acclimations...

It is now 620am and I am trying to figure out what all these sounds outside are...you definitely have your muslim prayers and you definitely have your train making all sorts of ungodly noises and then there is some other beeping that kind of sounds like a train but isn't because a train cannot possibly come that frequently. The only thing more annoying is my heartburn...its naan and rice far me from now on. Delhi has been an interesting experience...the juxtaposition of poverty with what seems to be some feigned sense of industrialization is really fascinating. It's very difficult to see all the women and children following you around and begging - there is a marked lack of men in this role (I think it's a sympathy game). Also - we've noticed a very interesting quirk while traveling through Delhi - when the people here don't know what you're saying, they nod "yes", making for a lot of confusion and interesting conversations. The prices here are absurd - $4 for a huge meal; $2 for earrings; $20 for real pashmina scarves - I could definitely get used to that! I find myself looking forward to going to the South (even though I'm very excited about seeing the taj mahal and the pink city at jaipur) - based on our tour books, it sounds like a nice reprieve from the craziness of the north - it's where "india stops to take a breath".  ~Ellen