Upon our early morning arrival, my best friend Edward and I were met by a hazy smog that kept us from seeing much on our landing into Delhi. As we disembarked, we were immediately swept over by massive wave of polluted heat. Most days we were there got up to 110-120 degrees! As it was very early morning, we were only in the low 100s! Not wanting to be defeated by the oppressive summer of India (coincidentally probably the worst time to visit) we hired a driver for the day and tried to make the most of it.
Delhi is one of the dirtiest cities I've ever visited. The streets smelled horribly and as we drove through the poorly paved streets we passed run down storefronts and heaping piles of refuse. The scenery was made more downtrodden by the poverty-stricken masses. Especially heartbreaking were the many young children lining the streets in ragged clothes with gaunt faces.
Ed and I were struck by the intensity of the environment and remained fairly quiet. We recognized how distinctly third world this city was and got a sense first hand of the extreme conditions.
India is also a country of great contrasts. Despite the incredible heat and tremendous poverty, there is great beauty of many types. Strangely, it wasn’t through a particularly cultural visit that left us in awe. Instead, the most intriguing purchase experience left me with a wonderful view of the beauty of this country (not to mention a cherished painting).
Ed and I decided to visit the Red Fort, in the northeast section of Delhi. We arrived very early in the morning and were not disappointed by this impressive palace (built by the same builders as the Taj Mahal). It is clear that in its heyday it was quite remarkable. Now slightly barren, it took only a slight imagination to create a picture in one’s mind of how lively an environment this historical place must have been.
The real treasure of this experience, however, was when we were leaving. Before you enter the main grounds of the Red Fort, you pass through a strip of shops. When we arrived the shops were all closed (due to the early time we visited the palace). On our way out a few of the shops had opened. Our tour guide/driver asked if we were interested in looking at some Indian miniature paintings. We agreed and half expected to be brought into a tourist trap – a shop catered to the visitor, with flashy signs, gaudy items, etc. To our great surprise and delight we entered into someplace as far from a typical tourist trap as we could have imagined.
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