shanghai/delhi.

we spent 4 days in shanghai walking around the city streets, boardwalk, people's square.. took a journey through the psychedelic "bund tunnel" and questionable "aquarium" (a room with a small selection of living creatures, as well as randomly jarred fish - wrinkled, possible pickeled..) we ate every evening at this tiny soup place hidden just off street, a random find which we took full advantage of.. there was a cooler full speared vegetables and bundles of leaf greens which you put in a basket, they cook it up in some broth, and voila.. for $2 including a bottled drink, we left stuffed and content every time. and our long lost melissa showed up at our room the morning of our flights, much to everyone's delight..

and here we are.. india. it was a slightly clausterphobic plane ride, but we slept. got into new delhi at 5am china time, but got an extra 2.5 hours with the time change.. met stacy and melissa's friend mike (another korean teacher..) who has settled right into our group, (an impressive endeavour). yesterday we got a driver to take us around some of the sights.. we saw humayun's tomb which is a smaller version of the taj mahal, excluding the four pillars and made of red sand stone and marble.. it was an expensive entrance fee, but it just so happened to be world heritage week.. so we got in for free. saw ghandi's cremation place.. the india gate.. drank some amazing tea from a street vendor (courtesy of our driver who was wonderful to us).. tried some red beetle nut paste..

it was been an eye-opening 2 days.. the pollution is dense, the poverty is apparent, and yet there is so much beauty here.. the women's sarees are rich colors, nothing bland.. the food is everything i imagined and more.. the streets are packed with stolen car parts to sell, clothing, scarves, carvings.. and people everywhere. what an experience. i must admit i feel much more at ease having mike around, although i haven't felt threatened in any way.. we are grateful that the weather isn't too hot because it would be much more difficult to keep the shoulders and knees covered if it wasn't the case..

this morning we checked out the ghandi museum which was pretty neat.. that guy is quite the role model. to even have a fraction of his determination (my stubborness may not suffice) and his selflessness.. very incredible how he changed a country, the world, and showed just what can be accomplished without violence. a humbling reminder.

this evening we travel to jaisalmer on an overnight train. we're told it is a 19 hour excursion, but are warned by others the the trains have been known to frequently break down.. fingers crossed. our tickets were $8 a piece, so i'm not expecting first-class.. but i worry that i may still be thinking too optimistically..