Delhi

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Hey everyone!

ok so im going to cheat abit and backdate all my blogs as over the past few weeks ive just not had a chance to get online for more than 5 mins! Il start with Delhi and hopefully catch up soon!

So we made it to Delhi on the overnight train, 16hrs turned into 18hrs in an ice box on wheels! we had the aisle bunks which meant everyone kept walking past our beds all night and waking us, not that there was really much sleep happening anyway! It was an interesting trip and were quite pleased we managed to get ourselves from Mumbai to the hotel inj Delhi in one peice, we even managed to figure out the Delhi metro system unaided, this was mainly because the thought of going outside the station and finding an autorickshaw/taxi to get to our hotel was quite scary, it was madness they just run at you! so we figured it out and then spent half an hour or so wandering around karol Bagh trying not to look lost locating the hotel. We founf it eventually and spent the day recovering from the journey!

The 26th was Republic day in India, its a public holiday and practically everything is closed and there is a massive millitaryparade through the city, which for us meant a quiet day, there was talk of foiled terrorist plots so we decided to stay well clear of the crowds and spent the day relaxing on the rooftop of our hotel. This was the start day of our tour of Rajasthan so through out the day the rest of our group were turning up. We got a good mix of people and everyone seems to be good fun!

Today we headed into Old Delhi and see some of the sights, until now caz and i had been in delhi for 2 days and seen bugger all apart from Macca's (to heal the dogy tum believe it or not!) and shoe shops!

Its very different to Mumbai, you dont feel like a show is being put on for the tourists as much, its busy, dirty, hectic, you constantly have to avoid the cow shit, cars, rickshaws, bikes and dogs. There isnt actually as much begging as I thought there would be, maybe i just havnt seen it. I found it very upsetting in Mumbai and really had to get myself to toughen up. I have to ignore the animals, not even look at them, some of them are in such a state, but the reality is that in a country were people live on the streets they way they do and people dont even stop to help the injured in car crashes, whos going to give a shit about a dog with a broken leg?

Right so we hit old Delhi and it is a complete maze of shops and vendors in narrow little lanes, again its manic and noisy but fascinating. I have never ever seen a electricity set up quite like it before, lets just say that health and saftey is not something high onb the agenda in India! We then visited the Red Fort (Lal Qila) which is stunning, wandering around inside the fort was like being in a different Delhi, green and lush and peaceful and on the otherside of the fort walls chaos.

We also went to a Sikh Temple (ive forgotten the name!) and had lunch in their community kitchen - which was surprisingly good! sat on the floor with about 150 others trying to figure out what we were actually eating!

Right well thats all from Delhi for now - we didnt try and cram everything in as we know were back here a few times before we leave India for Thailand - so the rest of the sights can wait! Tomorrow we have a 8hrs local bus ride taking us to a small market town called Mandawa in the Shekawhati region of Rajasthan!

Lots of love!!

kelxx

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