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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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 … Continue reading