The Pace of the Place

Walking down the street in Old Delhi is like being at the starting line of a big road race, except everyone is hurrying in a different direction. And there are bikes, cars, street ovens, beggars, dogs, horses and cows in the mix (Amazingly, some of those animals are napping).

We've been in Delhi for almost a week and still, on the eve of departure, I feel unqualified to say anything about this city.

Sure, we've made it to the big attractions: the Red Fort, Humayun's Tomb (above). We've even found and enjoyed a few of the restaurants the guidebook recommends, which I consider an achievement (Those places actually exist?).

But, despite being huge, open, public spaces, the major sights barely register on the Delhi map. This city is big and it's population is bigger--on average India has more than three times as many people per square kilometer as China.

We're just past the starting line and settling into a pace: excited to see more of India and hopeful that it will soon look less like a blur whizzing by and more like a country. Or not.