Delhi

I arrived safely in Delhi and met up with my friend Abby with absolutely no issues. It was pretty incredible to see her halfway across the world after 24 hours + of travel. We had a great day together in Old Delhi. It has been a bit overwhelming, as I expected it to be. The heat (over 100 degrees), the smells, tastes and sights are all very intense. A highlight of the day was the spice market where it was literally impossible to breathe because of the smell of curry and hot pepper. Everyone was sneezing and coughing, even the workers. I helped Abby pick out some spices to take home and am looking forward to purchasing some for myself at the end of my trip.
We also went to a service at a Sikh temple. After washing our feet and hands we sat on the floor and listened to the service leader, (whose tone was strangely reminiscent of a rabbi giving a sermon!) Even though I have no idea what he was saying, it was nice to sit and reflect in the beautiful temple after hours of navigating the streets of Old delhi. When you leave the temple everyone put out their hand and this guy ladled a big scoop of unidentified mush and placed it in each person's palm. It was oily and surprisingly sweet. I'm not totally sure what it was... Sanitary? No. Delicious? Yes.

Right now we are sitting in an internet cafe watching BBC News discuss Osama Bin Laden's death. It feels strange being so close to Islamabad with all of this happening. However, I think it is a good sign that the Indian men in the cafe changed the channel and decided to watch cricket instead of news about bin laden. I guess sometimes sports trump even the biggest international news stories...

That is all for now. We are going to spend one more day in delhi and then head to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. Sending love from India!
Jodie
p.s. if you need to call me for any reason (this is for you, family) here is my number: 91-971-723-0885