An Oasis in the Chaos
We arrived at the “most beautiful building” in the world. It was truly stunning; an architectural masterpiece insulted by photos that could never do it justice. I expected the overwhelming disbelief. I received it too, just not for a reason I ever could have anticipated.
So what would it take to get you out of bed at 6 am after a 3 am arrival in a foreign country? I’m willing to bet The Taj Mahal is more than enough incentive for most. You’ve probably heard of the Taj, but may not know the story behind the iconic landmark (guilty!). Here’s a quick recap: it all began when a prince named Shah Jahan fell in love with beautiful 14-year-old Mumtaz Mahal. They spent many happy years together before Mumtaz tragically passed during the birth of their 14th child. As she lay on her deathbed, Shah Jahan promised that he would build the world’s most beautiful mausoleum in her honor. Fast forward 22 years and behold, the Taj Mahal was complete.
With a lengthy ride from Delhi to Agra behind us, we piled out of the van in anxious excitement. Reality set in and shock swept over. We were a stone’s throw from arguably the world’s top tourist attraction, a symbol of undying love, a Wonder of the Modern World …while simultaneously engulfed by the worst of urban poverty. The sheer lack of infrastructure was baffling; sanitation was minimal and waste management was non-existent. I couldn’t make sense of our surroundings as we were chauffeured by an emaciated camel to the grand entrance of the Taj.

Guilt and disbelief aside, I will never forget the exact moment the Taj Mahal appeared between the curved archway. It was memorizing, every bit as spectacular as imagined. It is not simply an icon to be seen, it is a full experience. If you are an “off the beaten path” traveler considering skipping the massive tourist attraction… don’t. That being said, the inside is nothing to write home about. It is a walkthrough comparable to herding cattle as you are pushed along to the exit. Sweltering, stinky and crowded, the interior is a little anti-climactic.



I arrived in Delhi under the impression that it would take a lot to truly phase me. I arrived well-traveled, well researched and, well, ready. Rookie mistake. Nothing prepares you for India. Little did I know, the trip to the Taj would serve as an elementary introduction to what the remainder of the week had in store.
India is defined by rigid extremes; there is no compromise and no in between. It is too hot, or it is too cold. You are too rich or you are too poor. You will love it, or you will hate it. The mismatched combination of structure and chaos was both infuriating and utterly incomprehensible… incomprehensible to my biased Canadian worldview, that is. The bad is all too apparent when gazing through a skewed westernized lens. I had an intense internal struggle to overcome. It took a drastic change in mindset to catch a glimpse of the allure, the playful unpredictability and immense diversity inherent to this beautifully complicated country.
I began by abandoning the concept of personal space, and bit my tongue as men addressed me not by name, but snapping fingers. I gave up on individuality and gave in to imitation. If everyone is barefoot, crossed legged and passing food with their right hand, you can bet I was barefoot, cross legged and right handed too. Was I suddenly immune to the countless stray animals, the beggars, or the deformations on people’s bodies? No, but I also wasn’t blind to the stunning women in their bright saris, the skill of the market craftsmen, or surrounding melting pot of culture and religion. While it’s no easy feat, the sacrifice is well worth it.
Everywhere you look there is something new to see, something you have probably never seen before and may never see again. The flavors, the smells, the colors, are all of unmatched intensity. Every sense was in constant stimulation. I climbed into bed each night exhausted and completely overwhelmed. It’s tiring to live day in and day out having never felt more alive. Tiring, and undeniably addicting.
I can’t end this post without touching on the notoriously chaotic, yet strangely functional streets of Delhi. Your chances of maintaining sanity are directly correlated to your ability to ditch the agenda and go with the flow. I found this to be particularly challenging, after all, there is no flow to be found on the streets of Delhi. Whether you choose to stress or not is up to you; you aren’t moving any faster and you will, most likely, get where you are going… eventually. If it’s any consolidation, everyone else is late to everything too.

Navigating the streets by foot is an entirely different story, one reserved for only the most adventurous of explorers. Don’t give up control here, walk with purpose despite inevitably having no idea where you are going. While I may have felt like Frogger dodging barriers, cars, cows, truck and motor bikes, I was certainly not so inconspicuous as the only pale skinned blond in sight. I was also the only woman. Walking the streets not challenging enough for you? Head to a market. Are you a pro haggler with plenty of Caribbean market experience? Like me, you will soon realize you know nothing of the heated and intimidating exchange known as bargaining in Delhi. My attempt to remain calm, pleasant and firm, concluded with a rather demoralizing finale of walking (running) away empty handed.
I failed at almost everything in Delhi. Apparently, I found some twisted enjoyment in being completely incompetent and even managed to screw up in the final hour. The locals call it Delhi belly, I call it the absolute worst case of food poisoning I have ever had the misfortune of experiencing. I knew the drill: cook it, boil it, peel it or leave it. My overnight flight to Amsterdam would have been much more enjoyable had I actually followed the drill… Rookie mistake #2.
I would describe my brief experience with India as a love-hate relationship; one that I am just not ready to give up on. I had the opportunity to experience only a tiny taste of the massive, complex, diverse country. A semi sweet, mildly bitter first bite that has left me curiously craving more. Think you are ready for your own exotic, mind blowing and unavoidably frustrating journey to India? You’re not. But you also never will be, so I say go for it. Goodluck.



