Leaving India

Perspective is just so interesting. Mr. Singh picked us up at 8:30 a.m. and drove us to the Vasant Hotel in South Delhi (I stayed there on the way into India) where Babaji and entourage were staying. Then we took a rented bus to the airport. We took the same exact road we had taken into Delhi on arrival. I looked around trying to see what had so upset me on the way in. I couldn't find ANYTHING upsetting. I have become so used to life in India that it all looked 100% normal to me. In reality, Haridwar is more shocking than Delhi. In Delhi the roads are 4-6 lanes wide (2-3 going in each direction) so when cabs ride in the middle of lanes, quickly shift lanes, dart into places you think they cannot possibly fit - at least they are always going with traffic. In Haridwar the streets are only 2 lanes wide - one in each direction. So when a cabbie passes he is doing it in the shoulder (and possibly running into cows, people, shops, garbage piles, etc) OR, more interesting, in the lane of traffic coming toward you! In addition, the shops in Haridwar are smaller, there is much more rubble and many more wandering cows and water buffalo.

And yet, when I first went into Haridwar, I thought it was much better than Delhi! To be fair to Delhi I also have to keep in mind that, In January, I was in South Delhi. The only time I drove through the heart of downtown Delhi was in the dark on our way to the train to go to Haridwar. This trip I was near the center (Connaught Circle) amid parks, government buildings, the beautiful India Gate, lovely hotels. So, my assessment of Delhi in January was like judging San Francisco based on staying in South San Francisco. They are just not the same.

Actually, I realize that if I had stayed at the Y on my way into India I probably would have been horrified by it! But after 10 weeks in India it looked fine to me. Yes, the walls above the bathroom mirror were awful. In fact, any wall above eye level wasn't painted, there were open gaps in the upper walls, the lower walls were pitted. The floor was uncarpeted, the beds were hard, the chairs rickety, the bathroom floor was rough cement, the fixtures were old and leaky - all normal to me! I thought it was great - and just $35 a night including breakfast and dinner (truly awful, by the way, I might have been tired by Ashram food but it used home-grown veggies beautifully prepared). Ah, what time does to perspective.

The Delhi airport was a challenge. Like many airports world-wide it is undergoing major renovations. The check-in was easy (I was ready - my carry-on weighed only about 15 pounds and of course China Air didn't weigh it) but getting through immigration and security was not easy. It was like a maze with no directions and it was HOT. Once through, the rest was easy (although the gate changed 3 times). The trip was 2 hours less going east (5 hours instead of 7) which was nice and I sat next to a fascinating woman who helps non-profits that are in trouble. I enjoyed talking with her and discussing MSQLP's growth.

We were at the hotel in Taipei by midnight but could not fall asleep until close to 3:30 - my mind was too full of India. At breakfast this morning a young dining room attendant smiled good morning and I started to "Namaste" and put my hands together and nod my head - and it hit me. India is over. I will greatly miss the gentleness of the Indian greeting. Also, everything is so clean here, so fresh, so antiseptic smelling . . . so NOT India. It is lovely, I guess. Oh dear, I suspect re-entry culture shock is just around the corner.

I am off to Taipei (we are outside the city- near the airport) to visit the National Museum. I didn't make it last time - too tired. I do want to see it. Our flight to San Francisco is at midnight - will be home very soon.

Will include one more post once I get home. There are several more stories about India I want to write and I will post them here - but that will be in the future. I want to keep all my "India Thougts" in one place. I also don't really know what to do with a blog when it is over - how to get rid of it. Will figure that out later, too.

Thank you so much, one and all. You will probably never comprehend how much I appreciated all the notes you sent - notes from home mean so much when one is far away. You made my adventure easier.