Arrived

Last Thursday:

Well, I finally made it!

I arrived in Delhi this afternoon after a long trans-Pacific flight. It's pretty warm here this time of year, and it's hard for me to imagine that only yesterday I was cross-country skiing through the foothills of whatever mountains are near Snohomish. (Yes, it was fun. But I must have fallen at least twenty times and my butt still hurts!)

I had a stopover in Taipei and that was kind of sentimental-- I flew through Taipei (and nearly every other world city) on my first trip to India. This time I especially appreciated the enormous signs in each terminal that said "Drug trafficking is punishable by death in the R.O.C. (Republic of China). Excellent.

Upon arrival in Delhi I caught a taxi to Pahar Ganj, which is the main backpacker district in Delhi. In the middle of our silent and peaceful drive, my driver looked me in the rear-view mirror and asked if sex was easy in "my country." Great, it starts. Through broken English I tried to explain to him about Hollywood and the illusions supported by Western media in India. Whatever. He was kind of right, wasn't he? But I didn't tell him so.

Once in Pahar Ganj I coughed up Rs200 ($5) for a room because I was too tired to keep in pursuit of a cheaper dormitory bed. The room is really nice, except for the weird bugs all over the walls of the bathroom. It has a balcony, making it possibly for me to spy on passersby on the congested street below. You know, I think this sort of activity is actually my favorite thing to do in India. Its amazing what you see when no one knows you are watching.

I had my first meal at the same restaurant where I ate my last meal, last time I was in India. I couldn't believe I stumbled on the same place! The paneer butter masala was great, and it was fun relearning how to avoid accosting street venders on my way back to the hotel. My feet did get run over by a cycle rickshaw already. That kind of hurt.

May 18 (today).

I better post this. I had noble aspirations of adding some "very profound thoughts" (see me rolling my eyes), but it just isn't going to happen right now. Too much to do in this wonderful, marvelous city called Varanasi (yes, that's where I am now). I will probably stick to short, interesting travel updates over soul-wrenching monologues for the next couple months. Or maybe I will change my mood tomorrow. Who really does know?!