Today we met our taxi driver in front of the hotel at 5AM.  The universe was crystal clear from the poorly lit mountain top.

Before departing we asked the driver to excavate the seat belts from the back seats.  Passenger safety does not appear to be a focus in this country with little seat belt usage and a complete absence of motorcycle helmets (not to mention that people travel on top of buses).  This is especially surprising given that the barren stretches between towns and the congested two lane highways ensure that the closest ambulance will not be close enough in the event of an accident.

Only the road air, a special combination of exhaust, dust and ash, can replicate the burning bloodshot eyes that one obtains from staring into the dense smoke that streams from a campfire.  This trip offered the same painful experience, despite using sunglasses as personal windshields and keeping the windows closed for as long as I could bare given the 100+ degree temperature that rapidly accumulates in the taxi cabin.

The driver shared some insights about income levels.  He indicated that the average worker earns between 120K - 150K rupies per year.  At 40 rupies to a dollar, that's three to four thousand dollars a year.  He also said that the tax rate is 10% for anyone earning above $150K rupies. 

After arriving, I rested my eyes for a few hours.  However, their healing was slow, as even the still air in Delhi is thick enough with pollution to keep your eyes irritated.  Despite all of this Delhi didn't make the list of top 10 most polluted cities in the world.

Later I went to meet an old friend at the ITC Maurya hotel.  Entering this hotel was like transporting from India to the US.  Designed to meet the expectations of its wealthy American clients, this hotel was consistent in style and comfort with 5-star American facilities.   There were also Indian guests, giving me a glimpse into the life that the upper class Indians live.

After dinner my auto rickshaw sped through the cloudy streets of Delhi taking me back to the hotel.