I will start off by saying that Air India make Southwest Airlines look like the old British Concord Jet, but even after being cramped in a sardine can for 20 hours that was delayed an additional 3 hours at LAX and another 1.5 hours in Frankfurt, I will leave my bashing short, because I do have to fly back on the same airline (Karma). As one native on our flight (from Punjab) put it... "that was the worst flight I ever took."
Regardless of our little adventure in the air (that realistically was more assuming that horrific), Suz an I landed in New Delhi safe and sound. We got a pre-paid taxi, hoped into our vehicle, the driver picking up a friend part way to the trip to drop him off first, and then eventually made it to our destination-- the American Embassy School.
Our hosts for this trip Todd and Lori Anderson from Grass Valley who have been teaching in India for the past 8 years.
Both are friends of KCRA 3 Photographer Jorge who both Suz and I worked with). They live on the Embassy School compound, a beautiful apartment, complete with fresh filtered water, maybe the only place you can drink from the tap (everywhere else you risk Delhi Belly).
On our first day, instead resting (we should have), we fought through the jet-lag and ventured into the city... visiting the Red Fort, Rajghat- the Gandhi Memorial, and the Gandhi Museum.
We weaved our way through the city in a moto-taxi, which is basically a three wheeled rickshaw with a motor. Traversing through the streets of New Delhi you find out right away, there is no such thing as a traffic lane, as everyone weaves and honks their horn in an organized chaotic ballet (we are talking inches of rubbing and bumping into the next moto-taxi).
After a 3 or 4 hours of exploring, the jet-lag wall began to hit us. We returned to the embassy, where Todd and Lori fixed us a fantastic Indian meal-- lentils, eggplant, cauliflower curry. While Suz and I enjoyed the meal, I think the family was more impressed by the See's Chocolate we brought them as a thank you gift... "you can't get chocolate like this in India". We suggested they may share it with their classroom, they quickly answered, "this (chocolate) is staying right here."
Later today we head to Varanasi on the Ganges...the holiest place in India.
-Ryan
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