Nikki's Thinking Out Loud

The India Episodes

Day 4 + 5: Yeah, it’s a dry heat.

The heat has officially prevailed over the mortals in the last two days.

Currently on the other side of the misery, I can attest that this is likely part of the shock of coming to India; it just hits different folks at different times. Day 4 took mom down for the count, and day 5 wasn’t pretty either. They say that the combination of jet lag, lack of consistent sleep, adjustment to new gut bacteria (even if you are careful), and heat will eventually come for you in your first days abroad. And it did do this. I’ll spare you the details, here’s a teaser of how I found some comfort for my intense heat rash in the evenings after swelling to the size of a watermelon during the day.

But, in India, you need to roll with it, and find the beauty in the chaos (or the swelling) because the small moments make this place truly magnificent. So, Friday began with the most delicious breakfast, yet again, and then into Delhi for some shopping at the emporiums. The beauty of emporiums is in the fact that they highlight the artisans and unique textiles of each region of India —it’s like a primer for figuring out what you like and what you want to spend your rupees on before you buy 25 figurines from a street vendor. Lined up over a city block, you can easily look and take in the differences and similarities between each region, and learn a bit more about how the culture of the distinct region impacts the artistic style. It made me think about what makes each US state special, and if a largely import-based nation like ours even has specific artisans that fit a particular state. Do we have an American emporium anywhere? If we do, what would be in each state? Being “known” for something (i.e., Pittsburgh is known for bridges), and being able to share this as a cultural artifact that has impact, seems like a sentiment we don’t have the equivalent.

The highlight of the day for me, however, was going to Swaminarayan Akshardham temple. It was like Disney World, but instead of Mickey Mouse as the central theme, the complex (and I truly mean COMPLEX) is dedicated to the guru and spiritual leader, Bhagwan Swaminarayan (1781-1830). Similar to Mickey Mouse, I guess, Bhagwan Swaminarayan fosters harmony through a global network of devotees focused on Hindu values. You are not allowed to take anything into the complex, including phones, watches, bags, or anything that could distract you from the attractions you buy tickets for and then attend. I mean, J.D. Vance was there in April, if that tells you anything. There is an IMAX theater showcasing the values of devotion to the key values, ROBOTIC ANIMATRONIC PUPPETS, and a water ride that has a very distinct resemblance to “It’s a Small World” at Disney World. On a Friday night, it was packed with families, doing all the events, and even staying for the big finale, a water and laser show at the end (we unfortunately needed to exit before that as we were melting). The crackdown they have on phones is real; I spent some time looking for some jag’s low-grade video to stave your curiosity, but I can’t find anything. Not even a single photograph. Hindus know how to get folks to follow the rules, I guess.

Note: If the Catholics did something like this, I’m pretty sure I’d at least consider a return. It’s the best commercial for telling us how being a good person, be a vegetarian, and be good to all living things on the planet. Weird? Yes. Terrible? No.

Let’s talk food for a minute. Friday lunch was everything. There is what I guess would be considered a “fast street food” establishment called Bikanervala in Connaught Place that gave me a pani puri fix, and the best thing I’ve eaten so far that isn’t a mango, Raj Kachori. What was even better is watching my mom devour the pani puri (note to friends that can make pani puri: she wants to come over for this at your house) and her mango lassi with complete joy. This was the start of bringing her back from the dehydrated-heat-tired-sick-blahs, and we finished with a mango kulfi on a stick that really should be the end of every meal. Friday evening’s Indo-Chinese situation was delish, complete with kimchi and pickled deliciousness and an egg drop soup with chili garlic garnish

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Saturday was rough all around, and this is the day I went down (see gorgeous picture above). We left Delhi by coach (the original plan was by train, but this cool air and contained comfort was a needed respite for our crew of very beat-up travelers) at 5:00 AM and headed to Agra Fort. The fort is amazing, and the important key takeaways are that it was the key residence of the Mughals, including the guy that built the Taj for his favorite wife, Shah Jahan. There’s a whole story where one of Shah Jahan’s sons thought he should be the next guy in charge, rather than the firstborn son, so rather than take his proper place as the middle child, he killed his brothers and imprisoned his dad. Cautionary tale, people. Thank god I’m an only child, I guess.

Anyway, Agra Fort was 110 degrees, and though it was dry heat, people were hallucinating and we needed to get out, and get out with as much of our own personal sweat we could. Pictures are about all I got here, because my face was on fire.

We ended the day with me being 20 minutes late for dinner because my face melted off, and I fell asleep trying to put it back together (see above).

Oh, and one more thing(s)…

• Agra is a bit nicer than I remember, but the street vendors are still aggressive. I had to teach mom how to use bitch face and not be nice or engage. She has a lot of trouble with this. I only had to use my big white hands once to do a hard shove to someone selling “real gem” necklaces.

  

• Pepsi and Coke bought out all of the local sodas that were made here, and so you can’t get Gold Spot anymore which makes me very sad.

  

• Did you know that public buses and certain cars on trains are free for women to ride? This is the government’s attempt to support women’s safety and increase opportunities for women to go to university, training, and jobs outside of their walkable space. Yeah. Picture how that might fly in the US. Ever.