Mamma Mia

So my mom set the stage for our time together but she didn't tell you what a good sport she was. Mom hadn't been there 24 hours when I took her to catch our train at the New Delhi train station. And even though it's called New Delhi train station, there ain't nothing new about it. There are 1 billion people in India and I think half of them were at the train station that day, along with an equal number of rats. People sleeping, people living at the train station, people peeing, people begging, people yelling, people waiting every where. So we get on our 1st class A/C sleeper with another family and off we go. We were on our way to visit relatives of family friends, Anjali and Saleem, in a small town (in India that means a population of half a million people) called Basti. We were so excited to meet them and for a true Indian experience.

We wake up later with a strange man in our cabin but that's not unusual. Then we hear the news that there was a derailment in front of us just before Basti. We had to wait until it cleared. And wait and wait and wait. We waited on the train with no opening windows, no water, no food for 9 hours in 107 degree heat. It was like a sauna. We had to ask our cabin mates for their Fanta and Mom made me ration it. Finally the train started moving, but not towards Basti. It was being re-routed. We were instructed to get off at the next stop and wait for a ride to Basti. So we did. I was dying of thirst and hunger so I made my mom walk across the dirt road to the truck stop sheds. It took 3 sheds before I found "cold" water and chips. Spicy chips never tasted so good.

We were so happy to see our ride to Basti! They greeted us with a helping hand, cool car and cold drinks. When we arrived in Basti, Saleem welcomed us with the warmest welcome. He had cold lassis and sweets waiting for us, followed by a huge lunch of specially prepared non-spicy Indian food. I didn't know it existed! The meal was delicious, and I didn't shed any tears from spiciness.

Saleem and Anjali are both doctors. They work around the clock taking care of their patients who stay at the hospital on the 1st floor of their house. We took a tour of the hospital and met patients recovering from surgery, illness and deliveries. It is incredible all the hard work that they have both done and the special attention they give their patients.

My mom and I had a fabulous time with Anjali and Saleem. We had massages, got full mendi (henna) done, and saw several Indian weddings with grooms entering on camels, horses and elephants. Saleem even has a vintage American car, which we got to ride in. And it a visit wouldn't be complete without a Hindi dance party in one of the staff's homes.

We wished we had more time in Basti. Saleem and Anjali welcomed us right into their home and showed us a true Indian experience. If they ever get tired of being doctors, they should have a bed and breakfast!









On the way home, we were only delayed 7 hours on the train, but we had A/C, food and water the whole trip. After the grueling train rides, we treated our selves to a luxury hotel and it was fabulous. We were definitely in need of a swim, being that it was extremely hot. However, we didn't have our swimsuits with us. So we went to buy some. The first ones we found looked like figure skating outfits with a skirt over bikers and puffy sleeves. We were so desperate to swim that we bought them anyway.

Mom and I spent the rest of our days touring Delhi and napping. It was so hot we'd see one site and go for a nap. Then see another followed by another nap. And of course we saw the Taj Mahal, in all it's glory. I had an incredible time with my mom. She took all the glitches in stride. Thanks for coming!