More Delhi

"Plans change" was one of the first phrases I had to get used to being in India last year. I'm a scheduler; I'm always twenty minutes early to everything and have each day planned and mapped out. I realized very soon here that that is not possible. It's a good learning experience for me. Our plans for Pushkar were uprooted when the buses were full and the trains waitlisting passengers for over a week. Plan B: Manali. High up in the Himalayan mountains of North India, Manali is a hilltop station in the state of Himachal Pradesh. It should be much cooler there, and will probably end up being better than heading to Pushkar in the desert. We leave tomorrow.

I had just gotten back to my room this afternoon when I heard a knocking at my window. I live on the third floor and have a small balcony, that is locked. It was the wind; I had made it inside just in time before the dust storm started. I attempted to take a video out my hotel window.

The building to the right is the Commonwealth Building. The Commonwealth Games are held every four years, opposite the Olympics. They are similar to the Olympics, but only those in the Commonwealth of Nations participate. They are tearing up the city of Delhi in preparation for the massive amounts of people they are expecting this October. There is construction everywhere and streets are filled with dust and dirt, roads torn up and everything in disarray. It will look fantastic once it is done, but I sure hope they can finish in time. A massive ticker sits out front of the building, reminding everyone how many days until the games start. Look here for more information on the games http://www.cwgdelhi2010.org/

Below is a photo of one of the streets. Stepping over the bricks and debris was a nightmare, on top of trying to breathe and not get the dust in my eyes. It'll all be worth it though...