Recipe for Traffic
We spent a few days in Delhi, taking in the sights and really enjoying the food. Quite a few of the sights were closed in preparation for Republic Day, but the Qutb Minar was a highlight. It’s a huge tower that is 900 years old and in perfect condition. Delhi was a bit more manageable than Mumbai, but maybe we are just getting used to India.
Our next stop was Agra to see the one thing everyone comes here to see… the Taj Mahal. It’s just a short 200 km down the road from Delhi. No big deal, right?
Six and half hours later, we arrived just in time to see the Taj and get our snapshots before it closed for the night. Since most of you know about that famous monument, and because it’s impossible to put into words what it’s like to see it, I think we’ll write about something more interesting today.
In theory and on the map, the national highway between Delhi and Agra is a nice four lane road. In reality, it ranges from about 4-5 lanes each way to just 1 for both directions over some bridges that are “under construction“ (or possibly under demolition – hard to tell). Every manner of conveyance is represented, and everyone weaves in and out of lanes, even traversing the median curb to drive on the other side when yours is too congested.
Based on what we saw during our time on the road, here’s the perfect recipe for traffic. Guaranteed to produce gridlock results every time.
On the road, mix together the following vehicles: equal parts private cars, tourist cars with drivers, lorries (big trucks) loaded to overflowing with any possible type of cargo, rusty local buses (a few with flat tires), large tourist coaches, tuk tuks (minimum 9 people), motorcycles, bicycles, rickshaws, tractors pulling carts full of produce, tractors pulling carts of people.
Season with a large helping of these items: Horses, ox carts, and camel carts. Add a dash of random cows, dogs, monkeys, goats, pigs, and pedestrians. Top with one holy man riding an elephant stuck at a toll booth.
Bake at high temperature in small villages with roadside markets featuring hawkers, gypsies, barbers, farmers, and whole families working together to slap mortar by hand on the road itself for “repairs“. Give a short amount of time and you’ll have one of the most fascinating, frustrating, and entertaining traffic jams you’ll ever witness.
halftime
January 26th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
“Recipe for Traffic” sounds like it was written by you while sitting in traffic. I know how you get restless when you are in a car for a long period of time.
January 28th, 2009 at 12:52 am
Hey, Great pictures! You guys look like you are having the time of your lives. Love
January 28th, 2009 at 4:06 am
Taj pix are really nice.
The chaos that is India. How’s the curry?
January 28th, 2009 at 11:07 am
Ah, Brenda & Mike haven’t experienced this. One is moving all the time on India’s roads as that is the function of the road. It may be slow, it may be frightening, crazy and incredible, but it is moving and always, always noisy.
It’s not fun but it is educational, after all. Makes LA freeway traffic a snap. In all its chaos, India works. That’s the lesson we came away with. People are evidently able to carry on in more than one system. India is a great teacher.
Keep posting. We suspect you’ll be glad to have your time in NZ. Meanwhile, human population continues to grow…
January 28th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
What’s the curry count up to? How many different kinds have you had so far?
January 30th, 2009 at 12:44 am
In response to all the comments we got on this one: Bangkok traffic is crazy, but controlled. Delhi and Mumbai make it look like a Sunday drive.
About the curries… Indian food has been great. The curry here is really different than Thailand. For the record, we had red, green, yellow (mispelled as “Xellow” on the menu), and Penang curries there.