New Delhi

My train was supposed to leave Jaipur at 2:30am from Jaipur to Delhi, but I boarded a 4:00am train to Agra. Oops! This was the first and only transport I missed. Agra was the most polluted place I’ve visited, not what I expected of a city that held a wonder of the world. The Taj Mahal was breathtaking and well worth it. This was also the first time I used my $10 unlimited talk/text/data plan because of the spontaneity of this situation.

My host picked me up at the Delhi train station late Sunday night. I only could spend a day and half in Delhi but it was packed and fun. I walked through the old markets, the political center, and through the modern malls. The last day I went to visit a Bible school. I participated in their classes, lunches, and other activities.

Duration

2 days (plus one-half day in Agra)

Accommodation

Believers house (2 nights)

Favorite Food

Spinach paneer

Favorite Site

Taj Mahal

Cool Person I Met

Harpreet. Harpreet is a tuk tuk driver who stopped me about 1km from the India Gate. I would usually keep walking and not let the drivers persuade me. I wanted to pay him for advice because I wanted to walk. However, he would not accept my money for advice, claiming it is against his Sikh religion. I was appalled and ended up hopping into his tuk tuk for the 1km ride. Cost was 10 rupees or $0.15

Highlight

Spontaneously deciding to Visit Agra (Taj Mahal) after missing my train to New Delhi

Big Takeaway

I noticed the Delhi markets were not only like an ancient way of buying and selling goods but an extremely organized way. I was fascinated as to why all the belt and shoe stores clumped together and why I saw four stores directly next to each other were selling special occasion cards. It’s a similar phenomenon to why fast food restaurants and gas stations are close.

I like that people throughout history have figured out the best way to accomplish something. It is often for reasons we don’t fully understand but we need to trust it. It seems this would be more difficult to make a sale with competitors, but it isn’t. Naturally, shops with similar products are now purposefully set up near each other.

Your Turn

Can you explain why its common to see similar goods sold next to each other?

What do you think of the Taj Mahal?