So work sent me to a place that I never thought I’d go.  For a lot of people India is the ultimate vacation spot.  I’m just not one of those people.  I know that there is a lot about the country that is a draw to people, but nothing about it every really grabbed me.

And unfortunately, after watching some travel videos, including the episode of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die on India, I wanted to come less.  Its the second most populous country in the world, and therefore its culture has a huge impact on the world, but it also has some serious problems.

India and New Delhi, in some significant ways, are a country and city of extremes.  Despite having one of the fastest growing economies in the world, it also has the largest concentration of poor people in the world and the rate at which children are underweight is higher here than in Sub-Saharan Africa.  They have a relatively thriving tech industry here, but they haven’t replaced the water delivery pipes in the city to deliver clean water.  From the window of my very nice hotel room I can see the domes of the massive and very nice government buildings, and the corrugated steel shanties between.

Another strange juxtaposition is the mix of city and…jungle?  On several occasions I’ve seen monkeys running across the street during morning rush hour.  Given that no one seems to take notice, I have to assume that its a regular occurrence.  Also, in the area where I’m staying and that I’ve been moving back and forth through, there are a ton of trees which contain a ton of birds that you don’t normally see in a city.  Don’t get me wrong, pigeons are universal, but there are also parakeets and other more exotic birds.

Even though I’ve been here nearly two weeks now, these are just some of my initial impressions.  There’s much more to be done and see, and I will share more thoughts soon.