Jeff resumed
work at IKEA on January 3rd but we were all still in holiday mode
and keen to engage all our senses. We
visited temples and mosques, rummaged for bargains in street markets, rode in
three wheel taxis and cycle rickshaws, walked amongst cows, goats, chickens and
pigs and ate the spiciest food we could find.
Jeff joined us after work each evening and on the weekend we celebrated
his birthday with a relatively organised food tour.
The assault
on my senses was complete with the complex rhythms and sounds blaring through
loud speakers, massive throngs in the markets, utterly disfigured beggars,
beautiful barefooted children doing acrobatics amid the traffic jams for money, smells of street cooking, piles of rotting
rubbish, dazzling jewellery stores and slum dwellers sorting through garbage
beside luxury cars.
Our first
week included visits to the biggest and brightest temples and mosques in the
city. One, the Bahai Lotus Temple looks strangely
like the Sydney Opera house and another, Akshardham, houses an underground
theme park style boat ride showcasing the history of India. At a more local level, I gradually increased
my safety zone and explored my neighbourhood, finding lovely parks, monuments
and trendy shopping areas. I also discovered resident cows, negotiated very roughly constructed pavements and got to
know some of the locals.
