Anyway, the Captain has stopped by to make sure my stay is pleasant. I mentioned something about the lack of water pressure in my shower (I bucket-bathed this morning…sorry, TMI), and before I can blink, the Captain barks out a command in Hindi and the two of them have sprung into action to fix it. Really, all I want to do is eat and fall asleep, but I suppose a working shower in the morning will be worth the inconvenience.
Once they leave, I’ll Skype home, and will see and talk with my girls as if they’re in the next room. Except they’re 10,000 miles away.
Such is the wild incongruity of this world. Three-legged dogs roam the streets and howl at night. Vendors, cab drivers, and delivery men pilot decrepit, rusty vehicles. The traffic – from large trucks to spry compact cars to scooters to horse-drawn wagons – dance and spin around each other, honking and flashing, with only inches to spare, but never (well, rarely) touching. Meanwhile, much of the new business here is precisely that: new business. High-tech global companies have taken up residence in the midst of howling dogs.
So I’m here.
Travel was easy, really. The plane flight got a little tedious – and strangely claustrophobic after all that time in the air. But it was a comfortable flight, and I had some great conversation with an Indian science teacher from Buffalo who describes herself as “a fan of Jesus”.
After waiting nearly an hour for my bags, and another twenty minutes for my ride, Kevin and his family arrived to begin our five-hour trek up to Chandigarh. They were returning to Chandigarh themselves after a weekend touring the Taj Mahal and other sites.
So I crawled into the back of their rented minivan, while the driver climbed onto the roof, stomping around as he tied my suitcases to the luggage rack. The air wasn’t hot, but it was stifling, humid, smog-filled. Our minivan was parked in a puddle, and mosquitoes buzzed about the back of the van. Why again did they advise me against malaria immunization?
In a world of aggressive drivers, I believe we may have had the fourth-most aggressive driver in all of India. I say that because I counted only three times the entire trip where we were passed by another vehicle. The rest of the time, we honked and flashed our way past (barely past!) every other vehicle on the road. It was four in the morning, and I think the driver wanted to see his wife and kids.
But somehow, we eventually found our way into the side streets of Chandigarh, to a pleasant little guest house. I unpacked, pulled the drapes, and settled in for a night of sleep right as the sun was starting to emerge.
More later. And now for some photos...
I made it.
Taxis as I waited for Kevin.
A "truck stop" where the driver stopped on the way up to Chandigarh.
Our vehicle.
My first Indian bathroom. At the truck stop. Kinda seedy.
The back of our vehicle.
My room, angle #1.
My room, angle #2.
Awww! I found a stowaway in my suitcase. Sweet Avery.
My bathroom in the guesthouse. (Sorry, this will be the last bathroom shot, I promise.) Dare you to find the toilet paper. So thankful Karen had packed me extra kleenex.
Shots from my balcony, overlooking Chandigarhian rooftops.
A strip mall. They're all three stories tall, and filled with the most random selection of businesses.
Like this one for instance. The Indians have apparently figured out the secret to "height increasing". Or maybe that just reflects the communal desire of a country filled with a lot of petite people.
"In all of our hearts, Coca-Cola". (According to Narinder, Kevin's Sikkh business associate.)
The building where Global Pueblo has their offices.
Vendors directly across the street from the office.
My first session with the staff. From left-to-right, Santhosh, Manisha, Nagma, and Aruna. (Better picture tomorrow. Manisha didn't want to take one at the end of the day...she wanted one fresh in the morning!)
Sanjeev hard at work, trying to solve a problem for Emily Carr. (Thanks, Emily.)
Love the pictures, Clay. Well, now you're off and running! Hopefully, it will only be professionally, and maybe physically, but not gastroenterolically (is that a word?) heehee
Have a great trip. I'll look forward to following your progress and I pray God gives you a good return!
--Lisa
Great photo journalism, Clay. Can't wait to see more. Blessings and safe journeys.