Where are they?

[Photos coming when I can upload/download]

 

Where are all the beggars? And the cows? And the "RELAX" signs on the red-light stoplights? And the horrible roads? Ok, well those are still here - but a lot has changed since I was last in Delhi, and I daresay all the changes I've seen and are listing here, have been positive:

 

First - and I'm not kidding - I have only seen one (1!) beggar this ENTIRE trip. Daadaji said that the Delhi government has banned begging and perhaps they've been rounded up and/or driven out of town. I don't know the details, but I do know I appreciate not having them look at me with dollar-signs in their eyes every time they see the 'gora laerkii' (white woman) face & hair.

 

Second, I haven't seen a single cow on the streets. I have some funny memories of major freeways being clogged to a standstill because a bovine friend decided to take a break in the middle-left lanes...but those haven't been repeated this trip. I have seen elephants working along the side of massive overpasses being built, and dogs, camels, and monkeys galore - but the animal-kingdom hasn't been the cause of delays, the construction boom has.

 

Third, there are simply FEWER stoplights! Delhi is famous for its traffic, and yet in the 5 years since I was last here, they have added multiple overpasses / freeways / express lanes, and closed off some of the many crossings on Vikas Marg (the main drag in front of Daadaji's home) - making it a much more orderly driving experience.

 

Fourth, I swear I'm not getting the stares of pure shock on peoples' faces who see me. Perhaps I'm just used to the extra attention, or I think that my boys are so cute that 

 

Fifth, the Metro is coming! It's not quite finished yet, but 2 stops will open soon along Vikas Marg within an easy 1-2 block walk of Daadaji's; making travel to the major points within Delhi cheap, easy, efficient, pleassant and clean. Or, that's what I hear.

 

True, it's still dusty - with a superfine dust that gets into everything and makes your boogers brown-black; crossing the street is still an exercise in playing 'Frogger' - dodging the cars/3-wheeled autos/motorbikes/scooters/bicycles; the plumbing leaves something to be desired, and there are still horrible piles of trash and genuine inefficiencies seen everywhere.

 

But as a blonde, white woman who was steeling myself for the worst-of-the-worst of pitiful beggars droning on and on and tugging at my sleeve and generally making life here difficult, the changes listed above have been quite refreshing.