India Journal: We’re Not In Kansas Anymore!

In crafting my sabbatical I purposefully opted not to plan very much.  Against my nature, I organized only my flight, a pick up at the airport in Delhi, and a hotel for the first two nights. Upon my arrival (at 2:00 am), I was greeted by what seemed like 5,000 animated Indians speaking dozens of dialects, waving signs, grabbing bags and offering rides.  The sights, sounds and scents were all loud, chaotic and unfamiliar, yet somehow not frightening.  To call it sensory overload would be an understatement, yet it was the perfect introduction to the duality that epitomizes the country.

My driver was not there, however I quickly made change, found a phone and called him, only to find he thought my flight arrived the next morning. He was picking up other passengers but could get to me within the hour.  After a harrowing trip through the streets of Delhi we arrived at the hotel.

I spent the day touring around and quickly realized, amazing as it was, I was ready to move on. I arranged a ride to Rishikesh for the following morning. (more…)