We've landed in Delhi

We took a 2 hour plane ride from Kolkata to Delhi to begin our next stretch of this trip. Everyone was so helpful at the Kolkata airport, actually they were too helpful. They would tell us to move to a shorter line, and then move back again because the line we were originally in was now the shorter line. The plane ride was so quick after our two 8 hour train rides. It was hilarious to see how many people were in line for the bathroom on the plane. I've NEVER seen anyone go to the bathroom on the plane in the states but during the whole two hour flight the line was at least 6 people long. (Don't worry mom, I went to the bathroom before I left the house.)

We arrived at the Delhi airport (which is the 3rd largest in the world) and could instantly tell that this was no Kolkata. The air was SO clean and the airport was organized and efficient. We stepped outside and couldn't believe we'd been transported again to another world.

Cousin Toby picked us up and we began our 40+ minute car ride back to his home in Noida, one of the burrows of Delhi and the place where Abhrajeet spent most of his early life in India.

Arny and I had both imagined the rest of India to be just like Kolkata- crowded, dirty, congested and a few decades behind what we're accustomed to.  I'm so glad we were proven wrong. This was a modern city - felt like home, just halfway across the world.

First- There is SO much open land. You would think that with all the people and for as long as people have been in this area that all the space would be taken up. Not so. There are vast amounts of space that the city is intricately and efficiently planning to build on.

Second- India is going green. They already have auto rickshaws and buses being fueled by natural gas and are planting more and more trees each day.

Third - the Metro is AMAZING. I've never seen anything like it. It was so efficient and Toby told us that in a few months all of Delhi and its burrows will be connected by the Metro. To give you an idea of how big just Noida is: it's like the size of the entire Twin Cities area. A HUGE SPACE.  The Metro was still extremely ridiculous getting in and out of it because of the amount of travelers but it's a faster, more efficient and greener form of transportation so why not? Also Delhi utilizes fly overs (overpasses) so there are no intersections and stoplights. Smooth sailing all the way. *you are not allowed to take photos inside the metro so I can't show you how clean everyone was and how normal it smelt. You are also not allowed to hawk or spit or else you will be fined.

Fourth - Malls are popping up all over the place. Malls the size of Burnsville Center. Each metro station will have a mall integrated into it in the future to make life even more efficient.

Fifth - I can smile at people!  I was told by multiple people and websites that while I was in Kolkata a smile by a female meant I was flirting and essentially making the first move to show I was available. Not so in Delhi. It's a normal modern place where I smile and people smile back.