India – Old Delhi – Rickshaw Ride

One of the most eye-popping of the tours was the bicycle-rickshaw ride through parts of Old Delhi – seemingly endless winding rows of 2-to-4 story buildings separated by streets so narrow, no cars can pass. Direct sun shines only for a short  time each day, so it's mostly shadowy and cool. Some of the second story balconies project over the street, limiting the light even more. At first I was very uncomfortable about this really thin man standing on the bicycle pedals in order to get the rickshaw moving – hauling two perfectly capable adults through the rabbit warren of streets, peddlers/pedestrians/motorcycles on both sides.

After a bit I got entranced by the combination of the slower energetic metronome of the people and the frenetic environment in which they lived/worked – ganglions of cables and wire strewn helter-skelter over our heads, spreading electricity and internet connections to a myriad of outlets and computers; monkeys cavorting amongst the wires and second-floor balconies; and jillions of cubbyhole shops selling every imaginable thing.

There was the ever-present honking from motorcycles, people yakking in foreign tongues, the clack and clatter of doing business in small spaces. Incense wafted through the air, mixing with the pungent odors of spices and food and feces (human and animal). It was a swamp of sensory input – sights, sounds, and smells, all exotic.

It was a lot to absorb – like being in an alternate universe. On one hand, we were largely ignored. They were oblivious to us, going about their daily business. On the other hand, I was like a sponge,  sopping up all that was on offer. And I wish I had interacted more personally.

And I do see the pattern in my life. When bombarded by lifeshocks (events that sharpen my worldview or wake me up to more Reality), I often experience a jet-lag between life's input and my volitional behavior. And what I've learned is that I can use that time to imagine what I Wish I had done – so that the next time it happens (and almost Always, there's a next time), I have some circuitry in my brain that provides an alternate scenario, rather than just keep being stupefied by the same situations.

PS Again the juxtaposition of rudimentary living And technology – and the consistency with which India holds polarities so naturally. Amazing to me.

PPS You can click on the pics to enlarge them.