Walking around Delhi

Deb told me a few days back to start blogging again.

My old big boss and now buddy Sam came to India to help Geeta with her data. Each morning I'd do my 3 mile walk, come back and shower, eat lunch and then go down to the basement where they setup an office for him. Sometimes it was a meeting and I'd just listen and when I detected one side or the other wasn't understanding a point, I'd jump in and ask a question or two and get them back on track. So I had value in that way maybe two or three times, maybe more.  Other times I helped Sam with some IF statements in Excel and pivot tables. He learned a thing or two from me and I did from him, like the FILL button - very useful.

Then in the afternoon before dinner we'd go out for a shorter jaunt. Mostly in the neighborhood, but once we took the metro to old Delhi. To get out of the metro we had to take the path between a giant pile of decomposing garbage and traffic. You watched your step, either you stepped in, who knows what, or you got run over by at least a 2 wheeled conveyance. I say at least 2 wheels because the range of human, gasoline, diesel and compressed natural gas powered vehicles is incredible and conveyance because some of them were rickshaws, some giant 2 wheeled carts powered by animals or people. If electricity and vehicles weren't around, you'd think you'd stepped back in time.

We walked past a temple where people were playing music. It had a very regular beat and if it was religious, then its outside my experience because hymns I remember never sounded that fun. They were having a good time and were really into it.

We were headed to the Red Fort. It is very old. From the mid 1600s. It took 10 years to build out of sandstone. The walls are something like 100' high, who knows how thick and surround over 250 acres of gardens, palaces and temples. There were gold and silver ceilings that were melted to finance succeeding administrations and defenses until it is somewhat ruined. We walked around the outside entrance a bit but didn't have the stamina in 110 degree heat to tour 250 acres inside.  It is really big.

We didn't take pictures. If we stood still we were accosted by vendors trying to hawk postcards, picture books, bicycle rickshaw tours, gewgaws and trinkets, not to mention beggar children. If you moved like you had somewhere to go, you didn't have to deal with that scene so much.

On other occasions we visited Deer Park and saw the animals and we visited a bar for a beer for him and a G&T for me. Good Indian Gin. Rather than have all the good alcohol come out the the heat, we took home a Tuk-Tuk.

You know, if the weather was better here in India, there would probably be twice as many people.