We have just said goodbye to Jay's good buddy Rick and his wife Jan, who have been visiting with us for the past 5 days, and are now off to Agra for a few days before returning to Delhi on route to south India. Fortunately, Jan is a fellow shopper and we have had a great time doing the rounds of all my favourite shopping haunts. We also had a very serious decimal miscalculation at the Central Cottage Industry Emporium, where we thought that the price for some gorgeous cashmere shawls was a mere $12 each, so we rapidly picked out 7 as gifts. When we got to the cash, the bill totalled almost $1000, and we realized our miscalculation and that they were actually $120 each....bummer. They all got put back. I guess I have will have to stick to the cheaper "fine wool" section next time I go there. Well, maybe I will buy one for myself.
So, I now have time for a new blog, and I thought I would focus on smells and odours as a companion piece to my blog on noises. But not all smells are bad, so don't turn up your nose yet!
When some people think of India, they associate incense and Sadu's and yogis, etc.. All of these are here in abundance, but I hadn't thought that the incense would be quite as prevalent as it is. It's not only used in temples, but in many homes and shops where small shrines are commonly set up and incense is always on the go. It's not uncommon to get several whiffs of incense as you walk down the street. I sometimes suspect it is also used to cover up some of the more noxious smells I will describe later in this blog.
Another series of smells that you often encounter when walking down the street is the smell of cooking. Mmmmm, I get hungry thinking about all the delicious food that is being cooked behind all those doors. The large meal of the day is often eaten at around 2pm, but I often get incredible whiffs as I am walking to yoga in the morning as well. If only I could be a fly on the wall and see if I could discover some ancient cooking techniques that they don't divulge in cookbooks. My food doesn't seem to taste as good as the aromas that I have had the pleasure of smelling in my neighbourhood!
However, this blog inevitably has to talk about those not so pleasant smells as well. One of my least favourite walks is to the gym, not only because of the two busy streets that I need to cross putting my life in jeopardy each time, but also the odours that I must endure. One particular stretch of the road seems to be the public urinal for all passing male (of course!) motorists, motorcyclists, rickshaw drivers and pedestrians who feel the urge. The spot happens to back onto a park, and without fail, there is always some guy who jumps out of his vehicle, and whips it out with his back to the street, to do what else, but urinate, regardless of the cars and pedestrians that are passing by. It's just par for the course, and I have seen it countless times in other places as well. No-one pays any attention what so ever. I tried walking down the opposite side of the street, but the smell was even worse, I think because it is shady and the urine doesn't dry up as quickly.
Once I have passed that particularly odiferous stretch of the street, and I round the corner to enter the 4 star hotel that contains my gym, I am again accosted by an overwhelming stench that must be from an open sewer vent right by the hotel driveway. It's not at all uncommon to encounter this in the most unlikely spots, such as in the middle of a park, right next to a high end restaurant, in front of a hospital, by the art gallery, etc. Fortunately, you can usually hold your breath and walk by quickly, and it is over until the next open grate.
Well, I think that's all I'm going to say for now regarding smells. I could go on a bit more, but I think you get the gist. Maybe I'll buy some incense that I can burn on the way to the gym! And I count my blessings that there are no longer any cows roaming at will in Delhi.
Sue
So, I now have time for a new blog, and I thought I would focus on smells and odours as a companion piece to my blog on noises. But not all smells are bad, so don't turn up your nose yet!
When some people think of India, they associate incense and Sadu's and yogis, etc.. All of these are here in abundance, but I hadn't thought that the incense would be quite as prevalent as it is. It's not only used in temples, but in many homes and shops where small shrines are commonly set up and incense is always on the go. It's not uncommon to get several whiffs of incense as you walk down the street. I sometimes suspect it is also used to cover up some of the more noxious smells I will describe later in this blog.
Another series of smells that you often encounter when walking down the street is the smell of cooking. Mmmmm, I get hungry thinking about all the delicious food that is being cooked behind all those doors. The large meal of the day is often eaten at around 2pm, but I often get incredible whiffs as I am walking to yoga in the morning as well. If only I could be a fly on the wall and see if I could discover some ancient cooking techniques that they don't divulge in cookbooks. My food doesn't seem to taste as good as the aromas that I have had the pleasure of smelling in my neighbourhood!
However, this blog inevitably has to talk about those not so pleasant smells as well. One of my least favourite walks is to the gym, not only because of the two busy streets that I need to cross putting my life in jeopardy each time, but also the odours that I must endure. One particular stretch of the road seems to be the public urinal for all passing male (of course!) motorists, motorcyclists, rickshaw drivers and pedestrians who feel the urge. The spot happens to back onto a park, and without fail, there is always some guy who jumps out of his vehicle, and whips it out with his back to the street, to do what else, but urinate, regardless of the cars and pedestrians that are passing by. It's just par for the course, and I have seen it countless times in other places as well. No-one pays any attention what so ever. I tried walking down the opposite side of the street, but the smell was even worse, I think because it is shady and the urine doesn't dry up as quickly.
Once I have passed that particularly odiferous stretch of the street, and I round the corner to enter the 4 star hotel that contains my gym, I am again accosted by an overwhelming stench that must be from an open sewer vent right by the hotel driveway. It's not at all uncommon to encounter this in the most unlikely spots, such as in the middle of a park, right next to a high end restaurant, in front of a hospital, by the art gallery, etc. Fortunately, you can usually hold your breath and walk by quickly, and it is over until the next open grate.
Well, I think that's all I'm going to say for now regarding smells. I could go on a bit more, but I think you get the gist. Maybe I'll buy some incense that I can burn on the way to the gym! And I count my blessings that there are no longer any cows roaming at will in Delhi.
Sue
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