Last night we landed in India, and I can honestly say that the entire flight experience after getting on a plane after already being awake for 24 hours was fascinating. The flight itself was a bit of a fever dream and landing around 2AM did not help that process. The lighting and smog made for a very surreal cushioned world feel on landing and there is a lot to be said for the abject thrill (and a tiny bit of terror) during our first bus ride.

During the drive to the hotel, the infrastructure was particularly fascinating as we drove through. Many buildings were in a state of disrepair and I found myself wondering who built them. Buildings are always built with a purpose, and to have so many structures that appear disused indicates a fascinating shift in population demographics. Historically this kind of shift is gradual (unless there is an instance of a mass disaster) and can be seen in every country. I was heavily reminded of the buildings in and around Detroit where the city had to raze 10% of the structures to bring back growth to the area. Unlike in Detroit however I am shocked how courteous and polite everyone is. As a New Englander, I traditionally am used to a reasonable amount of standoffishness, but everyone here has been incredibly welcoming.

Today we went to the tallest minaret as well as the red fort (with some rather droll shopping in between) and I was interested how little educational plaques were on or around the monuments. This is something that is common across the world, but I am always a little disappointed to not have more access to information. Next time, I will be sure to find an itinerary and research the locations so I can appreciate them a bit more.

All in all, I think the hardest thing for me to handle was my inability to brush my teeth without using the sink water. For some reason I can do this while camping, but the second the sink is in front of me it becomes an impossibly messy task in which I manage to use a half bottle of water in a process that should have taken less than a few mouthfuls.

While it may be the first day, I am optimistic about the rest of the trip. Tomorrow we will visit the Taj Mahal as well as take a rather aggressively long bus ride.