London to Haridwar

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Officially on holiday, so can allow myself a little, lower case yippee!!

Left London/ word at lunchtime on Thursday, and got a tube up to Heathrow. Checked in for my flight. Slight concern when one of the security guards, as I was going through the security controls, thought I might have been with the bloke in front of me in the queue, who had set off all the alarms and was being searched for weapons. I resisted the temptation to quip "see you at the hotel later, Comrade" at him, as security guards aren't known for their senses of humour.

During the flight, sat immediately in front of a two year old, who spent most of the seven and a half hours screaming like a murder victim and kicking like a donkey. Most of his pedal blows made direct contact with the back of my seat; every time I started to drop off, another blow would send shock waves through the seat, and wake me up again.

Passport control, at Delhi, seemed to take for ever. At the foreign exchange bureau, where I cashed the first of my travellers cheques, the cashier leaned forward, smiling shyly, to show me his name badge; we have the same surname, give or take a vowel. I asked if that meant he'd give me a better rate on the exchange, but don't think he understood.

I navigated the pre-paid taxi booth without any problems. Crawling out of the car park at the airport in my pre-paid taxi, we crawl to a halt beside two surfer dude types that had been on the same flight from London as me. The taxi window is open, and I hear them trying to negotiate a fare to New Delhi Railway station. I lean out and offer them a lift. My driver, after trying unsuccessfully to get cash out of them, says it's against the regulations: I am a pre-paid fare, and there must be no hangers on.

Managed to get drawn into a couple of scams at the railway station, but realise what's going on before things get too far and any money has changed hands. Bought my ticket to Haridwar, leaving at 3.25 that afternoon, and spent the rest of the day in the luxurious, air conditioned surroundings of the Imperial Hotel. Was planning on treating myself to a night here at one point, but it's 200 quid a night, so don't think I can justify it really!!!

The train was delayed leaving Delhi, and didn't get into Haridwar til an hour and a half after time. Luckily, because we were originally scheduled to arrive after dark, I'd pre-booked a hotel and a cab from the station.

The hotel, Bhaj Govindram, is on the banks of the Rover Ganges. My mother, the internet freak, could now have it as her specialist subject on Mastermind, and tells me that it's got a reputation for being the centre of meditation in Haridwar. Needless to sy, after my twop days travelling, I was only really interested in how comfortable the bed was. Didn't get to see a great deal last night, as it was dark when I got there. I sat out on the veranda for a bit, then went to bed.

And so ends my first day.

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Comments

[Wendy]

Mum's revenge!
Internet freak - huh! Don't intend this comment to sink into a slanging match but would like to point out a few grammatical errors. You may be on holiday and thus excused lower case mistakes but spelling is a different matter . Who is this Rover Ganges upon whose banks your hotel resides? Some huge statue to a god who reveres dogs - I believe there is a monkey god - so a possibility! And 'twop days travelling' - surely a mistake which could only be attributed to your younger sibling!

[Ann Marie Sears]

Hi Wendy
Wendy... you are way too tough on the vacationing child. Give her a break!!