डेल्ही Delhi - A Safe Arrival

We arrived safely in Delhi. We were picked up at about 2:30am at the airport and taken to our first port of stay, the Delhi Bed and Breakfast. Located in a safe, gated community, the B&B is self-described as “a shock-absorber” for fledgling arrivals in one of the busiest cities in the world. The half-hour drive offered some first impressions of the city in the middle of the night. There was a delicate mist cloaking the scenes as we passed colorful trucks loaded up with unbalanced bounty. There seemed to be road construction occurring for the full length of the drive. Vehicles found intricate pathways to pass each other, paying no attention to the road markings or traffic signals. We saw a pack of local wild dogs cross the highway in front of us; the last of them limping, tail wagging, chasing after his canine friends on a mission. Soon a larger shape emerged from the mist in front of us – an elephant roaming the side of the highway playfully twirling a large branch in its trunk, being directed by a man with a much smaller stick. We were met at the door of the B&B at 3am by our gracious host Parvez. When we remarked that it was late he told us that he was happy to greet us in welcome to his house. He noted that he likes to look at people when they first arrive in Delhi tired and vigilant, and compared this to how often people look relaxed and peaceful when they return after having been in India for some time.