Blue cows and gingerbread

I don’t know how to say hallelujah in Hindi but if I did I would say that right now. We made it and most importantly so did our luggage! Delhi airport was very efficient and everybody was very polite.

Thanks to some local friends we had arranged for an airport pickup through our hotel, where we are going to be for the next 36 hours. On the way out of the airport area we saw a nilgai on the side of the road. Our driver Ajay, who is very knowledgeable about auto rickshaws as it turns out, said we were very lucky to see the nilgai as they aren’t commonly seen in Delhi.

What’s a nilgai you say? Well, it’s a sturdy thin-legged antelope common across the Indian sub-continent that has a sloping back, a deep neck with a white patch on the throat, a short crest of hair along the neck terminating in a tuft, and white facial spots. Think of it as an Indian deer, I guess. In Hindi it translates as Blue Cow. It was a treat to see that. I unfortunately didn’t get a photo since it was pretty dark.

This part of Delhi still has a lot of Christmas decorations and lights all over the place. Our hotel is no exception. There is a massive gingerbread structure in the lobby which was pretty much the last thing I expected to see here.

So, a blue cow and gingerbread house in our first five hours in the country. That’s good juju.Read more