HOLY COW!!!!

When I first stepped off of the airplane I couldn’t help but flair my nostrils at the smell. I’m not sure if it was Delhi’s smog or the 10 sweaty men unloading the suitcases off of the airplane. Customs was a breeze. Baggage claim was crazy – another passenger grabbed my suitcase on the other side of the conveyer belt when I yelled, “Hey! That’s MINE!” Lucky for him, I didn’t bring my hockey stick or he would have been hooked. Nitya welcomed me with open arms, a flower, and a beautiful smile. I was SO happy to see her! Her driver, Pankej, got the car while Nitya and I waited outside. This gave me my first taste of India. Zooming rickshaws! Stray dogs! Families on motorcycles! Men staring! I couldn’t believe it; I had finally arrived to Bharat. Pankej pulled up the car and off we went. Nitya and I slid back and forth into each other in the back seat – and she assured me that we didn’t need to wear seatbelts – because there weren’t any. Pankej weaved in and out of the traffic like a pro. One finger on the horn. The highway soundtrack was a chaotic symphony of deep blasts. It was as if the other drivers were blind and they were driving by sounds of honks. The only thing that stopped these crazy drivers were the holy cows! Did I mention that cows are top dogs here? They’ll never become steak or Gucci purses in India, since Hindus believe they are the mothers of all species. They are everywhere! While we were driving the humpbacked bovines stepped off median strips just as we approached, we stopped the car, they stared back at us – and I’m sure they were laughing in the inside. Clearly, the cows enjoyed themselves vs. their new Canadian companion.