72h in New Delhi: huge crowds, incredible hospitabilty and overwhelming culture shocks

Ever since setting foot out of the plane a whole new world has come to exist around us. It is incredible how different countries can be compared to each other. Although immigration was smooth we were completely lost when we walked into the big, semi-modern hall which is not all too different from airports that we are used to in the West. We needed to get into contact with our host family which were supposed to pick us up from the airport. We needed to call them to let them know that we arrived and they could pick us up. We of course didn’t know that they had been here for 2h already waiting for us, yh that made us feel a bit silly but in the end we managed to get a hold of them and they politely told us that they were waiting outside. We got our first taste of Delhi traffic here, after living in Egypt for a year I thought I could not be surprised by traffic anymore but this was a whole different level. Every single car, really every single one has a dent and when you see everyone drive around it is no surprise. Cars, motor bikes, cyclists, trucks, rickshaws and cows all share the same road. It doesn’t really matter where you stop, for how long or for what reason. 3 lane highways? Nah lets just make it at least 5, who needs lines anyways? The most surprising part to me was when our host said that we didn’t need to wear a seatbelt because it was not required by law. Nevertheless we did put on a seatbelt and hold on for our dear lives for this ride to get over quick. Over the next days we did however accustom to the driving style, but to say that we feel comfortable in Delhi traffic would be an overstatement.

If you get as lucky as us and know somebody locally and their are willing to host you be prepared for a lot of food, tours of whatever you want to see, temple visits and hospitability like you’ve never experienced before. There is this saying in India and it goes “the guest is god” and believe me you will be treated like one. It takes some getting used to and it is at moments overwhelming. It is an amazing experience to be part of a family and to not only be treated like a guest but also as a member of the family. The cultural difference is so big that is hard to know how to behave but after a few days we started to realize that it is good to say what you would like to have. I realized that we are not a burden to them but it makes them happy to make you feel comfortable.

We were shown around the city and it was amazing how we go to see all the main tourist spots as well as the Sikh temples that we got to visit with them. It was an experience to never forget. Let’s make it clear that I do not believe in religion but the Sikh religion showed me how the core values of a religion can add to society. This religion is based on respect for everyone. No matter what religion or ethnic background you have you can walk in and participate in all the ceremonies. We participated in Langer, a meal that is shared with hundreds of people at the same time and it’s for free. The temple offers continuous meals for everyone who wants, no questions asked. We were the only tourists in the building but no one even looked weird at us. Casts and wealth do not play a role in the ceremonies performed here.

There’s a lot more that happened and that I would like to share with you all but time is limited while we are still at our hosts. But there is definitely more to come shortly. Tomorrow we take the train to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal and it will be a long day and a short night.

Till next time.