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From the patio of my digs in Delhi


Oh joy and bliss. Fast internet. I am back in Delhi staying with the Karnai family. Just got back on a slow train from Hardiwar today ... had lots of company, lots of people who speak English to talk to.

After two weeks and a bit on the road, I have decided that there is nothing wrong with wanting to speak to people from "back home". I also discovered a good travel tip .. if you want to meet other tourists and maybe somebody from your part of the world, pick up your Lonely Planet travel guide and see what restaurants they recommend. Go there and voila! instant company.

In Hardiwar, the place to go is the Big Ben Restaurant. They serve very good Indian food but it's very western. After the previous blog post, I decided I had to get out and meet somebody. So I went to the Ben and met a group of women who are in India working on a humanitarian relief project. We went up the mountain to the Masi Devi Shrine, didn't actually go in the shrine because it was too crowded, but had a great time just hanging out on the patio and watching the monkeys fight.

I am happy to say I am FINALLY getting over the culture shock. The secret is, in my humble opinion, is to not make comparisons. Don't think of home, just be here and let this place be what it is. It is not Canada. It will never be Canada. And it doesn't want to be Canada either ...