Tag 1: Arrival (20.02.2017)

Despite my good intentions, I naturally did not go to bed on time the night before, so I only had about three restless hours of sleep. The farewell was also not easy as expected, and a few tears rolled here and there, but they quickly dried up due to the excitement. As planned, the plane left Düsseldorf at 06:05 heading to Moscow. Against all expectations, Aeroflot greeted me with my own row by the window, which I quickly turned into my sleeping quarters for the next 2 hours. So far, so good, but it was about to get even better: the second flight from Moscow to Delhi gave me a row of four seats, which I couldn't even fully occupy in a horizontal position. India was waiting for me and wanted me to be well-rested.

Arriving in Delhi, a completely new culture hit me in the face with full force. Poorly speaking taxi drivers sensed a big deal with gullible tourists. After a short negotiation with head wiggling, a young driver, barely older than 20, who drove me through the bustling traffic of India to my accommodation. We drove past mountains of garbage, herds of cows crossing the streets, and stray dogs. Often, only a few centimeters were missing for an inconspicuous paint damage. The narrowness of the streets, the variety of unpleasant smells, and the noisy honking contributed to an oppressive atmosphere.

Finally arrived at the accommodation, which was previously booked through Airbnb, the next blow awaited me. In a four-bed room, the next Indian was already lurking with a snoring that was equivalent to clearing a forest. Only earplugs and a sleep mask could mitigate the damage slightly. I had arrived in India...