Sunny Rajisthan

I am now in Jaipur, Rajisthan, having swapped one mega-city for a big-city. Delhi was crazy. I got there on my birthday (the 21st), which also turned out to be the equivilent of Hindu Christmas. Besides giving gifts and eating lots of sweets, the kids go nuts with all sorts of fireworks at night. So, after J had got his flight, I wandered the streets and alleyways being entertained by the stupid things that kids will do with fireworks when their parents aren't looking... and the parents were getting in on the act with much larger fireworks. People must get injured, which wouold explain the "Say no to Crackers!" banners that I saw around the place. Thankfully nobody paid them any attention.

I spent just one full day in Delhi, long enough to see the Red Fort and wander the markets of the Old Delhi. I stumbled across the spice markets and had a ball... you can buy any kind of spice, many of them unknown to me, in any kind of quantity. You can even buy lichen, to put in some kind of tea masala that I saw a woman making. I also gained an education in being scammed. Over here you don't worry too much about being robbed, instead people just try to weedle undeserved rupees from you wallet. On particularly evil rickshaw driver drove me from one side of New Delhi railway station to the other (a long way), and managed to convince me that he had delivered me to Old Delhi station (my proper destination). This almost caused me to miss my train to Jaipur. I then had the fun of urging a rickshaw driver to "go faster man!"... which is not something that sane people do in Delhi.

Jaipur is in the middle of the desert. Hot and dusty, home to 5 million crazy people. I spent a day yesterday wandering around, looking at the sites and soaking up the crazy energy. Here one is always getting approached, particularly by young men who want to show you around. Most are on the scam, but some are genuinly friendly it seems. The challenge is in judging characters instantly. I have met one bunch of guys, who I have been hanging around with. They are a mixed combo of Muslims and Hindus (I have only seen positive relationships between the two groups so far). Today is the end of the Muslim month of fasting, so I have spent the morning going to people's places with them, eating food and well wishing. Tonight there is going to be a big cookup on a rooftop. Good show.

Well, there is lots more to say, but I want to be out there instead of in here on a computer, so it will have to wait...