Wrap it up to go, please

We are SO DONE with India! Leaving tomorrow is not soon enough. Delhi SUCKS. The air today is not so bad as 2 weeks ago, but the traffic and noise are unbelievable. Traffic here is as close to chaos as it could possibly be. I cannot imagine anywhere could be any worse. Red lights, lanes, right of way, even driving on the proper side of a major street or freeway are all merest suggestions. Driving across a major intersection against a red light, through heavy cross traffic, dodging pedestrians and bikes, without so much as a glance left or right, all with a friendly cop looking on is business as usual. I have had a handful of personal harrowing driving experiences during my entire driving career. One hour on the road here produces more horrors than I have had in my entire life! Amazingly there is not even any evidence of road rage. The drivers just complacently carry on from one moment to the next. I read in the paper today that one of the local bus lines in Delhi just killed its 109th victim of the year. A young woman got off a local bus after her classes at college. A couple guys on a motor bike buzzed her, doing what they call eveteasing. She fell into the path of another bus and was run over. She lie in the crowded urban street crushed for over an hour before anyone bothered to call for help. Life is very, very cheap here. I cannot express how appalling it is to witness this attitude first hand in countless ways. So was it a good trip to India? Yes, it was. Way back I read someone saying it was the closest one could get to visiting another planet. One month and I am convinced that is no exaggeration.

 

We had a strange lunchtime diversion here in Delhi this afternoon. We ate at McDonald's. We NEVER eat at McDonald's, but curiosity about how they translated Big Mac to Hindi had to be satisfied. A sign in the lobby proudly proclaimed "This restaurant does NOT serve beef or any beef products." There are burgers on the menu, Veggie Macs, or something like that. There are also curries and other Indian fast food staples compressed into easy to cook and serve portions. We had a veggie Mac and a Salsa Paneer, as well as some of the best coffee we have had in a month. The burger patty was basically mushed up potato and vegetable patty deep fried. It was bland and not so good. Paneer is a pervasive fresh cheese served in many Indian dishes. McD deep fried it, of course, and put it into a chapati (tortilla) with some salad greens and salsa. It was actually quite spicy, hot and tasty, much more to my liking than expected.

 

On the way to this internet shop we found a rare liquor store. Liquor is surprisingly uncommon in India. We bought a small bottle of local rum to entertain us when we return to the hotel to while away a few last hours. As mentioned before, we have had it as tourists. After we get back to the hotel we might go out again for some dinner, but maybe not. It is just too damn insane here and unpleasant as hell to be out and about. Booze and music TV in Hindi are our final aspirations for India.


Michael & Susan Kuhn
Trip email: indiaadventure2007@gmail.com
Trip blog: www.indiaadventure2007.blogspot.com