Delhi in the morning

From the moment we landed we could smell Delhi, even through the airplane’s air filtration system. It smells like car exhaust and overheated brakes, and the smog is a thick brown haze that obscures visibility. Our late night cab ride to the hotel was filled with bumper to bumper traffic, all going at high rates of speed and without any apparent rules except that you should use your horn more often than your brakes. Our hotel is in the embassy district and has a lush jungle-like feel throughout its courtyards. We slept for a while, then ate breakfast surrounded by parrots and other lovely birds that I haven’t identified yet, with the constant (and I mean constant) sound of horns and sirens in the background. Now we are off to explore the market!