Series
Delhi is starting to feel like my home in India. Its the fourth time I am coming to the city, and I am starting to feel quite comfortable. I know where to stay. I know where the store that does a good job to transfer digital photos to CD is. I know how much a rickshaw ride should cost to the various places I need to go. And I can even place outgoing call with the cell phone. I must be forging some habits here... Time to leave!
But I write this after spending a week here in the Bazaar of Paharganj, and I am just itching to go. My friends Keren and Noa were here with me until a few days ago, at which point I started working on this web update. I also met some French people: Ben and Francis, and another Israeli girl: Michal. All this crew is living, along with many other tourists in the small crowded bazaar. A few streets lined with guest houses, restaurants, street food vendors, souvenir shops, cloth stores, tailors, bookshops, jewelry stores, Internet cafes, beggars, rickshaws, ... The list is endless and the activity intense.
I celebrated my 6 months of not working with a beer (singular) and a good dinner with my three Israeli friends. But I am starting to see writing these web updates as my job, my pet project. When on the road for so long, I find that it helps to have a goal. Something to work towards. Some people buy articrafts, some meditate, some forget about where they came from. I write. Its quite a change from writing computer programs, but for now it keeps me busy and I enjoy it.
My itinerary had me reaching Thailand 3 days ago. But I am still here in India. Its such a fascinating country, and there is much to see. It takes a lifetime to see and understand India. Under my revised plan I'll have almost 3 months in total. Not bad, but I am just scratching the surface. After vowing to return to Iran, I have to add India on the list of places to go to. And not necessarily after all the places I haven't seen yet.
After a week in Delhi I've had a hard time deciding on where to go. My original plan was to return to Rajasthan to see the cities of Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Udaipur. But then I decided that I was rather in the mood for something new. My next plan was to go North to Himachal Pradesh — the home of the Dalai Lama and the Tibet government in exile — but after the cold of Delhi and Varanasi I reconsidered. Then came Rishikesh, a place famous for Yoga training that became popular after the Beatles visited, back in the days. My new, latest and greatest plan is to head towards Khajuraho — to see the Kamasutra temple — and Bodghaya — the place where Buddha became enlightened. I will walk to the train station in a few hours, but there is still chances that I change my mind. Only my next few updates will be able to reveal...
India and the Kingdom of Nepal (gallery) (next entry =>) Delhi Pradesh India Friends Travel