Dear Reader
It's been a while since the last post; we have both been pretty busy on the work front. In fact, I have only just returned from 10 days in India with business colleagues. Although we spent most of our time in Hyderabad, we did get the opportunity to play tourist. The highlight of the 'pleasure' part of the trip was a visit to the Taj Mahal at Agra, while the low light was a case of Delhi Belly (which I am still trying to shake off).
The Taj was every bit as good as I thought it would be, and then some. The thing that struck me most was the enormity of structure; it is huge! Although the air quality in Indian cities can be terrible, on the afternoon we went to the Taj we were fortunate enough to have clear skies.
While visiting the Taj was in itself a moving experience, so too was seeing the slums of Delhi. Tiny filthy children, often naked, surrounded by a sea of rubbish and rubble. It made me appreciate even more the importance of the public health programs that our work is associated with in this part of the world.
Another low light of the trip was flying out of Delhi International Airport. 'International' is accurate only in the sense that flights come from, and go to, international destinations. There is NOTHING of an international standard in evidence there. Procedures at the airport are illogical and inefficient.
My views appeared to be shared by others I spoke to, or overheard, in the various (and numerous) queues one has to endure to board an aircraft. Words like "ridiculous", "embarrassment" and "inadequate" (plus frequent expletives) were uttered by frustrated travellers. In fairness, the airport is currently being renovated, but if India is serious about hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2010 in Delhi, they had better hurry up and pull their fingers out; they have a very long way to go.
Anyway, here are just some of the hundreds of other photos I took while in incredible India.
Bye for now...
Me
