Incredible Indeed

The warning that I heard and read most often before moving here was that India would be an "assault" on my senses.  After nearly two months here, it seems I was somehow prepared for the smells and the constant noise, the unlimited spices and even the oppressive heat.  What I had not adequately considered was the overload on my eyes.  So much to see, every image different from the one before it, without any context from my life before Delhi to frame it.  I can describe the coast of Maine to those who have never been there.  I can describe what it feels like to downhill ski to people who have never seen snow.  I cannot adequately describe what I have seen so far in India.

Ironically, for the past eight years, the Ministry of Tourism's campaign slogan has been Incredible India. The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines incredible as that which is "too extraordinary and improbable to be believed".  Nice to know I'm not alone.

Clever colleagues recently sent out a challenge - a scavenger hunt for grown ups!  I thought their list would help to illustrate the scenes we witness when out and about in this fascinating land.  And while we're not officially doing this hunt, I did put an * next to things we have seen so far.

Yatra khoja – A Finding Journey! 

Grab your cameras and get out into Delhi!  Join us for a photographic scavenger hunt of our big backyard.  You have eight weeks to collect as many of the photos on the list below.  Work as an individual, a pair or a group.

The categories:

THE BIG DELHI LANDMARKS (You need to be in these ones)

•     India Gate*    
•     Red Fort*
•     Jama Masjid
•     Qutb Minar
•     Lotus Temple*  
•     The Sundial at Jantar Mantar
•     Purana Qila
•     Humayan’s Tomb*
•     Lakshmi Narayan Temple
•     Raj Ghat

THE “Not-so-big” DELHI LANDMARKS (You need to be in these ones)

•     Shakar’s Intl Doll Museum
•     The Toilet Museum
•     National Rail Museum*   
•     Dhobi Colony
•     Nehru Museum
•     Hauz Khaz Monuments

SEEN FROM A CAR, AUTO, ETC. WINDOW (You do not need to be in these ones)

•     Five on a bike!  (5 people on a motorcycle)
•     Someone on top of a bus or truck*
•     A statue of Gandhi*  
•     A marching band*
•     A homemade vehicle
•     A statue of Nehru

ACTIVITIES (You should be in these ones)

•      Eating at Karim’s
•      Riding in an auto-rickshaw*
•      Riding the subway*
•      Wearing local dress (sari, kurta, turban, etc.)    
•      Shopping at INA [food bazaar]
•      Shopping at the Spice Market, Old Delhi
•      Lounging in Lodi Gardens

INCREDIBLE INDIA (You do not need to be in these ones)

•       An elephant*
•       A camel*
•       A monkey* (bonus if it’s on a bicycle)
•       A cow* (bonus if it’s in the street* or at the mall)
•       A peacock*   
•       Someone asleep in an improbable location*
•       A man in a fuzzy, sparkly sweater
•       An improbably large load on one’s head*
•       Interesting facial hair*
•       People filling jugs at a water truck*

BONUS CATEGORY  

•       Best street sign  
•       Best Hindi to English Translation
•       Best shot overall    
•       Best traffic jam*
•       Most unlikely sight/scene