It seems we can't escape Elmira College, even half-way around the world. Our guide started our day this morning with a quote from Mark Twain, and then the poor man looked befuddled as the bus broke out in laughter. It was a perfect start for a really fabulous day!
This was our day to get acclimated to Delhi, and we spent time learning about the city and its history and politics. We also got used to the heat, or at least, we experienced our first full day of the heat. And it was pretty hot out there, too.
We had the opportunity to visit the Qutub Minar, one of the oldest sites in Delhi. Built by a conquering Islamic army, it was the first mosque built in India, grafting onto an older Hindu temple compound. The resulting hybrid is fascinating! Some of the earlier Hindu temple figure carving still exists, next to intricately patterned columns and pillars from the mosque. Rising above the various buildings is a huge red stone tower with carved patterns and words going up the sides. The top was finished much later and is made of a different stone and in a different style. It's quite impressive. Most of the visitors to the site were not Western, and we really stood out. The Indian tourists there were fascinated by our group, and many families asked if they could take photos with us. Christine, Brazil, and Shadae, with their beautiful braids, were treated like movie stars. I'm not kidding, they must have taken 20 or more photos with families and other groups of India tourists! It was quite a turn-around experience for us.
Another highlight from today was our visit to the memorial site for Mahatma Gandhi. The place where he was cremated is now a park, with a simple marble slab and a never-ending flame. To enter the area,. we had to remove our shoes and walk out on the hot stone paths (partially covered by carpets to help with the heat). It was a very solemn place, and very simple. Again, most of the visitors were Indian, and the spirit of reverence was palpable.
We also got our first chance to try bargaining in street shops. It was a "soft" start, in that we were in a government run enclave for artists and craftspeople selling their own wares. That meant that pretty much everything was of quality and we wouldn't get too much of a runaround. Many students have already started their gift-shopping, with some getting into the bargaining groove and others still feeling a little intimidated. I do admit that it's difficult to do the currency conversion, while bargaining and withstanding a lot of skilled persuasion. But there are some lovely scarves and jewelry and artworks heading home!
Driving in this city is quite an experience. Last night, the roads were much emptier as we got in rather late. Today we got the full force. The roads are packed. There are buses and cars and motorcycles and rickshaws and bicycles pretty much everywhere, regardless of the lane lines. Traffic suddenly speeds up and then slows down. Smaller vehicles edge-or speed--around slower vehicles. There seem to be no rules, and of course, the chaos is accompanied by a cacophony of honking. I mean HONKING. The pitch of the horns here is higher than in North America, so there is a constant buzzing sound of horns. Some horns teetle at a very high pitch, and others kind of roar. Some even sort of tootle-loo. But what they have in common is their frequent application. Every driver seems to be honking almost constantly, and driving is not only a visually chaotic experience with the lane changes and stops and starts, but the horns just make it all the more crazy.
We have also seen a lot of animals already. Cows, although not as many as we expected. Road dogs are pretty much everywhere. They mostly look fairly happy and even healthy, although they are strays. They have a penchant for lying in the road, even out in lanes in traffic, and everyone just goes around. They trot along after us sometimes, with a sort of friendly air. And we see them everywhere we go. We have also seen donkeys carrying construction waste, horses pulling taxis, and some rather exotic looking birds. The best and most surprising animal we saw today? We actually saw an elephant carrying a big load walking down the highway in with the mix of cars and trucks! It was very cool.
Most of us are crashing out with jet lag tonight. We are back in the hotel and even though it's not even 9:00 PM here, it seems like quite a quiet evening, although that remains to be seen. We start out early tomorrow morning for our next day of adventures, the highlight of which will be visiting an orphanage. It's all very exciting!
This was our day to get acclimated to Delhi, and we spent time learning about the city and its history and politics. We also got used to the heat, or at least, we experienced our first full day of the heat. And it was pretty hot out there, too.
We had the opportunity to visit the Qutub Minar, one of the oldest sites in Delhi. Built by a conquering Islamic army, it was the first mosque built in India, grafting onto an older Hindu temple compound. The resulting hybrid is fascinating! Some of the earlier Hindu temple figure carving still exists, next to intricately patterned columns and pillars from the mosque. Rising above the various buildings is a huge red stone tower with carved patterns and words going up the sides. The top was finished much later and is made of a different stone and in a different style. It's quite impressive. Most of the visitors to the site were not Western, and we really stood out. The Indian tourists there were fascinated by our group, and many families asked if they could take photos with us. Christine, Brazil, and Shadae, with their beautiful braids, were treated like movie stars. I'm not kidding, they must have taken 20 or more photos with families and other groups of India tourists! It was quite a turn-around experience for us.
Another highlight from today was our visit to the memorial site for Mahatma Gandhi. The place where he was cremated is now a park, with a simple marble slab and a never-ending flame. To enter the area,. we had to remove our shoes and walk out on the hot stone paths (partially covered by carpets to help with the heat). It was a very solemn place, and very simple. Again, most of the visitors were Indian, and the spirit of reverence was palpable.
We also got our first chance to try bargaining in street shops. It was a "soft" start, in that we were in a government run enclave for artists and craftspeople selling their own wares. That meant that pretty much everything was of quality and we wouldn't get too much of a runaround. Many students have already started their gift-shopping, with some getting into the bargaining groove and others still feeling a little intimidated. I do admit that it's difficult to do the currency conversion, while bargaining and withstanding a lot of skilled persuasion. But there are some lovely scarves and jewelry and artworks heading home!
Driving in this city is quite an experience. Last night, the roads were much emptier as we got in rather late. Today we got the full force. The roads are packed. There are buses and cars and motorcycles and rickshaws and bicycles pretty much everywhere, regardless of the lane lines. Traffic suddenly speeds up and then slows down. Smaller vehicles edge-or speed--around slower vehicles. There seem to be no rules, and of course, the chaos is accompanied by a cacophony of honking. I mean HONKING. The pitch of the horns here is higher than in North America, so there is a constant buzzing sound of horns. Some horns teetle at a very high pitch, and others kind of roar. Some even sort of tootle-loo. But what they have in common is their frequent application. Every driver seems to be honking almost constantly, and driving is not only a visually chaotic experience with the lane changes and stops and starts, but the horns just make it all the more crazy.
We have also seen a lot of animals already. Cows, although not as many as we expected. Road dogs are pretty much everywhere. They mostly look fairly happy and even healthy, although they are strays. They have a penchant for lying in the road, even out in lanes in traffic, and everyone just goes around. They trot along after us sometimes, with a sort of friendly air. And we see them everywhere we go. We have also seen donkeys carrying construction waste, horses pulling taxis, and some rather exotic looking birds. The best and most surprising animal we saw today? We actually saw an elephant carrying a big load walking down the highway in with the mix of cars and trucks! It was very cool.
Most of us are crashing out with jet lag tonight. We are back in the hotel and even though it's not even 9:00 PM here, it seems like quite a quiet evening, although that remains to be seen. We start out early tomorrow morning for our next day of adventures, the highlight of which will be visiting an orphanage. It's all very exciting!
