Such a Romantic Nightmare

So Delhi is still where I'm at. Presently I'm staying put due to some issues (nothing legal) but I'm accepting this and making the best of it. I'm realizing how sprawling Delhi really is and the filth and stench of this place no longer chokes me. In fact I hardly notice it. I've become so familiar with my one small section of town that I feel as if it's a home.

Since Mel left I spend my days drinking coffee and wandering the alleys of Delhi. I just walk and get lost in the paths of this city. I lose track of which way that I've gone and never back-track. I've found myself in dimly lit Labyrinths winding sideways and around but never back. The narrow streets are enclosed by stories high buildings and the people are more tightly packed, choked in the heat. Getting lost is the point and it happens so easily. There have been times when I had a suspicion that I might be getting myself into an area that I'm not meant for. Like maybe the Indian Mafias stomping grounds. But I never feel threatened. I'm only finding myself in unfamiliar territory and my mind reacts to this by what It's seen on television and read in pulp novels. I try to think that I'm in a post-apocalyptic Fraggle Rock. Which is not such a stretch of the imagination since, as Andrew pointed out, Indians look like Muppets. And then as I feel that I will never escape the maze I catch a glimpse of direct, horizontal sunlight and I'm out.

Late last night I was roaming the streets in the Main Bazaar and came across a place that serves alcohol. This is a rarity in this part of town so I went in for a Scotch and beer. This was the underbelly nightlife of Paharganj. It looked like the bar scene in Star Wars where Luke and OB Wan first recruited Han Solo but if the budget was limited to ten dollars. It was boisterous and rowdy. Mostly Indian with a few western faces slumped in the corners. It completely satisfied my dark side and threw me into an alternate Delhi. It was even a little more than i cared to indulge in so I left soon after and was greeted by an almost refreshing, in comparison to the inside, city street with the homeless sleeping on both sides amongst the trash and feces. It was a sort of romantic nightmare.

So this is it. My home is Delhi for a while and since I'm resigned to this place for the time being I'm going to accept it and take as much as I can from it. But i do feel that the incredible pollution is having some negative effects on me. I look forward to a thorough detox when I get home.