S2L77: Delhi

From 1977 03 02 India

Finally, Delhi. Usually, when Westerners arrive in Delhi, it's by way of a long flight from somewhere like Frankfurt. Culture shock is huge. The new arrivals are stunned by the exotic sights, sounds and smells, the crowds and chaos of the streets, the poverty, the utter strangeness of everything.

More after the jump.

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One's reaction to a new place is influenced by the route used to get there. Try approaching Delhi by road, after traveling through the countryside of Nepal and all over northern India. Approach Delhi by way of villages without running water or electricity and it's like arriving in the Emerald City of Oz. There is a celebratory feeling of being back in the modern world, with modern conveniences and familiar surroundings. Head to a restaurant in a five-star hotel. Indulge in a cold beer or an ice cream sundae. An entirely different reaction than what that air traveler from Frankfurt experiences.

Then, there are the sights we saw, everything from the ancient glory of the Mughal Empire to the architecture of the British Raj to the boisterousness of modern democratic India with Prime Minister Indira Gandhi campaigning fiercely in an election that will temporarily end her rule.

From 1977 03 02 India

From 1977 03 02 India

From 1977 03 02 India

From 1977 03 02 India

From 1977 03 02 India

From 1977 03 02 India

One of a continuing series.
Start: Around the World in 800 Days
Previous: Qutub Minar of Delhi
Next: Golden Temple of Amritsar