The madness that is...

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We have been here a couple of days and had a chance to absorb so now I have a chance to write my first blog on foreign soil - whilst Simon is listening to the Man U match on the world service! He did say before came "...whatever, wherever, I will be there in spirit".

The journey so far...

The flight - pretty bloody relaxing by all accounts. We could not believe our luck getting the upgrade, I think it was when the check-in guy had a phone call that we first started to suspect and then when he asked had we ever flown club before that's we just looked at him, jaws wide-open, looked at each and smiled quite rediculously from then until we reached Delhi. Simon was already texting before we left the check-in desk - and he says I'm the uncool one?

We definitely got a few looks as we turned left rather than right to our seats and then we just sat back and enjoyed everything that was offered - champagne, kir royals, starter, main course, cheese, red wine, green and blacks and of course a pretty comfy bed with a full on pillow and duvet - what an amazing start.

Even turning up in Delhi at 5am wasn't as bad as we have aniticipated. Pretty calm as a matter of fact, a little sign with Simon's name on and Mr Singh to take us off to our guest house in the main city.

This was our first experience of the roads and the driving rules, anything goes pretty much and there seems to be little conflict. But even at 5am the city is very much awake - buses, pedesrians, cyclists and auti-rickshaws (with no lights) cramming the rocky, pot holed, unlit streets. Street cleaners sweeping in the dark, a whole Indian-style band waling back along the highway after a gig and with a bit of jetlag this all seemed pretty sane.

And then we got to our guest house about 7am and waited for our room - for about 2 hours - whilst they were cleaning it - it all looked pretty clean to us and the bed very tempting but I think they just wanted us to suffer.

So we had a few hours rest and then started our adventure...

The city is truly manic and very, very polluted, you feel like you have a constant film over your eyes and this only worsened as the day goes on. The sun drops like a stone here and by about 6pm it is pitch black with very little lighting.

We have already been involved in a few local scams - e.g. everyone telling us that they are part of an offcial tourist office and that all the things we want to do are very booked up and we need a driver but we haven't given in yet - it is quite astounding though as they so professional. The locals blame the kasmiri's for this, they blame the seiks...

All in all though it has been a great start...pictures and lots more very soon xx

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Photos

What a drag
Enjoying a kir royal after take-off and before I threw a whole glass of red on myself - suprise.

Our airport transfer
Mr Singh was our man at the airport, his Ambassador car was apparently a mold sold by the British to India and they continue to make them today

The streets
A whole host of goings on with chaos everywhere

Want a mobile?
Any where there is room to fit something, it is filled

Just doing our business
Every nook and cranny optimised, whatever the state of construction

Sunday trading
Near the Old town, hundreds of people are buying from the streets - fruit, clothes, suitcases, bags, shoes.

Comments

[Jesi H]

Hier
Hi Auntie Emma Looks like youre haveing a good time, did Simon know Manu 0 Chealse 8 from jesi

[maria and the girls]

fantastic writing
Hi guys,sounds you really are having the time of your lives!the journal is so vivid, you can almost smell the food, hear noise coming from the cars and the relaxing noise of the waves breaking and the sun burning in my face!Big kiss from the girls and I+++