Because Teresa and I arrived at Delhi International airport at about 3am the roads on the way to our first hotel were pretty quite, and the temperature was pretty bearable, certainly not how I remember mega-metropolis that is New Delhi. The taxi driver, however, wasn't very pleased that we had had the commonsense to pre-pay the cab fare to the hotel (something we'd read about online), so he wasn't going to be able to charge us his normal 'tourist rate'... that was a little more like the India I remember.
Once we eventually ventured out in to the city during the day (after a couple of days relaxing at the Hyatt, by the pool and enjoying the free happy hours) the more familiar stories began to emerge.
The traffic and energy was just how I remembered it... a crazed combination of every type of vehicle imaginable (buses, cars, pedicabs, motor bikes, horses, camels, cows, tuktuks), combined with constant horn honking and an endless stream of humanity spilling out on to the streets from every direction.
I LOVED IT!!... Teresa not so much.
I'm not sure what it is about the Indian chaos that I seem to enjoy so much, but I think it has something to do with old fascination I have for self-organizing systems. That is, the concept that a sometimes individuals who act within a basic set of rules, and with no central control, can appear to be very well organized... like an ant colony for example. Anyone who has stood in Grand Central Station during peak hour and watched all the people seamlessly move past each other from every direction (with almost no missteps), will have a sense of what I mean. Or like a dance floor filled with ballroom dancers, that spin and twirl past each other, and rarely collide.
In any case the traffic in India (and the country in general) is a lot like that... both mad and chaotic, and yet oddly organized. I guess it just fascinates me.
Having said that, I must admit the noise and full-on energy gets to me after a few days. And eventually the constant sound of car horns, and hawkers relentlessly trying to sell you stuff, can wear even the most ardent admirer down.
Another thing which I found just as fascinating the second time around, is the alternative history that exists in India. While most of us learn a certain amount of world history at school, it usually tends to be focused on European history, and storyline dictated mostly by a pre- and post-christian timeline.
India, however, seems to have a completely different storyline. A storyline that seems to focus on hundreds of years of trying to reconcile Hindu, Muslim, and Christian faiths... with varying degrees of success. The various kings of India (or Maharaja) have a rich history, just like the European kings, and built palaces, forts, and various temples of worship, that rival any of those I have seem in Europe (at around the same time)... but you virtually never hear about them in the western school system (except perhaps where the British were involved).
I guess a notable exception is Mahatma Gandhi, but even he deserves a much greater place in history than the typical foot note that he usually gets.
So... as with everything in India my feeling about returning are a mixture of delight and anxiety. The bottom-line is I'm glad I got a second chance to experience this great country, but I'm not sure I need return again.. although if we do return again Teresa and I both agree we would like to see more of the countryside and less of the cities.
No comments:
Post a Comment