The "Typical" Indian Experience...

I'm here! In India! Out of the horrible concrete jungle of Bangkok and feeling better already!

My last few days in Thailand (and I'm not really sure I like to think of Bangkok as part of the Thailand I love, anyway) were memorable in their own sort of ways. Bangkok made me and my computer sick. Me, litterally ill; my computer, crashed. But with a fresh hard drive and a whole new country of adventures to embark on, it's feeling nice to move on from Bangkok, to say the least...

I'm sorry to bash on Bangkok so much. I'm sure it has its redeeming qualities. I just couldn't find them between the hassle, dirt, smog, and crowds.

Ok, honestly, maybe India isn't that much different. But it's new! And the best part is that if I feel Bangkok-sentiments growing about any place I end up, it will be alright because I won't be there longer than two weeks!

And now, after I'm done ranting about Bangkok, we have first impressions of India.

We ended up getting out of the New Delhi airport well after midnight last night and were carted off in taxis to a Tibetan community in Old Delhi. When we finally got there, it was 2 AM (felt like 3:30 AM) and we were all ready to crash. Little did we know, we were about to receive the "typical" Indian experience.

The group had to be separated into two different hotels right down the street from each other. So we sent a few people off into the first hotel and the rest of us (eight people) follow Debbi, our new assistant director and local India expert, down the street to the other hotel. After knocking on the locked door for a good three minutes, we finally hear a groan from inside the building. When Debbi said that we were here to check in, the voice seemed to utter "...no..." Molded persistent by living in India for 10 years, Debbi insisted that we in fact did have reservations and should be let in. This went on for a few more minutes until the man finally came to the door and unlocked it just enough for Debbi to get her body inside the building, insisting that the rest of us follow her. They told us that all the rooms were taken; they had no keys. Debbi knew differently. After bringing the worker from the first hotel over, the situation was finally resolved and we were given the keys to four rooms with minimal furniture, no hot water, standing at a solid 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Needless to say, I slept in layers.

And lucky for me, it's the style here to wear large Pashmina-style scarves instead of coats. I feel like I'm wearing a comfy blanket around all day. It's like I'm at home...almost...

There's much more I could write about. Many emotions have been going through me in the last twelve hours, but those feelings will resolve themselves in other blog posts.

Exploring, myself and my world,
B(ee)