smog
After a long day of bus riding we reached Amadebad and pulled into a familiar haze. Cities in India, it seems, can be identified well before the actual outline of buldings appear or street signs and store names reveal themselves - you need only scan the horizon for a stain of dirty air against the sky. A constant layer of diesel fumes and smoke creates a pretty unbearable environment in many cities. Delhi was bad, even Jaipur had its own uncomfortable biosphere, Amadebad - the largest city in the province of Gujarat - has its own brrand of dense air pollution.
I’m not sure what causes the intense smog here - perhaps it’s coal burning power plants on the edge of the city, maybe it’s the piles of plastic trash burning in the street, certainly the endless stream of scooters and motorcycles, coughing buses and spewing rickshaws are to blame… probably some combination of it, and more that goes unseen. It makes LA look pristine: instead of turning the sky a hypercolor pallete of glowing streaks, the sunsets here strain to break through the oppressive air. Walking or driving around, your eyes sting with the fumes and your head spins with foreign gases. Some people cover their faces with handkerchiefs, but for the most part people don’t seem too bothered. I imagine their general disregard for the aesthetic/health/safety of their city extends to the air as well.