At 3am we pulled out of the Rising Star Gates for our two hour drive to the Chennai Airport. Many months ago I signed Quincy and I up to go on this excursion with the other volunteers to see New and Old Delhi and also travel up to Agra to see the Taj Majal. It will take two blogs to cover this much anticipated trip.
Getting to the airport turned out to be very eventful. Since we left at such an early time with very little sleep, all of the passengers were drifting off to sleep, including myself. I was seated in the row behind the driver towards the center in our van. In front of me was the driver's gear shift that was bolted to the floor. I was jerked out of my sleep suddenly when the van slammed to a halt. I found myself instantly thrown to the floor like a rag doll. I landed on my knees, looked up startled with my heart pounding and what came into view was a car that was a couple of inches in front of us. Thank heavens we didn't rear end it. I stiffly got up from the floor with sore knees and reached down to rub my leg suddenly realizing I had captured a handful of blood from my calf. I got out wet wipes and hand sanitizer and doctored it up in the dark van. When we arrived at the airport and I could see it in the light, I had two long cuts slashed across the front of my calf. It looked like I had been clawed by some type on animal. Apparently, the bolt anchoring the gear shift on the van floor had cut into my leg. It isn't pretty and the scar will have a story to go with it. India traffic makes me shake my head.
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Once we arrived in New Delhi there was a tour bus waiting to take us on a day filled full of site seeing. Our first stop was to take a rickshaw ride to a reknown spice market in downtown Delhi. The rickshaw is a three wheeled bike with a carriage that transports not only people but all kinds of different cargo. It is man powered and I was amazed at the load this man was undertaking in transporting Carl and I. We were seated behind this man of about 40, 120 lbs. maybe, with thin, spindly legs in flip flops. Wow.
I know I have said this before but the traffic in India is chaotic like nothing I have ever witnessed. London is a close second, but this takes first place in pure craziness without abandon. It is an extreme game of King of the Road in every sense. All rules are made to be broken, if there are any. The rickshaw is at the bottom of the pecking order due to size and being aggressive is the only way a driver can get to where they are going. The bigger the vehicle, the more clout they have on the roadway....unless you have a gutsy, aggressive rickshaw driver that is willing to take risks to fight for his space on the roadway. We had one of those and I found myself holding my breath once in a while as I gawked, held on tight and took pictures of unusual sites and happenings. It was a rainy, wet ride in the middle of rush hour. It was an unforgettable forty minute round trip.
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We were dropped off at the entrance of the spice market. India is known for its wide array of spices in their food. The curries are colorful and full of flavor and the aromas are abundant. When you walk through this market, your senses are bombarded with aromatic scents of every spice and pepper imaginable. This is so overpowering it makes some people sneeze. The rich colors and displays are raw and tantalizing. This market is a couple stories tall and it is accessable by a narrow, winding stairwell that has people bustling up and down it with various cargo balanced on their heads and in their arms. After we viewed the market and took lots of pictures we were led into a spice store where we were schooled on the various spices and how they are produced. It was quite interesting and I came away with some raw cinnamon and a packet of korma curry. India is not only colorful but it is rich in flavor.
After that we toured a Jaine Temple that was located down an alley. Before entering we had to read a list of rules. One of them was that a woman couldn't be in menses if entering. Strange. Shoeless and leaving cameras behind, we all walked through and viewed the ornate carvings and designs inside and at the end of our short tour we got a hard sell for donations. I didn't like that.
Our rickshaw driver was their waiting. We boarded and rode through the narrow, alley wayed textile district full of colorful saris, accessories and an endless view of beautiful materials waiting to be sewn. We safely arrived at our bus and paid him the agreed 200 rupees that was pre-arranged by the tour guides....which is about 5 or 6 bucks. At that time I still didn't have a handle on the exchange and still, to this day, feel guilty I didn't pay him more. That is such hard work for so little.
We ate lunch at a tasty, Indian restaurant and got some authentic northern Indian food. It tasted more like what I have eaten at home. It was nice to eat the type of food I like. You can never go wrong ordering korma chicken accompanied with rice and naan bread. Naan was a big hit for some of the volunteers. Some even ordered some to go for a snack later. With full bellies we all left for our next stop.
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We went to a rug manufacturer and got to view good quality rugs being hand knotted on looms. It was a neat process to watch and have explained to us. One loom had two men working on the same rug in sync. Another loom had an elderly man making a rug of the Taj Mahal on it. The owner said he contracts 750 different families that do this from their homes. He pays them by the footage monthly and his inventory and designs change constantly. I came away with a beautiful area rug and also a small elephant one to hang on my wall with shipping included in on the price. That will be a nice surprise to arrive to when my trip is over.
Shortly after that we boarded the bus for a six hour journey to Agra where our hotel was located and where we would get to see the Taj Mahal the next day.
The hotel....The Radison....hot shower with a waterfall rainshower head...luxury....soft, comfy beds......impeccable customer service (Hotel service in India is like nothing I have ever seen. The friendly staff is at your beck and call. The Marriot in Chennai is the same.).....heaven. Although this felt frivolous after the past two weeks of bunk beds, bucket showers and squatters, I completely enjoyed this. You can't take the city completely out of a city girl.
It was a wonderful, full day. I have to say, with Quincy and Annie sharing the room, we didn't lack for conversation. They both can make me laugh but also can partake in some thought provoking subjects. I have enjoyed growing closer to my daughter but also getting to know Annie. By coming to India I have met some great people I otherwise would never have come into contact with and Annie is one of them. We talked until we drifted off into a good night's sleep. The next morning we would come to experience one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Getting to the airport turned out to be very eventful. Since we left at such an early time with very little sleep, all of the passengers were drifting off to sleep, including myself. I was seated in the row behind the driver towards the center in our van. In front of me was the driver's gear shift that was bolted to the floor. I was jerked out of my sleep suddenly when the van slammed to a halt. I found myself instantly thrown to the floor like a rag doll. I landed on my knees, looked up startled with my heart pounding and what came into view was a car that was a couple of inches in front of us. Thank heavens we didn't rear end it. I stiffly got up from the floor with sore knees and reached down to rub my leg suddenly realizing I had captured a handful of blood from my calf. I got out wet wipes and hand sanitizer and doctored it up in the dark van. When we arrived at the airport and I could see it in the light, I had two long cuts slashed across the front of my calf. It looked like I had been clawed by some type on animal. Apparently, the bolt anchoring the gear shift on the van floor had cut into my leg. It isn't pretty and the scar will have a story to go with it. India traffic makes me shake my head.
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| Annie and Quincy-It is going to be a crazy ride! |
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| Carl, my rickshaw buddy-It was a wild ride. |
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| A hard day's work in flip flops. |
I know I have said this before but the traffic in India is chaotic like nothing I have ever witnessed. London is a close second, but this takes first place in pure craziness without abandon. It is an extreme game of King of the Road in every sense. All rules are made to be broken, if there are any. The rickshaw is at the bottom of the pecking order due to size and being aggressive is the only way a driver can get to where they are going. The bigger the vehicle, the more clout they have on the roadway....unless you have a gutsy, aggressive rickshaw driver that is willing to take risks to fight for his space on the roadway. We had one of those and I found myself holding my breath once in a while as I gawked, held on tight and took pictures of unusual sites and happenings. It was a rainy, wet ride in the middle of rush hour. It was an unforgettable forty minute round trip.
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| There were lots of picture opportunities. I loved this one. |
Our rickshaw driver was their waiting. We boarded and rode through the narrow, alley wayed textile district full of colorful saris, accessories and an endless view of beautiful materials waiting to be sewn. We safely arrived at our bus and paid him the agreed 200 rupees that was pre-arranged by the tour guides....which is about 5 or 6 bucks. At that time I still didn't have a handle on the exchange and still, to this day, feel guilty I didn't pay him more. That is such hard work for so little.
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| The Taj Mahal in the works. |
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| My big purchase |
Shortly after that we boarded the bus for a six hour journey to Agra where our hotel was located and where we would get to see the Taj Mahal the next day.
The hotel....The Radison....hot shower with a waterfall rainshower head...luxury....soft, comfy beds......impeccable customer service (Hotel service in India is like nothing I have ever seen. The friendly staff is at your beck and call. The Marriot in Chennai is the same.).....heaven. Although this felt frivolous after the past two weeks of bunk beds, bucket showers and squatters, I completely enjoyed this. You can't take the city completely out of a city girl.
It was a wonderful, full day. I have to say, with Quincy and Annie sharing the room, we didn't lack for conversation. They both can make me laugh but also can partake in some thought provoking subjects. I have enjoyed growing closer to my daughter but also getting to know Annie. By coming to India I have met some great people I otherwise would never have come into contact with and Annie is one of them. We talked until we drifted off into a good night's sleep. The next morning we would come to experience one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
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