India Gate

"I don't think that's a good idea" were the words I heard from our trip coordinator when I informed him that I was taking a solo trip to India Gate at 7:20pm on the evening of our 1:55am flight back home. I was told by the front desk that the hotel was 25 minutes away from India Gate. When I mentioned this to our coordinator he thought it was more like 45 minutes due to the unpredictable nature of India's traffic. Well I asked him if he thought I should pass on the trip and we mutually agreed that I would go, judge the time and make some smart decisions in route if it looked as if time would time would be an issue. And so it begins...

When I got in the cab I was told that India gate was about 45 minutes away which was different then what the concierge told me no more then 10 minutes before. As I sat in the cab debating whether I should still go, off we went. I told the driver that I needed to catch a flight, he asked me what time and then took the trek on as a personal challenge to cut the time in half and that he did. I think we did the entire round trip with pictures in a little over an hour. Now let me set the context for the rest of the story by telling you a little about India's traffic situation.

India's traffic is like no other traffic I have ever experienced in my life. Not even an IMAX simulation on a 50 foot screen could prepare you for "traffico del India". I am in negotiations with the Six Flags theme parks for a virtual reality ride about India; back to our story. On a typical days commute in India there are bicycles, rickshaws, auto rickshaws, mopeds, motor bikes, motorcycles, cars, SUVs, buses, cows and dogs occupying the road at the same time. Lanes and traffic lights are merely optical illusions and subliminal suggestion in our minds eye but the cows and cars coming at you in the opposite direction are real; especially if you don't move. Just close you eyes and imagine all of these vehicles sharing three lanes of traffic each way and it's not uncommon to drive the wrong direction against traffic. I was a passenger in the cab while one of the drivers provided us with this experience. It was kinda cool to try to figure out which way the vehicles were going to swerve as we came through. Also, blowing the horn on your car is not only a good thing but strongly encouraged to the point where it is painted on the trunks and backs of most of the vehicles in the country. I heard the cows fought this one pretty hard because it tickled and there was something about crying over spilt milk; I'm sorry I couldn't resist.

The speed limits in India are self-directed/self-imposed and with all those vehicles and animals sharing the road, you can only go so fast. The traffic rules, not sure if they are written down anywhere, works for India. People sort of drift to where they want to go and announce themselves with their horns in the process. There is no "road rage" as people understand and respect the drifting concept and you learn the difference between the "watch out for me horn", to the "your getting to close horn" to the "what are you blind" horn. Yes as you can imagine there are accidents and people do get hurt but I doubt if they are any greater then what we experience over here in the states. I'm not sure what the insurance process gets you in India as every vehicle had some type of scratch or dent and we saw shops along the street fixing the minor fender benders.

Okay now back to the trip to India Gate. Remember I mentioned the unwritten rules of driving in India, this drifting concept, well we broke those rules and others on the way to the gate. All that was going through my head was getting into an accident, being late for my plane back home and trying to explain my motives to everyone who would undoubtedly hear about my escapade. To take my mind off of things and more importantly the road, I looked through pictures on my camera from earlier in the day. At one point I started to put my seat belt on for safety and realized that there were no seat belts in this cab so I formulated my personal safety protection strategy in the event I received a premonition about an impending accident. My plan was to duck down, get into the fetal position and roll into the back of the seat in front of me, all the while protecting my camera and lenses. To hell with my personal safety but I needed to save my investment or at least the pictures I had taken to date; about 1, 810 at that point. Then I had thoughts of engaging in small talk with the driver but I was afraid to say anything to him that would be distracting in nature and more importantly take his mind off the road. All was well and we got to the gate so quick (22 minutes) that I had to ask him if he was sure that was it???

After I caught my breath, I jumped out of the cab, gave one of my lenses to the driver and started shooting. I was a bit concerned because I had no tripod and it was pitch black outside; I couldn't have asked for any better conditions as India Gate sort of glowed in the lighting that was placed at the foot of each of the legs on the gate. I ignored the street vendors, the driver shielded me from the people asking for money and took about 30 shots before it made sense not to push my luck any further not knowing what traffic going back to the hotel would be like. I had to hand it to my driver again as he drafted me from everyone so I could shoot uninterrupted. I tipped him handsomely for all that he did to allow me to get these shots and for an experience I will never forget as long as I live. The travesty in all of this would have been not trying at all in the context of staying out of the "stupid zone".

The India Gate is a war memorial in New Delhi commemorating the Indian dead of the First World War. The India Gate today also houses the Indian Army's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Amar Jawan Jyoti. I could have easily shot the gate for another two hours but that would have crossed into that "stupid zone" I mentioned earlier. There were many details still yet to capture but maybe for another time if I get the opportunity to return to India some day. I was able to fire off about 30 shots during my brief visit and here are a few pics of India Gate to go along with this story. It's amazing because it's been more then a week and the gate and the trek there are still so vivid in my mind. Think about the experiences we miss out on in life because of fear or the thought that we still have time. For some later never comes, for others so goes the "Days of Our Lives" but they only have "One Life to Live" "As the World Turns" but I am grateful for the experience which I will tell "All My Children" to encourage them so they don't become "The Young and the Restless". Sorry, it's late and I drifted into that "Stupid Zone" but not to worry, I live close to a "General Hospital" just beyond that "Guiding Light". Now you know "The Rest of the Story". Goodnight.