Delhi blues

On the surface, the Nation's capitol is crusty, hard, and unwelcoming. Suddenly Ahmedabad looks light and fluffy to me. However, all of the people I have come to meet here in Delhi have been wonderful and very interesting to speak with, so it could be a foreigner thing. I have found the outer, public layer to be spooky, edgy, and more than a little cranky. Probably Delhi has seen too many dazed and confused tourists, but I don't know if this is the reason that it greets its visitors with a chill. Certainly there are amazing things to see here, from forts and temples to museums and shopping (!) but I have just not felt comfortable here since I arrived.

On the upside, the interesting people I have met here include: an organic cotton manufacturer, another herbal dyer, and a company that makes lovely handbags out of recycled plastic bags- very cool! Also, the textile gallery in the Crafts Museum is amazing. I like it even more than the Calico Museum of Textiles in Ahmedabad (which I visited on my previous trip to India) because you are allowed to look at your leisure, instead of getting shuffled through on a big tour with very limited time. But despite the interesting people to meet and places to see, I feel very lonely here in Delhi. Only two more nights before I fly to the more hospitable south, and seven more until I meet Paul in Bombay! I'm so excited for Paul to arrive!