And so it goes...

So, I am just recovering from a bought of "Delhi Belly", as well as a case of heat rash - on my face! Frankly, I am surprised that it took my sensitive system (skin, belly, etc.) so many days in India to revolt. I am sure it will not be the last time, but I am happy to be feeling quite a bit better. Anway, enough of that.

It's still so, so hot, but not AS hot as it has been. We are still desperately awaiting the rain, for the sake of the people, the vegetables, the plants...
It's hard to go outside during the day, which pains me to no end because it is so darn beautiful when you look out the windows. The sun is shining, birds are chirping, all you need is an ocean ot make the heat bearable! Sometime in the near future, I will have the ocean. And hopefully sooner, I will have some reprieve from this killer heat. Then we will just have wicked heat.

I visited the Imperial Hotel on Saturday which is an uber-posh hotel in Central Delhi. It is very close to the President's home, India Gate, etc., so the surrounding area is fairly swanky - neatly manicured lawns (though brown from the lack of rain), and a strong police/guard presence. The hotel itself is SO grand. There are several restaurants, a beautiful pool, and just elegance to be admired around every corner. Hotels here are the hot spots for gathering and dining, even if you are not a guest.
Had I felt better, I would have explored the tourist attractions around the hotel, but I took to a small cafe in Khan Market and wrote in my journal, drank a Buddha Delight (papaya and mango juice), and observed my fellow expats. There will be time for Lodhi Gardens, India Gate, Lotus Temple, and it will be far more pleasant when the heat dies down a bit.

Today, we are going to Saket Market, a HUGE mall-ish structure near Central Delhi. It is too hot to be outside, and cabin fever is quickly caught (I was inside with the girls from 6:15 yesterday morning when they arose, to 2:30 in the afternoon...we don't have our driver on Sundays!) by spending too much time in the house. There is a large bookstore in Saket where we can sit and read, and it is rumored to have an indoor playground of sorts!

Soon, I hope to report on some of the many temples and parks and landmarks that I am eager to visit. Until then, I am still settling in, getting my bearings and really, waking up - to this new world in which I live and literally, as this jet lag is still hanging on, but just barely.

Namaste, Friends.