I'm still alive

Hey, sorry I'm been MIA.  I'm back to health, well, as much as one can be when traveling in India.  I'm not a 100% well but enough to get by. 

Sophie gave me to boot.  I was really panicked and overwhelmed with what to do by myself but somewhere in the chaos of my calculating mind, my gut called out to me and told me to go north.  So, I took a plane from Kochin International and flew to Delhi.  It's freezing here, at least compared to the last month I spent in the south.  I stayed in a miserable cheapo hotel that was freezing so mom came to the rescue and is treating me to a nice place.  I'm now convinced however that 'hot water' doesn't really exist here, well, at least not within my budget.  I'm used to taking baths at 42 C at least.  It's like when we went to Budapest.  The "hot tub" was pretty cold to me.  Oh well, I really should stop being such a princess anyway, if it's the one thing I get out of being here. That's the thing, I feel like I should be taking away more, or getting more out of being here but right now all I can claim is confusion, agitation,  feeling lost and exhaustion.  I'm in Delhi and I should go see the sights, hell, I should go to the Taj but I feel so resistant, like I dont have it in me to go and appreciate and take photos and all that tourist jazz.  I'm just so tired of it all.  But I'm here and I should take the opportunity.. I don't know, I feel like the only reason to go is because people expect me to and so that I can claim that I went and saw it.  But I don't have much personal desire.. maybe once I figure out what I'm doing for the rest of my time here then I'll get my energy back.

So today, in Delhi, I wanted to just walk around and then go back to my hotel early and chill in bed but instead, as I was walking around, a man followed me, talking to me, asking questions and I ended up spending the day with him.  I know he sounds totally shady but he was really nice and non-evasive.  I could have told him to leave me alone but I figured that he didnt annoy me so much so I let him keep asking questions.  He turned out to be really helpful.  He showed me a great restaurant, kept my company as I ate and then he took me to the residential area of Delhi and to the bazaar that the locals shop at.  There was a catch, as always and that was that at the end of the day, I follow him to his store and have a look around, so I did.  I came away with a new pair of earrings, good price. He also said he could help me with tours and whatnot, they all do but it's nice to have someone as a reliable resource here. 

Actually, tomorrow morning I'm meeting up with another guy near the hotel.  He owns an organic farm in a state south of here.  I got his contact info through WWOOF.  If everything works out I'll go work on a farm for the rest of my stay here and that would be amazing!  They have cows so I will be able to milk them and make cheese, yogurt and other dairy products.  That would be so cool!!!  I really hope it works out.  If not,  I guess I'll head to Varanasi and spend a week or two there and then fly home early.  I dont miss Tokyo but I do miss Yuma terribly.  And my wine bar.  And Glenn and my Nepalese friends.  And sushi.  And being in a familiar environment where more things make sense to me.  But that's it!  ;)

Alrighty, my executive suite is calling me (not as fancy as it sounds but pretty darn nice compared to the backpackers places I've been staying.  Actually, I prefer the backpackers lodges better when it's warm, but I crumble in the cold ><). 

Please don't worry, I'm fine.  Sure I kind of feel anxious about not having solid plans right now but that's part of the fun, right?  OK well, I'll just keep telling myself that.