Namaste!

Nah-MAH-stay is how you say hello in Hindi. In case you're wondering, Scott's in India this week, Delhi to be specific, working on a project for his firm. Fun huh? It's Scott's first time to India, he's here to build a university. Yes, I know what you're thinking, and the answer to the question in your head is no, but then, that's what consultants do, right? As long as we can stay one step ahead of the client we'll be fine . . .

Anyway, here are some lilttle known fun facts about India:

• It's hot and dusty in Delhi, and yet still tropical
• Eating curry makes you smell like . . . curry, especially when you sweat (yummy!)
• There are no monkeys?! Not that I've seen anyway.

I tried taking lots of pictures, but the camera ran out of batteries halfway through the first day. Oh well. I probably couldn't have charged it on the 220V plug anyway. Here are a couple to give you that nice India flavor (no, not curry).

The view from the hotel:

The Hotel is the Intercontinental New Delhi, but don't let the fancy name fool you - it's really just a Holiday Inn.

Here's a picture of what I like to call the "green hornets." There are thousands of these moto-rickshaws in New Delhi and they swarm all over the road 24 hours a day. NY cab drivers have nothing on these guys.

And yes, they do have traffic lines, although no one pays any attention to them. This is how they go about painting traffic lines in India (just in time for the Olympic torch to pass through here on Sunday, the day after I get home).

For you architecture buffs, the nice landmark behind the line painter is the India Gate. Here's a close-up:

But here's one of the cooler things I got to see. It's Humayan's tomb, and is said to be the inspiration for the Taj Mahal, which I didn't get to see. So I'm gonna stick to my claim that the original is always better. At least that's what I'm saying for now. Here's the front door:

Yes, that's just the front door. Here's the whole thing:It was built in the 1500s, and has stood preserved like this for over 450 years. Neat-o, huh? It's hard to imagine that India has been settled almost as long as Egypt. There are things here from as long ago as 600 BC. I'll put that picture up soon, along with some other stuff, but I'm afraid my hour of internet is almost up, and that's almost the most expensive part of the trip.