Arrived Safely

Hello everyone.

After a smooth thirteen hour flight over Europe, I arrived safely into Indira Gandhi Airport. Getting a taxi was definitely a new experience. I was told to go to a pre-paid taxi booth and pay for my fare before finding a driver so that I would get a fair deal. Within five minutes of stepping out of the baggage claim area, I was swarmed by several people wanting to drive me to my apartment. After fighting through an ambiguous line of people wanting a taxi fare, I finally made my way into Taxi 2519 and was off on my journey.

The ride from the airport was intense. Roads were bumpy and "staying in your lane" and "signaling" were non-existent. My driver's taxi didn't even have side mirrors! Along the way, I got a small glimpse of street life in New Delhi, with a lot of stray dogs running around, cows roaming at free will, and people hanging out or sleeping on the streets. I have no idea how my driver found my apartment because I couldn't find any visible street signs besides one's directing us to the big roads and intersections. After a thirty minute ride and several stops for directions, I made it home.

Today I awoke to a servant named Ramu who brought me coffee and biscuits in the morning. Haresh, the man who owns and lives in the apartment with me, took me for a ride and dropped me off in a neighborhood park for a morning walk. Now I'm getting ready for my boss at the Public Health Foundation of India, who's coming to pick me up at 9:30.

Until next time!