Back to Delhi

I

Leaving Mandawa at 6 am meant that we drove through the town just as it was waking up... my favourite time. I think the dogs had been roaming all night as they were still sleeping all over the road and seemed in no hurry to move. Several of the women were out sweeping in front of their houses with the little straw brooms that they are so adept at using and there were a couple of little roadside fires burning the sweepings. 

It was about 260 kms back to Delhi on a road that varied from OK to "Tarun are you sure this is actually a road?" There was one particularly large pothole which Tarun described as the worst he's ever hit and that's saying something! Fortunately the car survived and so did we but a few things went flying round the car.

 

As we got closer to Delhi the scenery changed quite a bit. There were many wheatfields, many that had been recently harvested. The colours were beautiful.

I am still amazed at how much work on farms, construction sites and roads is done by hand. Obviously this creates a whole lot of jobs for many people and I wonder how much unemployment there would be with increased mechanisation .

At one stage we passed what appeared to be some sort of cattle sale.

 

So many cows...and so much cow dung!

All along the road we saw cow dung patties, all shaped by hand and dried in the sun. The patties are then piled up into piles and often covered with sticks or another layer of cow dung to keep them dry until they are needed.... usually for fuel.

As usual we struck lots of trucks and tractors carrying huge loads and taking up more than their share of the road.

 

As we approached Delhi the sky got greyer and we travelled through more towns. Many people were living in makeshift homes very close to the road and we often saw clothes drying right alongside where the vehicles passed... often on the median strip fence.

Closer to Delhi things got chaotic ... really chaotic! We moved very slowly and things weren't helped by the metro construction that is happening in many parts of the city .

We went straight to Tarun's office in Connaught Place and from there did a few chores... Like going to the ATM and buying a new bag so I can take home some of the stuff I never intended to buy.

Then it was to Khan Market to buy Indian Barbie and Ken dolls for my granddaughter who is turning 4 soon after I return home. 

Next stop was Tarun's home where I'm staying the night. We had already caught up with his father at the office but his mother and sister were pleased to welcome him home.

My last dinner in India!