TGIF

I left the hotel for the first time yesterday when I joined the team for lunch. I know it sounds awful that I have been in India for 3 full days and not stepped foot off the “compound” but I’m still a little nervous going out by myself into Delhi and Gurgoan doesn’t have too much in the way sightseeing or authentic shopping. It is mostly Western stores and their versions of malls so I’m not too interested.

We leave for Agra tomorrow early afternoon to see the Taj Mahal and then will spend Sunday shopping and sightseeing in Delhi. After I know what to expect I’m sure I’ll feel more confident to explore. I’m also hoping to pair up with the other spouse. Although, she speaks no English and I truly don’t know a word of Portuguese. Should be interesting if nothing else.

Back to lunch…

As I waited by the front entrance for the team to pick me up I could hear the traffic commotion coming from outside the walls. I’m a pretty nervous rider and have heard all the horror stories of Indian traffic…hoards of motorbikes, rickshaws, cars, trucks, bicycles, pedestrians and cows all converging together in intersections with seemingly no sense of traffic rules.

I was hoping this would be yet another aspect of India that was overblown but I can tell you with great certainty that if anything the stories I have read and heard were a bit sugarcoated. Total insanity is probably the best way to describe it. Luckily, I was in the back and just so happy to be seeing an India outside of my bubble of luxury that it didn’t scare me too much. Jules is going to take the video camera to work with her and film the 5 minute drive to give you guys an idea.

For lunch we were going to patronize a T.G.I. Fridays. Yep, that’s right….me, the girl who would usually rather starve than eat at a suburban chain restaurant traveled more than half way around the world to be served by a waiter wearing more “flair” than should be allowed by law.

Anyway, the menu was pretty norm for a Fridays (haven’t they changed their name to that now in the US?) but we decided salads probably weren’t a good idea.

In countries like India it is best to avoid salads because the veggies are washed in water and water is your digestive system’s worst enemy.

It was a few moments after we ordered that a team member pointed out the placemat...

From blog photos

Looks like we could have ordered the salads. I’m guessing those people are smiling and laughing because they don’t have a case of “Delhi Belly”.