With research concluding, the time had come to make my way to Delhi on Sunday. My eyes opened at 5am I was on my way to the bus station at 6am. The airport, located on the very outskirts of the burgeoning city, is the newest addition and attraction to the international India. A modern airport in every way it boasts of international brands and systems designed to make travel easier. The Jet airways flight was quite good and gave us options of either South or North Indian vegetarian food. Accustomed to the staple food of south India (Idli, dosa, sambar and rice) it was a welcome change.
After two hours and some odd minutes I was in the capital city of Delhi. Geographically north, it is the second largest city of India (after Mumbai) the city has a population of about 17 million and is a strange mix of modernity and mughal and British architecture that all comes together to form an identity and image of a city that can be seen as both ancient and modern. This brings in many tourists that often begin their journey from here. Allying apprehensions I made a quiet entry into Delhi on Sunday, a contrast to the hoopla that surrounded every other foreign traveler who had a bombardment of messages and travel deals that were proposed to them.
In the 19th century a gunfighter by then name of John Henry "Doc" Holliday moved to the warmer and drier climate of Arizona to help with his deteriorating condition of tuberculosis. I do not know if the climate really helped in his case but the scorching heat of Delhi has always been good for my sinuses for I am able to breathe more clearly; an irony considering how the city is known for its pollution. The effort to make the city green with both trees and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) for transportation has helped matters with pollution. As for me I am looking forward to clear breathing.
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