India

As we entered Indian skies today the air was clear and I got a wicked view of the Himalayas. As we approached Delhi the skies became dim and hazy, fires burned below in the fields and by the time we had landed the sun was gone. Welcome to the madhouse. I thought the room I got in KL was a dive until I settled into my 4$ room in Delhi today. Another reason that Lonely Planet deserves the nickname Lonely Liar, as an angry German man once told me on the Cambodian border. The trip from the airport to the backpacker area was astonishing, my mind, officially blown. After finally securing a taxi we rounded the corner and sideswiped a cow and pulled up to the first red light where the skinniest man alive approached the car for money with his child in his arms. His daughter had her head bandaged and there was enough blood coming from her ear to warrant a trip to a surgeon. My taxi driver and I were having a debate about who smelled worse, me or him, when I realized that every country I visit, the driving gets decidedly worse. A 2 lane road is actually 4 lanes, don't you know that?! Otherwise so far so good. Decent green curry for dinner and a brew on the rooftop bar down the street. My plan is to tour Delhi tomorrow and then head out to Agra, site of Taj Mahal on Sunday. From there it will be on to Varanasi, spiritual center of India and first site of Buddhist teachings and then to Nepal. Still no chance to upload pictures so it might be tough. peace.