New Delhi

hey everyone,

I'm in New Delhi. We arrived last night at 3:00 in the morning. I'm pretty tired right now. I can't even describe what it is like here. For me, it is unlike any other place I've ever been too. Istanbul was so much like Europe that it seemed almost familiar. Here, everything is different.

Last night we had called to reserve a shuttle to take us to our hotel. That was lucky, cuz at 3 in the morning the normal taxi options looked pretty scary. We were walking throught the taxi terminal to get to where the shuttle was parked, and I saw my first cow in India. It was just lounging against the wall, right in the airport! It wasn't exactly in the airport, but it was in the part that still had a roof and everything. Oh, the other thing was that it was hot. I mean, you walk out of the air-conditioned building and the heat just hits you. and that was in the middle of the night! The thing is, its not really all that hot, it's in the 90s. But the humidity makes the air so thick its hard to breathe.

We got to our shuttle and the driver was putting our luggage in the back when about five guys came up and were like climbing over each other trying to get a hand on our bags, trying to help put them in the back of the shuttle. Then they all wanted a tip. It's crazy here, cuz there are so many people who just need a job that they will do anything to get a tip.

We finally got into the shuttle, four of us in the back seat and dad in front with the driver. It was HOT. we drove for what felt like forever and we were all holding our bags on our laps and sweating all over each other. it took me about 20 minutes to realize that they drive on the left side of the road here, cuz our driver wasn't really showing any preference for the right or left lane. He just drove down whichever was more convenient at the time, and for awhile he drove down the middle.

Even at night, you can see immediately the poverty of this city. It's unlike anywhere I have been, even Romania which is pretty poor. There were homeless men sleeping right outside the airport and in the parking lot. And the buildings, and streets, everything is crumbling and dirty. In the daytime, it's even clearer. There are people EVERYWHERE. i like crowds, but this is different. As soon as we walk out of the hotel we are mobbed by people wanting to give us a ride in their rickshaws, for a fee of course. The buildings are all either falling down or being repaired again. There are battered signs and ads covering everything, hanging from telephone poles and the sides of buildings and hanging over the streets. It's like a ghetto version of Tokyo. There are cows EVERYWHERE. at first you don't notice them, but if you look they are in every alley and behind parked cars and walking down the side streets. There's shit all over the place, too. And trash, and beggars, and just regular people. It makes me sad. At first i just wanted to get OUT, to go somewhere sanitary where i could breathe. And the sounds are everywhere, honking horns and motorcycles and people and animals. And walking down the street is really scary cuz there is no difference between the street and the sidewalk really. There are people, cars, motorcycles, rickshaws, cows, bicycles, street vendors, stray dogs; all just intermingled. In a way, it's actually really exciting. But the poverty makes me so sad. It just seems so...hopeless. It's so huge I don't know how anything could ever change or get better. Everything is crumbling and falling apart, and at the same time everything is so alive. I don't know how to react to it.

Okay, you can probably tell that i'm going through some minor culture shock. The thing is, if it were just crowds and noise and heat I don't think I would mind, as long as it were more modern and less poor. But it's like going back a few decades or something, and adding chaos. It's shocking cuz I didn't expect to ever be anyplace like this. I knew places like this existed, but it's different being here. It's not like being a "tourist" at all. I don't know what it's like. I just need to process it for awhile, cuz right now my mind is spinning. Istanbul was nothing compared to this.

Thanks for reading this, i'm mostly just venting all of my feelings right now. Like I said, i'm really tired, so maybe things will look different after i've actually slept. Another thing is that Ben is sick. He had a fever of 103 the night before we left Istanbul, and he was having trouble breathing. Missing a night of sleep didn't help. We're hoping he will be okay cuz the hospitals here look pretty scary.

We're going on a tour tomorrow and the next day to smaller cities outside Delhi, including Agra which has the Taj Mahal. I don't know when i'll have internet access again, hopefully after that. It's great to hear from you guys, keep posting. I can't wait to see everyone and talk about everything. And kou, say hi to Meri for me! I love you!

~Amelie