Shanti, shanti ...

On Indian highways, You Share the road with everything ..


My new friend Manzoor introduced me to this concept this morning. "Shanti, shanti" means "slowly, slowly". He can sense my North American energy .. and he gave me some good advice. He says that nothing in India is organized. Which is what I have heard from many people already. The only way to do it is to go slowly and just let it happen (For those of you who think this is not possible for me to do, stop laughing!).

I arrived last night at the Delhi Airport and Mansur (a brother of a friend of mine from Vancouver) was there to meet me. I was very tired but also so overtired I was actually quite wired.

My first introduction to Delhi was in the dark. It is very busy at 3 am. We came back to his place, which he shares with family members. I went to bed a few minutes later .. somebody gave up their bed for me, which is so nice. I slept until 1:00 this afternoon then got up and have been visiting with them ever since.

I mentioned needing to find a hotel, to which they responded "why do you need to go to a hotel?" So I am staying here until tomorrow when I go to Kathmandu. At least I think I am going to Kathmandu. Plans don't always work the way they do in North America, I am finding out. Still firming up my itinerary so who knows where I will be tomorrow.

Regardless, I am safe, happy and comfortable and almost overwhelmed by the generous hospitality. We North Americans could learn something from this ...