It took me some time to get going today as it will take a while for me to adjust to the 11-hour time difference from the Rockies. I did manage to get a little schoolwork done, which was good because I'm currently taking 2 master's classes that will finish in 10 days! Nothing like packing your bags and moving to India just as two classes are concluding! At least I only have a final in one of the classes, but unfortunately papers in both... Please pray for me!
So once I felt I had gotten enough work done to justify a little sightseeing, I decided to ease my way into the chaos of this new world by renting a car and driver for 4 hours. It seemed a lot safer than jumping into the fray and potentially getting myself into trouble. That will have to wait til tomorrow.
I thought I had a pretty good plan of what I wanted to see, but the driver basically trumped me and I humbly admit it was probably for the better. Our first stop was at Indira Gandhi's house, which has no been turned into a museum and also happens to be the place where she was assassinated. It was an interesting window into Indian history, but one that sadly has been too often repeated. Of course, Mahatma Gandhi was also assassinated and that happened to be the next place I was taken by my driver. Gandhi towards the end of his life rented a small room in a large house, which ironically enough has been turned into a historic site and also happens to be the site where he was killed. Without getting too much into the history of the political leaders in India, suffice it to say if you are prime minister of India you are a marked man or woman as the case may be. It was interesting to see the display of the clothes Indira was wearing on the day she was assassinated. She persuaded her son Rajiv to enter politics and eventually he became Prime Minister, but suffered the same fate as his mother. Unfortunately, it seems that assassinations are a very real part of the political landscape in India.
We then made a brief stop at the President's house and saw the India Gate before heading up to see Old Delhi and the Red Fort. Today I was quite thankful to be a passenger, as the traffic and driving was much more chaotic than it had been when I arrived yesterday. I did get a lot of attention from the locals, most of it a result of their interest in my wallet. While there are poor everywhere you go, Old Delhi certainly appeared to have a fairly sizable population in comparison to the other areas I have seen here. There were also a lot more people, which gave it something like the feel of Times Square on New Year's Eve. I didn't have much time in Old Delhi, but am hoping to go back tomorrow as there are a few things I'd like to see there. We stopped at a store to look at various types of hand-crafted goods from carved wood to jewelry to paintings. The detail on the wooden statues and the paintings was incredible. It was somewhat overwhelming to see all the Hindu gods formed into miniature idols created by the hands of men. I can't help but think of how we in American have formed similar idols in our minds and hearts. They may not be physical manifestations of idolatry, but they certainly are just as real. The false gods of power, money, and sex are just a few examples. India has millions of gods, but then again, so do we.
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