Temples, Touts, and the High Price of Fame

Delhi, Day 2

When my plane was landing in Delhi, I saw the local fire department outside, playing a game of volleyball. It was 5 AM. "Hm," I thought, "Things seem to be different here."

I had no idea how right I was. One of the first things I realized when I got to India was that I was going to have to forget everything I knew and start from scratch.  Basically, press the reset button on my whole understanding of "how things work".  None of that applies here.

My first day was very long. I got in at about 5:45 AM local time after a 7 hr flight from Helsinki. I had managed to eke out about 2 hours of sleep on the plane, so when I arrived I was  exhausted. Since I left New York two days earlier, I had gotten a total of around 5 hours of sleep. A driver was supposed to meet me at the airport, but when I didn't see him I jumped into a taxi and went to my hotel. Immediately I went to my room and after a quick breakfast of toast and tea, passed out.

About half an hour into my nap, there was a knock at my door. I stumbled for the door, still half asleep, and opened it to find the proprieter of the hotel standing there with a small, mustachioed man. "This is your driver, he wait for you at the airport since 5 AM!" They both stood there, looking at me expectantly. The driver looked so dejected you'd think I had stood him up for prom. He clutched a now hot bottle of water and a neat folder holding my typed itinerary. Still dazed and groggy, I accepted both items, apologizing profusely. I explained that I went to all 6 gates at the airport looking for him, but I was carrying a heavy backpack and was very tired, so I gave up after about 20 minutes. They both nodded and left, giving me disappointed looks. I felt terrible, but sleepiness soon overwhelmed the guilt and I fell back asleep.

I woke up about an hour and a half later and spent the rest of the day sightseeing. I was shocked to learn that the travel agency had booked a driver (same guy! augh!) to take me to all the major sightseeing spots. I am a pretty independent person, so I was a bit chafed at first. I was all set to do the sightseeing by myself - I had even mapped out my routes on the metro before I learned about the car.

In the end, I was very grateful for the car for three reasons:  One, Delhi is huge. It's probably the largest, most sprawling city I've ever seen. Trying to navigate the metro would have been a nightmare. Two, it's hot here. Really, really hot. Yesterday was around 47 C (which is about 115 F). Walking around is exhausting. After five minutes in this heat, even my sweat is sweating.

Three, it turns out that a white woman traveling by herself in India is a Pretty Big Deal. All day long, everywhere I went, I got the full celebrity treatment. Long stares (one guy even rolled down his car window to stick his head out for a better look), random people touching me (nothing pervy, usually just on the shoulder), and hoardes of school children waving and yelling "Hi! Hello!". I had experienced a bit of that in Vietnam, so I wasn't too fazed. I just smiled back at people and took photos with them when they asked (which they did, a lot).

The only time it was actually a problem was at Jama Masjid, India's largest Muslim mosque. It's a breathtakingly beautiful structure in the middle of Old Delhi that can hold up to 25,000 worshippers at once. I made sure to follow all the rules - I removed my shoes and made sure my head was covered with a scarf. I wandered around in awe, snapping photos and trying to take it all in. A young man approached me and asked me to take a photo. I obliged, and his friend snapped our photo. Then it was his friend's turn. Okay, sure. Before I knew it, I was surrounded by young men, eager to get a photo on their cell phone with the White Lady. I took a few more photos and then beat a hasty retreat back to my rickshaw. That was the only time it was a little unnerving.

This country isn't a place that is easy to describe. It's one of extremes - extreme beauty, extreme hospitality, but also extreme poverty and extreme need. The need is something I will struggle to get used to; the endless touts (my driver took me to no less than FOUR "special shopping for you!" pit stops yesterday) and feeling like everyone is definitely trying to scam you (but being really nice about it!) can wear on a person.

Tomorrow I have a "free day" before I board a night train to Jaisalmer. I will try to purchase a cell phone and practice my woeful haggling skills. I have a feeling being a keen haggler will come in handy.