Those crazy taxi rides still make us flinch on occassion, but not like the "very first" ride.
It's great to breath in that diesel smell, hear the endless honking, feel the little moto-taxi/moto-rickshaw stop, and go and feel like you've only traveled a mile in 10 minutes.
Some quick observations: as crowded as India is, public transportation (from buses to taxis) all count on CNG. Every vehicle has the CNG stamp on the side. That's very unlike any other country we've been to. However, like China, there is a massive number of cars. Cars outnumber motorcycles and bicycles. A friend explained to us that the middle class is growing rapidly and there's a boom in car production. For the first time, people are able to afford cars.
On another note, we haven't seen a single cow yet! :) Don't know why we were expecting to see them in Delhi. But, we've been told that the cows have been "pushed" out to improve the image/ or help improve the image of this up-and-coming city. We have also seen elephants walking alongside our car and a snake charmer doing his thing.
I will say there are splashes of color everywhere. The trip is punctuated by color: saffron, fuschia, orange, marigold, turquoise. You can't but help but fixate on any beautiful woman dressed in those colors. The men don't catch my eye here. ;) It's the women! :)
There is a tremendous gap between the rich and poor. Poverty is everywhere. As in Beijing, Saigon, Mexico City.... you see the luxury cars right beside the man on his bicycle pulling a cart full of something-or-other. The beggars line the street as working professionals in their suits and ties head to work. Right next door to the embassy area is a slum that must be home to 700 families.
It's interesting to think that India is perceived in so many ways. Watching the "Born into Brothels" documentary, you might think that India is really about the poverty and the desperate situations some people must endure. But then, there's the side of India known for its technological and medical prowess and it's large population of highly educated folks. 60 Minutes featured a great story on India's IIT's. It talks about the educated elite who "settle" for America's Ivy Leagues--Harvard, Yale, MIT-- if they can't get into their own prestigious ITT.
One last note.... the price of drugs here... unbelieveable. You all need anything? ;)
We went with Lori (our host) to run some errands. We stopped at a little store to pick up some prescription drugs--drugs that would require a prescription and cost a fortune in the U.S. All those people who have to go to Canada or Mexico to pick up their prescriptions because they can't afford it. They should consider contacting their pals in India. Seriously, here, you pick it up without any prescription for a few cents. Asthma inhalers, acne medicine, whatever. I picked up some Pepto Bismol tablets...10 cents. Compare that to $7 in the U.S.
-Suz
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