India day 1

Wrong-way-driving, cows, or standing people seem to be normal in the streets of Delhi. After my landing I took a taxi to the next possible sim-card selling station. From there on, I started dribbling my way through the traffic by foot, as there was no sidewalk. But soon I had to accept that I need to take a tuktuk to the train station for higher survival chances. I felt very lost. I asked people on the street for information on directions, on the metro and the buses, on where to buy a sim-card, etc. Without their help I would have had no chance to find what i was searching for in Delhi. In retrospective I feel a bit dumb because everyone I started talking to, interacted with so much attention, kindness, and commitment, that in my first few interactions I had the impression that they are trying to sell me something. It turned out, that this was not the case, and people were just open for having a simple interaction. The Delhi people I have met, seemed to have a lot of time and never in a hurry In a tourist office, where I needed to buy a train ticket, there were 6 people gathered around a table playing cards or on their phone. It turned out, that they are working and very happy to have a customer. I was served chai and sat by the table. We talked for a good hour or two. In the end it turned out, that they are not able to sell me a train ticket, as the trains are all booked out. I went to another tourist office and bought a train ticket there. After a six-hour train ride, I arrived late in the evening in Haridwar. There I ate my first Indian meal on the street: chapathi with daal, okra, and onions - offered by a very sweet man, insisting on me not paying. I cried. It was very spicy. But still reallyreally tasty.