feel is how the young population of India operate.

After checking in to the hotel I decided to go out again as the flight from Seattle had left me pretty jet lagged.

Tuk Tuk

Within 30 minutes I had hired a tuk tuk to take me around.  If you have never been in a tuk tuk then I highly recommend catching the sights from this perspective. Weaving in and out of traffic is exciting and also freightening. You feel like your in a tiny little armour car.  At some point you’ll end up having to negotiate your way through some type of scheme. Most of the times the drivers are really friendly and will take you around to where you want to go.

I went and saw the usual attractions for New Delhi. Visiting places such as the Red Fort and the Jama Mosque near old Delhi. All in all navigating your way through India isn’t easy.

It sin’t for the faint of heart. It takes determination and a sheer will to briskly get from place to place amidst all the rest of the massive population.

Just as I was about the leave Delhi I was sitting with a gentlemen who was a dentist. His office was on the streets. As I was sitting there a kid walked by and his shirt caught my attention and I couldn’t help but take his picture wearing the shirt.

“Today isn’t just another day. Today I’ll create something beautiful.”

This is something I will try and live by.