Delhi

Delhi is the political capital of India, and this is my first time in it. My first thought when i stepped into the airport was, "Wow, is this it?". Somehow, for the capital of India where every other person is a VIP, I expected more opulence. Or maybe, I expected a little Dubai from the airport. But I liked it. The airport experience was simple and straightforward. There was no hassle of finding your way around or of wandering through unnecessary corporate advertisement. The building had a job, and it executed it with muted efficiency.

The first whiff of Delhi air was an incredibly humid and warm breath. And with that one breath, I understood why every western literary work refers to India as the hot humid place with snakes and tigers as company for evening walks. This air was very different from the cool crisp and clean air I am used to from Agumbe and Someshwar, but there was something definitely Indian about that first whiff, and that alone welcomed me home. My nostalgic moment was cut short when someone behind me on the flight stairs urged me to get a move on and get into the bus waiting to shuttle us from the the flight into the terminal. Obviously, someone else didn't like my memories blocking his way home.

Well that is India, and it is so evident in the queues that we form - there aren't any. Traffic lanes are a mere suggestion for the feeble drivers and a show and tell piece to convince foreigners. I love it.

I was picked up at the airport by my mother and my uncle and driven to this immense hotel in the midst of diplomatic Delhi (Chanakyapuri). Hotel Ashok is an over priced over indulgent 5 star establishment run by the Indian government, but it is the embodiment of Indian hospitality. Around every corner, there is someone to greet and welcome you into a cocoon of comfort.

The people of Delhi all look serious. More than that, they all have a sense of self importance. There is a feeling of pride that sweeps through the populace by just being in the Nation's capital city. But then, they are also friendly and polite people. While in Mumbai the people are more in your face, over here, everyone goes through a routine set of niceties before they engage in conversation. It all seems so quaint.

This is a city full of vehicles with diplomatic license plates; where ambulances and fire trucks have a hard time making their way, while VIPs in their stately Ambassadors get through with no problem. You can't really sight see in Delhi - you can only feel it.

Delhi is definitely a cosmopolitan city. Maybe less than Mumbai, but the city exudes an air of regal bearing, full of kitty parties and cocktail gatherings. While many Indian cities are dominated by the present, Delhi holds on to the past, savoring every bit of it like an aromatic tea. Sip by sip, the city convinces you that you are in an important place, and the crests and troughs of life must make way for the rich history of the city. Oh Wait - that's just the 17th VIP vehicle with its revolving red "make way" light.