The train to Delhi was quite fun. Lots of conversations. 3 Nigerians looking for investors. An ex-pat German who runs a ayurvedic/western hospital in under-developed Bihar. Two medical equipment engineers and a businessman. With most Indians I get into converstations about Bush, what Americans really think and Kashmir/Pakistan. More on that later. Everybody is happy to hear that I dislike Bush. And actually I've never met a single American who did ! Where are these people ? Well okay, they aren't in New York. And they don't ever leave the US. So nobody ever sees them.

Delhi, as most people will admit, is insane. Old Delhi is like every rock festival you've ever been to, the day after, every day for 4000 years. Add cows and let it ferment. The roads are dirt, there's food everywhere. Unlike Mumbai, in Old Delhi there aren't upper class/caste Indians mixed in.
I failed to get good pictures there. There is so much going on, right when your mind is taking in one amazing sight (a whole family on the back of a bycyle rickshaw) the next one is zooming into view. You never have time to adapt. I think I'll try putting the camera on fashion model mode (click click click click) and try and catch random things, then delete the rest. Too hard to get the timing right otherwise. And I still feel bad just snapping pictures of people. I'm thinking of printing up a little card in Hindi to ask if I can take a picture. Then they can always look at the website (if they are the kind that every look at websites) and see if they are on here.

I was walking around aimlessly in this maze and some kid started talking to me. The usual: where are you from ? how do you like india ?
I ask him: how do you like delhi ? He looks at me with this really tired look and says "its kind of crazy". He is trying to work the tout thing, but he's not really into it. "You know, I have to tell you," he says "you dress too nice. Everybody can tell you have money." I have holes in my pants, a simple grey t-shirt. Maybe a step more stylish (simply minimal) than your average traveller. But it doesn't look like money to me. He knows a good indian market, really cheap clothes... of course he'll get some rupees if he gets me there. Lots of guys are quite honest in mentioning the commission, and they try to use it: " help me out, I get 50 rupees, you just have to look". But unfortunately we know its a bit more complicated, its just a first step.

Hung out with 3 really nice hip Indian guys. They live in England half the year, come down here for winter. Running tours up to Ladakh in Kashmir. "Of course I know you are going to Dharmasala, you are American and all the Americans go up there." And he has a picture of the Dalai Lama on his desk too.
This meeting also started on the street, at first just a pleasant conversation. Even these eventually lead to selling something, but there isn't really any pressure. And they do just want to hook me up with a trip to beautiful Ladakh. But I waited 3 hours in line for the train ticket I already have so I'm not trading that in.

The rooftops are quite nice and peaceful. All travellers, sipping tea. Good thai food, pizza etc. Still haven't made it to New Delhi which is quite spacious and has lots of western comforts. Like toilet paper.

I only wanted to be there for one day, heading for the hills right away for peace and so I can get rid of this warm jacket I'm dragging around in the heat down here.

6 am, catch the train to Shimla. Dehli is mostly asleep, which means its no more busy than the East Village during the day.