Arrival

The days are a bit of a blur since arriving in my new temporary home. I was only in Delhi about 12 hours but I did notice a few things. Aside from the driving, which seems to be without order especially with the cab driver, I would say it is much like many big cities where workers are more aggressive in getting your business and your tip and of course, overcharging. My first appreciation for kindness was the hotel owner the morning of my check-out who sympathized with how much I was overcharged for my harrowing taxi ride (500 Rs after I refused to pay 1200 Rs) and made certain I received an appropriate rate for my return to the airport (200 Rs).

FYI - approx. 35 - 39 Rupees to the US dollar.

My volunteer contact greeted me at the airport in Jaipur and again I was shocked by the driving. Let me first say that I haven't seen any accidents only one area of probable windshield evidence. The drivers are cars, buses, motorcycles, scooters, bikes, bike pulled rickshaws and auto pulled rickshaws and the occasional wagon pulled by animal (mostly oxen some donkeys and one camel so far). And the horns are non-stop and weaving is the norm. Oh and the lanes as we know them are non-existent.

Disorienting and surreal describes how I felt the first few days, exacerbated by jet lag. But yesterday, I fell in love with this city and last night sealed the deal as I rode on the back of a motorcycle through the old "Pink City" . Enchanting, magical...indescribable.

Thursday: Acclimating and Errands. Walking from my westernized hotel Royal Orchid, to the cyber cafe; the bank with quite a focus on security to exchange US money requiring my passport info and local and permanent addresses; 2d trip to cell phone shop to bring copy of passport; optician shop to converse regarding my stay in India and NGOs (he translated at the phone shop); bike rickshaw to the University of Rajasthan where I met some wonderful psychology students and then 2 of them accompanied me to the nearby beautiful Bilra temple and then back to "my" cyber cafe where I helped them set up a yahoo account and showed them a local university. They dream of studying in America; dinner with my guide.

And then my motorcycle guide for the evening invited me to his home to meet his wife, mother and brothers and their children. Another gratifying experience. An extended muslim family sharing a very modest 3 room home. I think they don't often have caucasian english speaking americans in their home as the children could not take their eyes from me. It was mutual adoration as smiles and giggles and hugs and laps are universal and words are immaterial.

And then I followed my rider to his honda motorcycle where on this Friday night I felt that I'd been transferred to a different time as we rode through the Pink City. Magical is the only word and soon I hope to post pictures .

More soon,
Tracy