For real?

Wait...is that...?...Gandhi?

The family vehicle

Five family members.
One motorbike.
Efficient.

Delhi gate

The Delhi Gate links Old Delhi with New Delhi.

It sits in the center of a busy road. 
On one side are the old tightly-squeezed, winding roads of Shahjahanabad, the last Mughal city.
On the other are the medical college and cricket stadium of modern Delhi.

Instead of passing through the gate as traffic used to, it makes it's way around this four hundred year old piece of history--never imagining that it might be in the way. 

The way old and new exist right next door to each other is one of India's greatest characteristics.

Broke down tireless

The auto broke down.

 "Tyre puncture."

An auto driver's life cannot be an easy one.  He's gotta have a few skills, when it comes to the roads of India.
Though I've experienced only a handful, a flat tire must be common for a guy like him.

 And there's a system in place for what to do at a time like this.  A code of the auto driver--you can wave down any other empty auto and the driver willingly helps to lift the three wheeler so that the tire can be changed with the one he's been sitting on all day.

Its' a procedure that takes about 20 minutes in all.
Three wheels down,
and we were off again.

Elephant sighting

Elephants.
Walking along the road.
Like they belong there.
I never tire of seeing it.

Rickshaw viewpoint

When I'm out looking for something in the crowded streets of Old Delhi, I find it much easier to take a rickshw--let the driver maneuver the crazy mess of traffic, pedestrians, cows, pot-holes and general chaos, while I am free to look around.  I can actually take in the surroundings instead of watching every step to be sure I don't fall in to something.
Besides that, I'm more likely to find what I'm looking for if I have someone with me who knows the neighborhood.

So with my feet free from walking, here is some of what me and my camera saw in Old Delhi.

Mustache trimming

There's a small tent city that has popped up along the roadside recently.  I think most of the city dwellers are construction laborers.

It's hard for me to fathom what living along a major road way would be like, thousands of vehicles passing by every hour.

And for this man to just sit there, calmly trimming his mustache like no one else can see him--that's an amazing sense of personal space he has.

Load carrier

This truck is not overloaded and, no, the man does not need to sit inside.
Just in case you thought otherwise:  this is normal.

Animals in the road III: Camels

My third and final post in the series of pictures of animals in the road is highlighting the camels.

Arguably more funny looking than elephants, and more ornery than cows, I keep my distance from the camels.
But they are fascinating to watch.

Animals in the road II: Elephants

And now for part two of my series on Jaipur's animal traffic:  Elephants.
Who could get tired of taking pictures of them on the road?
Really, it's exciting every time to see them lumbering along with the buses and motorcycles, carts and bicycles.

And most of them have "detailing" just like the rest of the vehicles.

Nope, I just don't get tired of seeing them.

Animals in the road I: Cows

I never get bored of taking note of the animals in the road here in India.  So here is the beginning of a short series on what animals are to be found on the streets of Jaipur.

Part 1:  Cows.
The cows stand everywhere and anywhere they like.  Traffic just accepts the need to go around them, and go on like it's nothing.  The cows also act like this is nothing. 
It is nothing, right?

Jaipur traffic

Some traffic in the pink city of Jaipur:  bicycles and auto rickshaws.

Marshmallow in the road

What is this giant marshmallow thing on the highway?

I think what they are transporting in there is grain.  It sure is an odd-looking thing to meet along the road.

Foot over bridge fail

When I first viewed this elaborate cross-over-the-traffic-and-get-to-the-metro system, it looked pretty impressive.
Escalators, ramps and stairs all in place to keep us safely above the masses of traffic below.

But it turns out that it was all a waste.
After we'd walked far into the pathways of metal and concrete, there were wires blocking the way.

We thought to just cross over them, but a schoolboy walking behind us said that the path further on was not completed yet and we couldn't get to the metro station that way.

So we had to make our way back down through the maze, once again far away from our destination, blocked by lanes of busy traffic.
Of course, everyone else was also crossing on foot, so we just joined the rest of the chaos and managed not to get run over.

Street shopping

What can you do while you're waiting for the traffic light to turn green?
Shop, of course.

Not that this stuff is stellar quality, but there is a variety available.

Plastic balls. Sometimes balloons or other fall-apart-as-soon-as-you-buy-them toys.

Steering wheel covers and mobile phone chargers.

Peanuts, dried coconut and other snacks.

Dishtowels and car-cleaning cloths.

Other treasures you might find on another day are: roses, Santa masks, plastic dash board decorations, magazines, books, used clothes or spiderman masks.

There are a lot of stoplights out there--so keep your eyes open...and a close eye on your pocket book.

Motorcycle sea

Delhi: it's a motorcycle sea out there.

Crowded car

Today's random traffic sighting:
Crowded public conveyance? No worries--you don't need to be inside the vehicle.

Danger in the streets

There are several CEAT Tyre commercials like this one--where someone is not paying attention and someone else has to brake quickly to prevent an accident, but this one is the least comical.
And really, the traffic isn't comical--it's serious out there.


Drive safe.

Peppers in the road

We were driving along and I was lost in thought when the auto driver did some crazy stunt driving, swerving around in the road. He was making an attempt to grab a bag of something out of the middle of the speeding traffic.
The motorcycle behind us screeched its brakes and went around us, scolding loudly.
The driver decided it was too dangerous and he pulled over. Still a dangerous maneuver--he, himself, ran out into the middle of the traffic and retrieved a bag of peppers, which he stowed inside the auto.

And we drove on.
Whoa.

I hadn't seen where the peppers came from, but apparently the driver had, and in a matter of moments he was yelling to another driver to come up next to him.
At the upcoming stoplight, the other auto pulled up beside us. "Have you got them?" the driver breathed.
"Yes, yes, they're safe," my driver handed the bag full of red and yellow peppers to the other, whose auto was full of vegetables.
"Oh," he sighed, "Thank you, thank you. Meherbani. You have done a good thing for me." He touched his forehead and chest in deepest gratitude.
"Yes, yes, take care. You have many vegetables there. I went out and got these for you."
"Thank you, thank you, brother," the other driver pulled out a cigarette, lit it and inhaled deeply to settle his nerves. "These ones are hard to find. I was going back for them."
My driver nodded, "I saw. I saw."

The light changed and again we drove on.
And for the rest of the ride, the driver alternated between whistling and singing.
Yes, it was a good deed.
Well done, sir.

Motorcycle mass

Is it a parking lot full of motorcycles?

No.

It's only your average, everyday stoplight.