North India - 12/07 - 1/08

Where to begin with a description of this country of contrasts?

The scent...from the first moment we stepped off the plane, I noticed a scent of burning wood mixed wth sandalwood and spices. It is everywhere, always - either strong and full on, or a subtle scent that stays in the back of the throat. On the streets of Delhi, that scent is mixed with a powerful wave of urine, and incense. They actually don't mix - but come in waves one after the other.

Yesterday we settled into our "home" in Greater Noida, which is about 45 minutes from central Delhi. It is a new development area of many silent, half-built houses and shopping centres. The new face of middle and upper class urban India. We picked "House of Kapaali" for the modern amenities: wifi, 24 hour back up electricity, water filtration system, home cooking and in-house laundry. But above that is the personalised attention of a family B&B.

I developed a warm friendship with Mansi, a beautiful, intelligent young lady who runs the business of this B&B. We began writing emails before the trip. It turns out that her aunt is a famous sitar player, Anupam Mahajan who teaches at Delhi University. I will hopefully meet with her next week, and have a chance to share my Indian Classical singing with someone who specializes in the music here in India.

From the relationship developed with Mansi prior to visiting, I knew we would be taken care of and somewhat protected as we explored. The house is a very nice, clean, nicely decorated place. Our room is quite large, with a very comfortable firm bed and a brand new bathroom. Beautiful fabrics as bed coverings and cushions. Ron was a little frustrated with the distance we have to travel to get to Delhi. But I think that after meeting the family and having such a wonderful evening sharing stories, laughing and last night, he is now happy to be here. We spent over 2 hours talking.

Mansi's parents are very intelligent, sweet, and open people. After a chaotic, intense day - it was a great comfort to return, drink tea and talk with the family. They also have live-in helpers who are also very nice, full of smiles and very ready to help us. Hopefully by the end of today, we will have memorized everyone's name here.

Now, for our observations of the day:

Assault of the senses. Visiting Connaught place was supposed to be a good place to transition into India. It is the most Western, commercial area of this sprawling city. But we soon found out that there was no "easy" transition. The poverty that lives in front of you on every street. The desperate and angry eyes of those that are suffering. The afflicted bodies with lost limbs and eyes - it shuts you down while piercing the heart. One beggar was curled on a staircase landing, writhing in pain. His right leg was a small stump of a skinny upper thigh, pulsing and throbbing. Some bystanders watched, some reached out.

Street children, all very dark skinned, wild eyed, with manes of tangled hair and bloated malnourished bellies. Their mothers tired, dusty and angry. But the most difficult moment yesterday was when an old man, over 80, bone thin and dressed in torn white clothes, hobbled with a cane through the halted traffic at a stoplight. Begging at each car and shaking violently. He stopped at our taxi and started tapping at the window. His fingers were too feeble to move, it was the shaking of his body and cane against the window that made the tapping. His eyes were glazed over in pain. Ron sat next to me, whispering "Oh my God" in his sadness and shock. I was too stunned to do anything. As the taxi pulled away, I was very upset at myself. Why didn't I open the window and give him something?

Ron and I decided to carry food with us wherever go at this point forward. That is what Mansi's mother does as well.

On the streets we get constantly approached - by shop owners, hustlers as well as those who are simply curious. They want to know where we are from, where we are going and what we are doing in India. We are not sure who to trust enough to respond to while walking. At one point we decided to get a drink and rest a bit. THere is a new espresso bar "Barista" which is a hang out for foreigners as well as young local IT professionals. We did a little shopping and bought a lot of handmade paper - beautiful colors and textures rolled up an lying across our table. A well-dressed man in his late 30's stops to look at the paper and strikes up a conversation. We were not sure how to respond, but he had an air of comfortable confidence and we soon started chatting. He apparently works at the coffee house and is one of the "managers". He sits down and we are soon swapping stories. He is from Nepal, his mother Nepalese, and his father Italian (?!). Raj has a slight hustler air about him, but I think that he enjoyed talking to us so much that he forgot his original intention. He treated us to an extra cup of tea, and told Ron that he had very warm and kind eyes. He turned to me and said that I found a great man - I reponded that I knew that very well.

He gave us tons of advice on where to shop, how to avoid hustlers and where to eat good, safe food. He gave us his cell # in case we "needed anything", and recommended a restaurant next door: Ambar restaurant, which was EXCELLENT! Then he took off, without waiting to see if we would give him money. I really appreciated that. When people are open here, they are so open, curious and warm that it touches the heart (once the skepticism dissolves). But we are constantly wary of being scammed.

Funny/interesting observations:

-The trucks have signs painted on the back that say "HONK PLEASE!". Everyone honks as a way of saying"Hey, I'm here and I coming through!" It's a form of communication and chatter - almost friendly!

-We saw a camel and rider plodding thrught the traffic at Connaught Place. Even Mansi and the family were surprised when we told them. It's a rarity in the city.

-Families on motorbikes. The father drives, the child clings on to him desperately, the mother sits gracefully and side saddle on the back. Amazing. In the middle of the most chaotic, loud and crazy traffic anyone could imagine.

There are contrasts everywhere. And this was only our first day...