Our Trip

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16th May 2008

Yesterday (thurs), Shubie and I went to the travel agent next door to book a private car to take us out to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. We thought of going today, Friday, but we’ve been informed that it’s not open on Fridays so we decided to go Thursday. We had a 4WD, and our own driver. We left at 11am and arrived there at 4;30pm, that 5 ½ hours ! we stopped at one massive hotel in the middle of nowhere, where a commission is obviously paid for us to eat there. We only had a Pepsi and a potato filled type naan thing, with sour yogurt. There was no one else in there. One Indian family walked in then walked out again, as it was probably too expensive for them. Back on the road again, and the car could only go at 80km per hour, as the road was not the best, and the other cars zooming past and the trucks with the massive loads. Most trucks were carrying wheat, but they looked like an enormous pillow it was so large it would hang down over the wheels almost touching the ground! We stopped at one tax point, where our driver left to pay the tax. This was when the hawkers and beggars come to your windows to sell things like peacock feathers and belts. One man who couldn’t was, hobbled over to the car and started tapping on the window, begging for money. We ignored all of them. I locked my door beside me! By the time we arrived in Agra it was still very hot. The driver dropped us off at a side entrance where you walk in through the park. This was so we could avoid all the hawkers from the main entrance. When we got there, the line up was massive. It would have taken 1-2 hours to get through the gate. We went up to pay for our tickets and a man came up and started talking to shubie, saying if we paid him money he would get us straight in. I was not wanting to stand in the heat for 2 hours, as it was getting late as well, and I was buggered, so I was hoping shubie would pay him off, which he did! Yay. We paid him 200 Rs and he pushed me right up to the front of the women’s line and took shubie and pushed him to the front of the men’s line.. Some family of women wouldn’t let me through so I got stuck behind the smelliest female armpits i've ever smelt!!! Shubie go thoughrough before me because he (the guy who we paid off) was shouting out that shubie was the nephew of the minister and to let him in. The police on the guard tower knew exactly what was going on, so we think he hot a kick back as well. Im glad we did pay someone because there was no way I was going to stand that long in the heat. Once inside it was still very crowded. We made it through the second gate and was spoilt with the sight of the most amazing, beautiful building i’ve ever seen. Photos don’t do it any justice. On our walk up the path one Indian family wanted their photo of their children with me, so we stood with their son and daughter, whilst she took the photo. I feel like a celebrity, so many people wanted me to stand in the way of their photos. They didn’t mind in a “Gori-maam” got in the way!
We left the grounds around 6pm. It was still light, and we took a rickshaw back through the park back to our car, where our driver was waiting for us. It only cost us $125 for the 2 of us to have our own driver for the day. After driving through crazy traffic again, it go dark and that was when I was quite nervous. There are no street lights and no order to the driving, just squeeze through 2 trucks if you thing you’ll ft and try not to run over people crossing the road, and swerve for truck coming out of side roads. We had no seat belts either. Shubie said his mum would kill him if she knew (mine too probably). We pulled over at 8pm for our driver to have a rest and a cuppa. They wanted us to go into their restaurant but I was too over it by then so we just stretched our legs in the car park. Back on the road and I fell asleep on the back seat. We reached back in Delhi at 11:30pm. What a massive “berocca” type day it was!

Friday 17th May 2008

Today we woke early again and went next door to cash our money at the little exchange booth. He gave us a decent rate, we we’ve used him a few times now..
We went back into Connaught Circus again, for coffee, as the markets don’t open till 11:30am. The tuk tuk driver from 2 days ago took us in again today too. He remembered us because I stand out like “dogs balls” as shubie says. We also stand out as a couple. We found a lovely café, after spending 20 minutes walking the circuit looking for it. Its one of the few place in town where you can get a decent western style coffee. After that, we got into another tuk tuk and went to the “middle class markets” in Lajpatnajar in south Delhi, these are not tourist markets so the prices are reasonably cheaper. Only thing is I am the only white person. We went into a linen shop and almost bought everything. That’s where we got niamh's things. We also bought a Kurta for Ben’s birthday present. It’s a traditional outfit with beading and embroidery. I think he’ll love it. We tried walking through the markets but we were hounded too much because of the amount of bags we were carrying. We decided to head back to the hotel. Shubie made me wait on the side corner whilst he went to the tuk tuk driver to get a good price. He can get up to 50% less by me standing away from him. When I come over, they know they got done and they laugh, so do all the other drivers!

Saturday 18th May 2008

Yesterday we did the usual breakfast, shower money exchange and catch the tuk tuk into connaught place. Shubie wanted to take me to a very nice coffee shop chain called Café Day, and after looking and looking we eventually found it. We ordered iced coffee, which was nice and icy cold, compared to the heat of outside. We then did lots of shopping. Today is our last day here in India. Its sad to leave, but I think we’ve done all we can in Delhi in one week. If we were to stay longer, we’d have to head out somewhere like to Jaipur or somewhere else. Today at breakfast I decided to ask the man/chef at the buffet counter to make me an omellete for me. I’ve been wanting to try one all week. I took a photo of him too, which made him happy. We then went back to our room and relaxed and waited for the markets to open up. We went again to Conn place again to get a few more trinkets and things. Im proud of my guide Ramu! I wanted some trinkets and we found a little store. Shubie told them I didn’t have much money and he was my guide, so he could bargain them down. They brought the price down, but I couldn’t understand what they were saying. I opened my money belt in front of them and they saw I had a few notes on me, which they didn’t like and told shubie off. Oh well. We left and shubie said we can’t go back to that place! We also go an ok price on another bed set. Again Ramu the guide told him the same story, and if he gave me a good price, he would bring back other tourists for him. He dropped the price but we still didn’t get ‘local’ prices. The guy started telling shubie about another guide who used to bring tourists around and charge 2,000 Rs for a sale which should have only cost 900 Rs. We went then and found another Café Day to cool off and have a strawberry shake for only 50 Rs ($1.50 aus). Today was a bloody bloody hot day. I had to swear a lot today, as it was so f-ing hot! It came out of my mouth about 6 times in a row to describe the hot hot hot heat. Like living in a hot engine. We went back to our hotel again around 2 o’clock to relax have a shower and pack. Shubie went out to the local markets and bought us another bag to get all our loot home. We’ve managed to pack up and we then ordered room service for the last time. We ordered the yummy curry, and dessert of Gulab Jammun, yumm. We then had a rest on the bed, not wanting to leave the comforts of this hotel and spend all night and day on the plane.

Journey Home
We went down to reception around 8pm as we booked a car to take us to the airport. But 8:20 no car had turned up. The man at reception was very nice, chatted to us, and he even gave me a present! By 8:30 we asked him to ring up a taxi to take us to the airport. I was stressed driving out, as I wanted to be there at 9pm to check in, but the traffic was terrible, and it started to rain buckets, which slowed everyone down. It was 9:30 by the time we got there, and we jumped out half way up the flyover drop off ramp, as it was chocker block full of cars. It was absolute madness. I’ve never seen so many people in my whole life. Entire families of 30 turn up to say goodbye to relatives! We found our check in desk, lined up for 20 minutes, only to be told to go to security to have our bags scanned. We did, and came back to line up again. I was getting so grumpy! Near to the front of the check in counter, the business class counter called us over to check us in quicker. The man couldn’t check us in sitting next to each other, as the flight was “blanket booked”. That made me upset, because I get air sick, and wanted shubie next to me. Whilst standing there, a Nigerian group of men stood behind us, one man complain that we shouldn’t be there as we were economy. He kept harassing us saying economy, economy. As we left, I turned around and just starred at him, giving him the “evils”. We then had to find immigration. When we got there, the line up was so long, I was stressing we wouldn’t get our flight on time. We lined up for what felt like forever. We got through, only to have to line up again for security screening. Bloody Hell. We rushed to our departure gate, to line up again. The Nigerian men were also there when we got there. The flight was delayed because of bad weather, but no one made an announcement. I ended up sitting on the floor and people all stood around me. After an hour delay, we boarded the plane. Shubie found his seat at the front, and I found mine at the back. Not happy Jan! Then shubie walked up to me with the male air steward who remembered us from the flight over. He said he would help us if we had issues swapping seats. I asked the man who came and sat beside me if he could swap with my “husband” and he said no initially as he wasn’t sat with his friend. I showed him my tablets, and said I get very sick on planes, could he please swap, he then said yes. Anyway, the shubie got to sit next to me (thank god), and the take off was the worst I’ve ever been on. The wind and rain was so bad the tail end of the plane was slipping to the left and right. I held shubies had so tight. We got up but the turbulence was so bad the plane bounced for at least 45 minutes. Shubie even started to say a little prayer. I was crying! Then I threw up 3 times! I think it was a mixture of the whole lead up and the turbulence and the seats mixed up. Anyway, we made to Kuala Lumpur safely. We had to do the same thing with our seats on the connecting flight to Sydney.
We eventually arrived in Brisbane at 11:30 pm, 24 hours after leaving New Delhi.
I’d still go back again!
Until next time, goodbye for now!
Vicki and Shubie.

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