Random thoughts on India

My work trip to Delhi last week was my first visit to India, ever. I travel quite a bit for work, and people are often surprised to know that I've never been to India. Truth be told, I wasn't thrilled about going there; mental pictures of street kids, poverty and the prospect of getting "Delhi belly" was doing me in.

So anyway, I didn't get Delhi Belly (I brought water purifying tablets, which I used for brushing my teeth and washing my face. According to the husband that was OTT on my part, but really, I didn't want to be sick), and I loved the food. Indian food would never be the same again. Did I mention I LOVED THE FOOD?

The sights of abject poverty and opulent wealth though, were painful to me. Hard to stomach watching a barely 6 year old girl, carrying a toddler with her, rushing from car to car, in the middle of a busy road junction, asking for money. I saw this when we were in the car going to someplace. I slipped some money to the driver and he waved it to the girl who came running, eager for that money, never mind cars were zig-zagging (is that a word? well, it is now!). And the look on her face, the smile and the wave she offered us, as she walked back to the roadside, with the toddler she was carrying...all heartwrenching.

Another colleague, Cath, was telling me she saw a little boy, perhaps 2 or 3 years old, sleeping by the roadside, with no one to watch over him. She said it made her feel like bringing him home, to put him in a nice bed, with clean white sheets. I know exactly what she means.

On a happier note, about six of us made a day trip to Agra, to see the Taj Mahal. And it was well worth the 4 hours travel there and 5 hours back. It was beautiful, the most magnificent monument I've ever seen. I was left speechless when we stepped into the gates and saw the Taj Mahal for the first time. The tour guide told us that the best time to visit the Taj Mahal is to see it in the splendour of a full moonlight, because the marble and some of the semi precious stones that are used to build it reflect light and the entire masoleum looks like it glows under full moon. Wow.