My last day in Delhi was bittersweet. I was ready to see more of the city, but I was also ready to start the journey back home. I packed early in the day so I would have the rest of the day to go sight seeing and shopping. The last sights I wanted to see were India Gate, Parliament and the Presidential Palace and do a little more shopping at Jan Path.
Diane, Sarah Stephen and myself took an auto rickshaw up to India Gate where we saw the Indian version of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The monument was very beautiful and the arch has the names of all the soldiers who lost their lives inscribed on it. Below the arch there is a monument, covered in marigolds where the eternal flame is lit and a solider watches over it. However, since we were the only westerners at India gate that day, we soon gathered a crowd of locals selling souvenirs and young girls waiting to draw henna tattoos on our hands. Although we were used to the attention by now, this situation became uncomfortable because the girls doing henna started grabbing us so we decided to leave to go see Parliament. Parliament was within sight, so we decided to walk there. Although it was a nice day in Delhi and we were glad to walk because a 29-hour flight was in the near future, Parliament was a little further away than what we expected so we caught another rickshaw. Our driver turned out to be a tour guide as well, which was fabulous! He took us by Parliament and the Presidential Palace, making stops along the way to take our pictures in front of the buildings. All the while he was telling us what the other buildings were and describing the inside of the Presidential Palace to us. After we had seen everything we could, he offered to take us to Jan Path for a very good price, so we accepted.
Once at Jan Path, we did our last minute shopping for scarves and suitcases to bring back souvenirs. However, we didn't stay at Jan Path long because a couple of us need to get back to the hotel to get massages. Well at least I thought I was going to get a massage…it turned out the spa was booked so I opted to take a nice shower instead. Yes, I did pay about $10 to take a real shower! After my lovely shower, I went back to Pamposh for the last time.
At Pamposh, I started thinking about how weird it was going to be to be back in the states. Over my three weeks in India, this world had become my reality. The crazy traffic, the colorful streets and people, the sheer number of people everywhere, the music and honking and cows and other farm animals gracing the streets had all become normal. I guess the saying "it only takes 21 days to start a habit" applies to reality as well. Needless to say, I'm going to miss this place, but hopefully I'll be back to see the rest of incredible India!
-Sarah Broussard MPSA 2011
Diane, Sarah Stephen and myself took an auto rickshaw up to India Gate where we saw the Indian version of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The monument was very beautiful and the arch has the names of all the soldiers who lost their lives inscribed on it. Below the arch there is a monument, covered in marigolds where the eternal flame is lit and a solider watches over it. However, since we were the only westerners at India gate that day, we soon gathered a crowd of locals selling souvenirs and young girls waiting to draw henna tattoos on our hands. Although we were used to the attention by now, this situation became uncomfortable because the girls doing henna started grabbing us so we decided to leave to go see Parliament. Parliament was within sight, so we decided to walk there. Although it was a nice day in Delhi and we were glad to walk because a 29-hour flight was in the near future, Parliament was a little further away than what we expected so we caught another rickshaw. Our driver turned out to be a tour guide as well, which was fabulous! He took us by Parliament and the Presidential Palace, making stops along the way to take our pictures in front of the buildings. All the while he was telling us what the other buildings were and describing the inside of the Presidential Palace to us. After we had seen everything we could, he offered to take us to Jan Path for a very good price, so we accepted.
Once at Jan Path, we did our last minute shopping for scarves and suitcases to bring back souvenirs. However, we didn't stay at Jan Path long because a couple of us need to get back to the hotel to get massages. Well at least I thought I was going to get a massage…it turned out the spa was booked so I opted to take a nice shower instead. Yes, I did pay about $10 to take a real shower! After my lovely shower, I went back to Pamposh for the last time.
At Pamposh, I started thinking about how weird it was going to be to be back in the states. Over my three weeks in India, this world had become my reality. The crazy traffic, the colorful streets and people, the sheer number of people everywhere, the music and honking and cows and other farm animals gracing the streets had all become normal. I guess the saying "it only takes 21 days to start a habit" applies to reality as well. Needless to say, I'm going to miss this place, but hopefully I'll be back to see the rest of incredible India!
-Sarah Broussard MPSA 2011
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