arrival in new delhi.

I did a bit of reading about India before the trip and learned from numerous sources that it is often known for being a land of contradictions. Supposedly in India you find the best and worst of everything. Therefore, I shouldn’t have been surprised when our flight was delayed by almost an entire day, we made two additional stopovers in both Dubai and Amsterdam, and arrived in New Delhi after 48 hours of continuous travel without luggage. However, the best of India came shortly after when I stepped out of the airport and saw the country for the first time. I wasn’t prepared to see men walking the streets with turbans piled onto their heads, women wrapped in brightly colored saris, cows freely roaming the streets, etc. Everything looked so mysterious and exotic. The first few moments in a new country are always some of the best, in my opinion.

Shortly after arriving at our hostel Grant and I met our German friend, Nicole, and we found a somewhat quiet place to catch up over a cup of chai tea. It was so good to be reunited and traveling together again after 2 years apart. Our first night in India was spent adjusting to the noise and pollution of the city, trying authentic Indian food for the first time, and resting. All of us were exhausted from having traveled halfway around the world. The next morning we woke up fairly early and set out to explore New Delhi. We walked up and down busy streets home to barefoot beggars and curry restaurants. We dodged cows and pushy vendors and tuk-tuks that were driving on the “wrong” side of the road. And during this first day I became convinced that no experience in life could have adequately prepared me for India. If I had to sum up the entire country into one word it would be this: Chaos.

It only took us one full day in New Delhi to be sure that we didn’t want to stay any longer. After only 24 hours my lungs were working overtime and my head ached from the noise and pollution. So the following morning we packed our bags, hired a driver, and set of to explore the western state of Rajasthan where we hoped to find a bit more peace and quiet.

A few photos from the city:

almost every man in northern india is dressed this way.


indian traffic.


travelers between delhi and rajasthan.


typical street vendor in delhi.

Next stop: Jaipur.