On to Delhi....

After an incredibly frustrating encounter with the airline in Phuket, which didn't seem to think that the fact that no one answered a single phone at any of their offices the day before, nor the fact that internet was out on the entire island, was an excuse for not changing a flight in advance... I finally paid the late change fee, and we were able to book new flights. Once in Bangkok we shopped a little and I tried (somewhat unsuccessfully) to pack light for India. I dropped a bag off for storage at our old hotel since they are switching airports in Bangkok next week and there is no provision for left luggage that spans the switch, and headed to the airport.

Air India is even stricter about what you can carry on than the US department of homeland security and they were confiscating batteries, tiger balm, chapstick, umbrellas, etc. The flight was only 4 hours, but I managed to sleep a bit which was good since I didn't get to my hotel until 6am.

Delhi is very quiet in the pre-dawn hours, and what was most surprising was the number of people sleeping outside--on top of push carts on the side of the road, on the sidewalk along the train tracks, everywhere. I checked in and slept until noon, when I decided to venture out. It’s hot, but not as miserable as Cambodia and South Vietnam were. The people are very friendly and keep welcoming me to India, but what is weird is that there are very few women around. Men are out, walking and hanging out everywhere, but very few women. Tuk tuk drivers (don't know what the vehicles are called here) won't take no for an answer and will follow you down the street telling you it's way too hot to walk, and they'll take you where you want to go for just 10 rupees.

I finally caved and got into one, not really knowing where I wanted to go, and ended up at a huge crafts bazaar building. I felt obligated to walk around at least--and I wanted the driver to go away--but inside I was greeted and followed in every room by at least 3 salespeople.

I left shortly, and wandered to an Indian fast food restaurant where I had a delicious curry w/ naan bread which I unfortunately managed to spill all over my one pair of clean pants. When I left the restaurant I managed to evade taxi drivers and helpful pedestrians and ducked into an Internet cafe.

I have all afternoon.... dad doesn't get here till tonight, and the tour doesn't start until tomorrow, but I have no idea what I want to do. I don't have an India guidebook, and no one seems content to just let me wander on my own, so I’m somewhat at a loss. It seems a waste to sit in the hotel though, so I’ll figure something out.

Cultural differences are so interesting... the tour information keeps warning that society is very conservative and knees and shoulders must be covered at all times.... yet women are draped in saris with bare midriffs showing everywhere. I would think shoulders are less racy, but clearly I’m wrong.

Anyway, the fan is blowing very high causing wisps of hair to tickle my ears and get in my eyes and it's driving me crazy, so I need to go.