This man is an auto-rickshaw driver. We were waiting at the lights, going into Delhi from the Tibetan colony at Majnu Katila where we were staying, and he pulled up next to our vehicle.
He looked at us and smiled; then he gave this wolfish, cheeky grin and surveyed us all. I snapped this when he turned to grin at our driver.
Then we were off, turning right against three lanes of traffic, screaming around the bend and into something that looked post-apocalyptic.
I would go back there in a heartbeat for the wonder of it all.
Photograph Works 
Just back from Japan and wondering how the Japanese cope when they come here! Must be downing sedatives by the handful 😀
LikeLike
My wife, Tamara, wrote this when we first arrived in Delhi in 2010 and she experienced Indian roads for the first time – Enjoy!
Cacophony And Calm In Delhi
LikeLike
hahaha 🙂
LikeLike
India… Most insane place I’ve ever been 😀
LikeLike
I love this photo. Very wonderful to be able to capture such a genuine reaction.
LikeLike
I like your comment – ‘ a genuine reaction’ – that’s how I felt – so unguarded, so happy and confident –
Thanks for your observation 🙂
LikeLike
Auto Rickshaw is a weird vehicle. There is an economical politics that these are on road. Will you believe that price of a commercial Auto Rickshaw is twice the price of smallest car namely ‘Nano’. But that is not permitted. The smile on his face is due to the bewildered looks on the faces of foreign passengers in other vehicle. My guess is that sadly he was enjoying the discomfort of three passengers squeezed in another auto.
LikeLike
Oh yes, I am sure you are right. He had a conspiratorial, wolfish grin.
And yes, at that stage we were dazed. It was at the very beginning of our time in India.
I had been in India before, but it was the first time for my wife. We stayed at Majnu Ka Tilla and had a ride into Delhi each day while we were there. I wrote about Majnu Ka Tilla on the Quillcards Blog and there are several other articles about India there. You might get a feeling of my feelings for India.
LikeLike
I get the feeling. It was nasty travel. You have given me right material andI have read most of it. It gives me an oppertunity to write a travel help for foreigners visiting a multiverse called India. There are two worlds in parallel. Did you visit Chandigarh or Kashmir?
LikeLike
It was wonderful – I like being in India very much. I am sorry to say that I am only half-way through Nehru’s ‘The Discovery Of India’ – perhaps that gives you an idea of where my sympathies lie? I was born in England, but always felt I was born in a foreign country. There is a story behind that – perhaps for another time. But to answer your question – our trip was Delhi > Agra > Udaipur > Bundi > Haridwar > Rishikesh > Varanasi > Darjeeling > Delhi
LikeLike
Typical tourist route. Very crowded and noisy. All these places look good only in Pictures.
LikeLike
You think so? Where would you recommend?
LikeLike
First the purpose of visit? You have seen the crowded part of India. Though crowd is everywhere. Famous places have famous crowd. Agra is now two hours journey from Delhi on a new expressway and I had visited that a decade back via 3 and half hour route. I want to go again but crowd factor dithers me.
LikeLike
The purpose of the visit. Photography always sits somewhere in the picture. And people who make me feel privileged to be alive.
I am a person who likes to see life on the street. I prefer to spend an afternoon on the street – looking at life and talking to whoever pops up who has some pleasure in life. I would rather do that than be in a museum. But I feel most inspired looking at art. I also like awe-inspiring scenery.
So it is not straightforward.
I liked looking at the lines of people who were waiting outside the Taj Mahal as much as I liked the building itself.
Of course, my eyes are not your eyes, and vice versa. What is exotic to me is perhaps not exotic to you.
I can ask, why are you interested to see the Agra again?
LikeLike
On my last visit I had lost Camera some where. The only picture I have is from a mobile phone.
LikeLike