Singh Sons, Karl Bagh

Early Sunday morning, I’ve had my breakfast, the birds are chirping outside my window. Today is up in the air, I am either staying in Delhi for the next few days or I am going to the airport for a flight to Jodhpur in a few hours. I have mixed feeling about leaving Delhi, on the one hand I am starting to get oriented, the internet is working, and there are a few things I would like to see here; on the other hand, the Jodhpur Lions Club has invited me to dinner tonight and I would hate to miss it. If I do not go tonight I will go to Jodhpur after the all India Meeting.

The last two days have been very busy, Friday was a national holiday, Republic Day, so most things were closed. I attempted to go to Connaught Place to find the American Express Bank – I didn’t think it would be opened; I just wanted to find it to see if I could find it. I took the Metro, and got off at the wrong stop. It turned out to be Pahargani – known for it budget hotels, seedy characters, and drugs. I found backpackers, old hippies, slums, and a maze of alleys and markets and people.

By the way, I have finally uploaded some photos to my Yahoo Photo site, I also uploaded a couple of video clips to my YouTube space. The following are the links:

Yahoo photo album Delhi:

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/billshiellds/album?.dir=3a07scd&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/billshiellds/my_photos

You Tube video sites:

Rickshaw Ride:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYK2WDkqOc4

Karol Bagh Market
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIjHAiPXhFg

I spent about an hour walking around and taking photos. I met a woman from Alberta, we chatted for a few minutes over a coke. She told me that she was a writer and that she was visiting India after a twenty year absence. She was planning on spending two months here, writing and visiting old friends. As she left she I noticed that her hands were shaking – for some reason it occurred to me that she had a drug problem; I’m not sure why, maybe the setting – it was a small stand, in a back alley that woven between the building, it couldn’t have been more than three feet wide.

The crazy morning continues I am now at the Domestic Airport in Delhi awaiting a Jet Airlines flight to Jodhpur. Joshi called this morning; he said that he could not get me a flight. I called the Hotel to tell them that I was staying for a couple more days. They called back in a few minutes to say that the Hotel was booked for the night. I called the tourist office; they said they would get me a Hotel. Joshi called back in a few minutes to say that he had a flight and that I should go to the airport immediately, my reservation would be waiting; it would be in the name of Bill Shields. He said to call after I got the ticket. I checked out of the Hotel and got a cab to the airport – the ride was about 30 minutes.

At the airport they did not have the reservation but they did have a seat. I got an aisle seat. Apparently I get access to the lounge although I don’t know why – it is an economy flight. My bags are checked, I’ve tipped everyone and there brother, although the amounts were very small. The latest porter took me to the lounge – he actually deserved a tip. No phone here I’ll have a coke then go down about 20 minutes before boarding to go through personal security. I will also look for an Indian SIM card for my cell phone, and call Joshi so that he will have someone meet my flight.

My throat is beginning to feel the effects of the smog. I’d had better pack up.

Memory Notes:

Hair feels strange and dirty after shower, I first thought that I didn’t rinse the soap out of my hair, but after the second shower, I knew it was the rinse, next guess the soap, changed to American soap: I have concluded it’s the water.
After shower today the hair feels better, I think I have to rinse longer here, harder water or something like that.

Photos in Metro, don’t take them – it’s a 500 rupee fine.

Rickshaw: They get commissions from everyone; they will try and take you to stores, Hotels. Be very careful about cost, negotiate up front I wanted to take one from the Karol Bagh Metro Station to my Hotel – he asked 200 rupees, the reasonable price was 10. They get tourist all the time, 200 rupees is about $4.

Air France Paris to Delhi – Bug Stray
Before take-off from Paris the passenger cabin was sprayed with an insecticide, it was mildly nauseating, never saw that before I should research.
Caste System: Deepak Agrawal – the father explained some of the caste system to me yesterday in the car, while we waited for Vipin to make religious pay-offs to the workers at the metal fabricating factory.