Epistle 3: India: Day 1 continued

It has been so wonderful to have a driver and a car. S has it arranged every day for us. Makes life so much easier. However at nights we have been left alone. The first night we caught a rickshaw to the nearest Spice Market - a shopping mall for the middle class sorts of people. Lots of fun but I always end up feeling sorry for the poor young men who work so hard and all for 15 rupees or so - a few cents.
DAY 2 Delhi
Woke at 5 am to hear loud bangs over the road from the hotel. Tables were being dropped off from trucks - all hilariously old, battered and decorated - for the markets which were to take place later that night. Each morning we have had omelettes delivered to us - we have it in our room with J and J as it is much cooler in there. The air con thunders away behind us!! Better than not at all. J and J have found out that their room has the small quirk of not being able to run the hot water AND the air con - one or other or the power clicks off!! Surya Palace Hotel IS only costing us $45 a night for 2 so we are not complaining - just giggling. We have so much fun laughing at the way that things work here. We marvel at how it works despite every bit of our common sense telling us it should not be possible. Nothing appears to be clean or finished or maintained - but yet it seems to work. The more we see the more we think that what we have is luxury.

S collected us and took us - with our excellent driver Mr S- to the Princess of Wales Leprosy Hospital. We were introduced to many people and the amazing young physiothrapist showed us all around, introducing us to patients, explaining how the hospital works, what it does and what the mission is all about. We were all thoroughly touched and amazed at the sense of respect and honour and dedication seen within that entire organisation.
Drove back to S's an V's. Ah! The sights! The contrasts!People standing around everywhere - walking along dusty roads, standing under any shelter available, sleeping under any shelter available , selling whatever small bits of what seems to be junk or beautiful fruit or veges. In the background are billboards advertising luxury apartments; broken down apartments seems to house family after family; people pass in totally overloaded buses that would not be allowed on NZ roads; shanty towns in impossible locations; buffalo wandering in the middle of traffic galore.
Had lunch again at V and S's. She is a wonderful cook. Met three of their school children from the local poor areas
Today after lunch V's mission was to take us to her local supermarket to help J and I buy a couple of cheap Indian outfits. Fun.
Got back to hotel to find HUGE market in full swing across the road.Went over and sweltered. Fruit veg and all sorts of cheap things - clothing, kitchen utensils, etc.
Then rickshawed fro much needed drinks at Spice Market. Fell into bed to assimilate the day