Thursday 6th January - My last day in Delhi - going home

I got back to the hotel and freshened up and then set off to do my last bit of sight seeing in Delhi. First I went to Connaught Place which is in the New Delhi area and was built by the British architect Lutyens as classy shopping and business district. The streets are a set of concentric rings with main roads radiating out from the centre. When I got there the sun was out and it was really lovely wandering along gazing in the windows of the designer shops. This was soon to be spoiled by the constant invasive attention of the touts who want to guide you to their 'tourist information centre' . I bumped into an American couple and as we tried to walk and chat, and work out where we were, we were constantly interrupted. In the end I lost my temper and shouted at one man to go away. He acted most upset and hurt but I was unrepentant.

We worked our way around the streets looking for the government emporiums. We managed to map read using our Lonely Planet guide books. I could seldom see any signs with street names in India. We avoided asking touts about where to go but instead stopped ordinary shoppers, usually women, to get accurate directions. People were very helpful and we got there in the end. After a browse around the emporiums, of which there were about 10, each specialising in the products of different regions of India I decided to move on.



I went to the India Gate area of New Delhi. New Delhi is a distinctive area created by the British. It contrasts with the narrow, crowded streets of old Delhi as it has wide tree lined avenues, parks and grand houses set back in large gardens. India Gate is set in large grounds and is a war memorial built out of red stone.
The sun had come out and although it was a bit hazy it was very pleasant walking around. I took some photos and then decided to walk off in the direction of the Mughal Gardens but soon realised that the distance involved and the problem of crossing the roads would make it take too long so I gave in and took another auto-rickshaw.
The gardens were closed so I directed the driver to drop me off at the Secretariat area. This is an area of grand government buildings created by Lutyens for the British rulers at the start of the last century. It is now used by the Indian government.
I bumped into a French tourist called Melanie who was looking for directions so we walked around together exploring the area. We could not get access to any buildings but again it was very pleasant in the sun and a calm quiet area in contrast to Old Delhi.
To get back to Karol Bagh I used the metro. Melanie had used it before and showed me the ropes. The line was brand new and some bits were still being finished off. There were no tickets rather we bought a plastic disc which we placed on a sensor at the entry gate to the station. The passengers waiting for the train were the most orderly I have ever seen. There were a series of gates each of which lined up with the door of the carriage when the train pulled in. People had formed a queue at each gate whilst waiting for the train. With one change of train we were back at Karol Bagh.

I then went shopping for some kurta tops and bangles to go with them. The main shopping street in Karol Bagh is very popular with wealthier middle class Indians. In the same street I saw beggars who were heart rending. There was a man pushing a cart with a shrivelled old woman sitting it and a man without any hands who kept coming up to me and shouting about an accident he had had with electricity. I felt ashamed but still gave them nothing. Was this the right thing to do? I made a resolution to give money to the man with no hands when I walked back down the street. Best laid plans! I didn't see him again.

Back to the hotel for a rest, some blogging and my last meal in India. I was off for my plane in the morning. Just one last crazy drive on an Indian road and I would be in the airport and separated from the exciting, fascinating, beautiful and chaotic world that is India.

Two days later I was standing in the early morning in the kitchen of my son’s flat in Highbury. I looked across at the Emirates Stadium. There is a patch of spare ground there, with a couple of rain tracks running across it. It was covered in browny green wintry grass and a few bits of litter. I knew that in India it would be completely different. There would be a community of people living there in tents and lean-tos. There would be wood fires for warmth and cooking. Cows, goats and dogs would be roaming around. There would be lots of litter and vehicles – motorbikes, cycle-rickshaws and auto-rickshaws and some children would be flying kites or playing cricket. There would be noise, lots of noise. People shouting, vehicle engines and horns blaring.

Back in the UK I had been immediately struck by the quiet, the cleanliness and orderliness of London. My jacket still smelled of woodsmoke from all the wood fires in India!

India will stay in my mind for a long time!

Wednesday 5th January - Leaving Varanasi

I had a leisurely start and when the sun had come out, having packed my bag and paid the hotel, I went shopping to get some snack food for the train. From the road side stalls I bought pakoras, samosas etc all freshly cooked. I also bought oranges and bananas from the market.

I then went for a stroll along the Assi Ghat. I sat in the sun and watched people coming to bathe. The water must have been freezing. As the day before there were animals roaming around and people in boats going up and down the river to view the ghats or cross to the other side. It was a lovely peaceful interlude as I did not feel the need to rush to see the sights. For lunch I found a pizza restaurant perched high above the Assi Ghat with a great view across the river. They were burning an open log fire on the terrace to keep people warm under the shade of the trees. I ordered a simple Margherita pizza which was delicious. It was thin and crispy and clearly cooked in a wood stove.

Before eating I decided to visit the toilet. This turned out to be eventful. I climbed the stairs from the restaurant to the top terrace and then could see nothing that looked like a toilet. I asked a little boy and he pointed to a shed which turned out to be the barn for the cows at night.

It had been cleaned out and the cow manure was stored in boxes ready to make the cow cakes that you see everywhere. It reminded me that even in the city people still farm. I walked through this shed and down an alley which opened on to a small courtyard. A woman was sitting there polishing her metal cooking pots with an old cloth. Her children were playing around her. The toilet was in the corner to the right. It was a squat but perfectly clean. However there was no light. Not for the first time I was pleased that I had learned to go everywhere with my small torch hanging from my waste band.

I collected my bag from the hotel and took an auto-rickshaw to the station. I was there too early but that's how I like it. I could not see my train on the screen so I went into the tourist information office where the man told me that it would not go up for an hour. I sat and read, very much the object of curiosity from passengers passing by and an old beggar. There was a tourist policeman near the office and he kept shooing people away.

An Australian couple turned up looking for the same train - the Shramjeevi Super Fast Express. We made more enquiries and were told they had forgotten to put the train on the screen but that in any case it was 30 minutes late. We waited for a while in the tourist waiting room but it was a bit despiriting and there was a long queue of people waiting to sort out their travel arrangements with the one clerk who sat behind the desk.

We headed down to the platform where our train was expected and found that much more interesting. There were lots of traders who turned up when a train arrived and put up a basket weave pillar on top of which they perched a large tray of wares. It could be fresh fruit or snack foods. A chai seller walked up a down the platform. He had a large kettle of pre-made tea which was kept warm on a small portable metal stove.

We found a quiet spot where there was a bench and waited there for a while, chatting about our travel experiences. However we soon became a target for a beggar woman. My companions gave her some money but it resulted in her coming back again with a friend. She went in the end once she realised we weren't giving any more. We felt terrible and this was a constant issue all the time. Seeing terrible poverty on a regular basis whilst clearly being rich in comparison. Whilst we continued to chat I felt a movement on my foot which I thought was a pidgeon as there were plenty around. I looked down and it was a huge very healthy looking rat! I jumped and it scarpered.

We decided to move to a busier part of the platform where we were less subject to these problems. I stood near a loud speaker so I could hear the announcements about our train. The time of arrival got later and later. We were worried that it would come in at a different platorm and we would have to run for it so I kept listening carefully.

While waiting I saw another extraordinary sight. Next to the track was a drain which was clearly a sewer taking all the dirty water from the train. There was a man with a brush who was cleaning the drain by moving the sewage along it with the brush. Every now and again he rodded out drainholes with a stick. All this was done without any protective clothing and his hands were covered in sewage. He was ably aided by a supervisor who stood and watched his not inconsiderable physical effort in moving this wave of gunk. After a while the workman got thirsty and came up to the water taps on the platform. Using his dirty hand he pressed for water and had a drink and then went back to work. A minute later another man came for a drink and unwittingly used the by then germ covered tap to drink!!

Not long after our train arrived just one hour late. This time I was travelling in 2 AC Sleeper which was much better for a woman travelling alone as it was full of lots of families travelling so there were plenty of women as well as men. We left Varanasi at 4.00pm and arrived in Delhi about 10.00 am the next day, 5 hours late. I had slept for much of the journey having enjoyed a supper and breakfast of my street food snacks.

Tueday 4th Jan - First Day in Varanasi

As I dozed on the sleeper overnight had I wondered if the driver would be at the station to meet me. I had asked Yaddu what would happen if the train was late and he said they would monitor the arrival of the train and there would be no problem. The train was a good hour late. I followed the other passengers to find my way out of the station and quickly realised I was not at the main entrance but had come out at the side. I made my way around to the front so as not to miss the driver. The station was incredibly crowded. There were hundreds of people sleeping all over the concourse. They were each covered from head to toe in thick blankets, very necessary as the temperature was only 2 or 3 degrees above freezing. It was still very foggy. The photo to the left from Google Images shows what it was like except this was taken in warmer weather.

I looked every where and could not see a driver with a board with my name on so I stood at the front of the concourse where it was well lit and I could be clearly seen. Lots of driver came up to me offering me a taxi or auto-rickshaw. I had to keep saying 'No, somebody coming'. After 30 mins of this it became clear 'nobody coming'. I tried ringing the contact number I had been given but had been having difficulty ringing Indian mobiles on my mobile and I could not get through.

I was tempted to just go and get an auto-rickshaw to my hotel but then I spotted an STD booth. These are all over the place and are used by Indians without phones to make calls. I gave the man in the booth the number I was trying to phone and he dialled it. I got through to Mr Taweri straight away and he then sent the driver. An hour later I was in my new hotel. The room was lovely, with a nice balcony outside and view across the Ganges which was just beginning to appear out of the morning fog as it got light. I freshened up, went for breakfast and then set off to explore.


My Lonely Planet said to just walk along the Ghats so that is what I did. I was staying at the southernmost Assi Ghat which was the end of the line so I just set off sometimes walking on platforms, sometimes going down or up steps to get onto the next Ghat. The name of each ghat was printed on the wall above. As I walked the river was on my right. The fog gradually cleared and the sun came out. The bank on the other side of the river slowly appeared from the mist. To my left was a very steep rocky cliff and completely covered in a jumble buildings - temples, hotels and restaurants. Sometimes there were steep steps which led up off the ghat through little alleyways into the streets behind.


There were men out doing the laundry and the picture on the right shows laundry drying on the ghats.




All along the river there were boats tied up to the banks. Some were taking tourists out on the river to view the ghats. Some were crowded with groups of pilgrims and some were crossing the river to the opposite bank. Apparently Buddhist pilgrims came to visit a site of special significance in the life of the Buddha, which was on the opposite bank to the Ghats. As I walked I passed cows, goats and dogs clambering about on the steps. In places there were boys playing cricket or flying kites. There were also hawkers selling candles surrounded by flowers in a little bowl made of leaves ready to light and float on the Ganges. Pilgrims were coming down either singly or in family groups to bathe in the Ganges and do Puja. There were lots of wooden platforms each with its sun shade and on some of them there was a small group sitting in a circle doing puja together, occasionally led by a guru. Men from the boats kept coming up to me and offering me a boat ride. (There were posters painted on the stone pillars of some of the ghats. 'Bote on Ganga one hour/100 rupees'). I said 'No just walking' which seemed to work.

After a while I came to the main ghat which was very crowded with pilgrims and in the evening would be the place to come to to watch the puja ceremony and launch lighted candle boats on the river. I passed this and came to the 'burning ghat' where there were big piles of wood and families were holding cremation ceremonies for loved ones. I was approached by a man who told me I could not take photos. He tried to persuade me to visit the hospice where he worked and to make a donation. I had read about this scam and knew there would be no hospice and the donation would go to his cause.

I kept walking and eventually got to the end of the ghats. There I hired a boat and cruised back down to the main ghat. My boatman boy called Manish who said he was 14 years old. He told me he worked for a boat owner and gave him 25% of his earnings. His aim was to buy his own boat but this meant he had to save up 40,000 rupees about £600. He said this was difficult as his mother was ill and he contributed to her medicines. His father sold postcards and souvenirs and he had a younger brother who worked as well. He asked me if I was going to the puja on the main ghat in the evening and said yes. He said he would be there with his boat in order to take me out to view it from the river. I think he will soon make his boat money. If anybody is going to India and wants to help him by giving him more business this is his mobile number :
+91 7499265287.

By this time I was hungry so I went to explore a restaurant called the Dophin. First I had to climb about 50 steps to get to the entrance and then another 50 to get up to the top floor of the hotel where the restaurant was. The view from the top was stunning. I was to be disappointed as they were not serving meals until 12.00 pm. It was 11.30 and I was starving so I went back down to street level and walked up a little alley at the side of the hotel. Luckily I found a street vendor who was cooking stuffed aloo shaped like a tennis ball . I ate two with chilli sauce and that set me up for more walking. I continued up to the main road where there was a street market. I wandered along here and then made my way back down to the ghats and back to my hotel.

I had a rest back at the hotel and did some more blogging and then got ready to go back out to see the main puja. I walked back up to the main ghat as it was dropping dark. I was not the only one. There was a general flow of people in that direction. When I arrived there was a seizeable crowd gathering. There were seven platforms on the edge of the ghat over looking the river. Each platform had a shrine on it and above an umbrella shaped canopy which was all lit up. Sure enough Manish was waiting for me and keen to get me to go out on the river. I persuaded him to wait until nearer the start time as I suspected it would be cold out on the river. I bought some candle boats. The woman who sold them to me lit them for me and I floated them on the river, one for each on my sons to bring them good fortune. The ceremony was due to start at about 6.30 so we set off out on to the river. By this time there were many boats full of people ready to watch the puja. We went out onto the river to launch my last candle which was for me. There were lot of other candle lights glimmering in the middle of the river. We then went back closer to shore. Eventually seven Brahmins came and started the ceremony which turned out to be quite a show.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw something on the edge of the boat. I thought it was a rat climbing up the side to get out of the river and into the boat. I looked over the side and could see nothing. A few minutes later I was proved right as a rat came over the edge of the boat and then went down under the floor boards covering the floor of the boat. I was not keen on this and called Manish over. He had been talking to his friends on the next boat. He stayed in our boat to protect me from any more problems! After an hour we went back to shore and I climbed back up to the Dolphin restaurant for an evening meal of chicken cooked in spinach with a naan and...oh yes a Kingfisher! Delicious! I then walked back up the alley to the main road. There were lots of people around shopping in the market and in all the shops in the streets around. I picked up a cycle rickshaw and went back to the hotel. There was a power cut on the way and all the street lights went out. My torch came in handy again. It was a very cold night once more and I was very grateful for the thick blankets in my hotel room.

Monday 3rd - On my way to Varanasi

I was up and packed and ready to go by 10.00 am. Yaddu arrived with details of my hotel which was to be 'Temple on the Ganges'. I was lucky to get an hotel with a Ganges view as Varanasi hotels were very full. Yaddu gave me a contact holiday agent, Mr Taweri, who had organised the hotel and who would also provide a driver to meet me at the station when I arrived and a guide to show me around. I was really grateful for all Yaddu's advice and help.

I set off in an auto-rickshaw for the New Delhi train station. I arrived at about 10.30 for my train which was due to leave at 11.40. I bumped into a fellow traveller who said our train was due to leave from platform 8. It was too early for my train to be on the display board. My train was the Kashi V Express. I wandered down to the platform and as I strolled around I found a board with the printouts of the seat reservations pinned to it. I found my name and then looked at the train at the platform and realised that it was my train. The name and number of the train was helpfully written on the side of the coaches. One of the things I noticed was that the train was really long compared to anything you would see in the UK.

I strolled along and found my carriage which was First Class AC. The attendant showed me to my berth and a few minutes later a fellow passenger got on. He was a civil servant and was interesting to talk to about issues to do with farming, the railways and Indian politics. He told me a lot about Varanasi. He turned out to be something of Hindu nationalist with rather extreme views as he told me that Muslims were 'infesting' the country. I felt very uncomfortable and I changed the subject as soon as possible!

I had brought some biscuits, fruit and water and was glad of it as for a while there was little in the way of food just regular deliveries of chai. Later in the day attendants came with snacks like aloo pakora and then an order was taken for evening meal - simply veg or non-veg. I chose veg. The meal turned out to be poor in comparison with the one Yaddu had organised for us on the way back from Jaipur. The main problem was that it was cold. I vowed to bring my own on the return journey.

The next passenger was a farmer. He did not speak such good English as the civil servant but he still was able to tell me more about farming, in particular the growth of sugarcane which was being stimulated by high prices. I also noticed that a lot of trees were being grown. They were mostly poplars. They are used in industry for paper making etc. They shed leaves in winter which adds organic matter to the soil and crops can be grown between them. When the farmer got off I made up my bunk and and settled to sleep. The train was due in at 4.30 am but I knew it was running late because of the fog so hoped get a reasonable night.

Sometime late another man arrived in my carriage. I saw his outline and my heart sank. He had an Alfred Hitchcock outline and I had a strong hunch that would mean snoring. Was I right! He seemed to suffer from sleep apnea as he would snore incredibly loudly for a while and then would stop altogether. At one point I got up to go to the toilet and he was sitting up, asleep and snoring. Amazing. I was a bit nervous being on my own in a carriage with a man but they were all gentlemen. I had brought a personal alarm with me and kept that in my pocket. I knew that the coach attendant was immediately next door and I have to say that I did not have one bit of trouble.

I somehow managed to sleep and the next thing I knew we had arrived at Varanasi. It was 5.30 in the morning and very cold and foggy.

Sunday 2nd - Back in Delhi

I got up quite early, about 6.30 having slept well again. I had a leisurely start and then went to the computer in the hotel lobby to do a bit more work on my blog. I had missed seeing Yaddu who had set off on a tour with another group so I did not yet know about my hotel in Varanasi.

Jo and Sarah arrived. I was surprised to see them as I had thought they were setting off very early for some sight seeing. They had decided to have a leisurely start to the day as well. We joined forces and set off for the Jama Masjid mosque. It is the biggest mosque in India. It was very cold only 2 to 3 degrees and foggy.There was a chilly breeze as well. We strolled around. Having arrived a 8.45 we had the place pretty much to ourselves. We found the minaret which it is possible to climb for a fantastic view across the city. We had to be accompanied by a man, women cannot go on their own. Luckily an obliging fellow and his girlfriend turned up to go with us. It was a very steep climb up narrow winding stairs and by now the cold was beginning to trigger the mild asthma which I have and I was feeling very chesty. I got to the top after one rest stop and despite the cold and the mist it was an amazing view and I could see the Red Fort which was the place that I wanted to visit next. When we got back down I said goodbye to Jo and Sarah who were off to get their flight to Goa for a couple of days in the sun

I walked on my own down through a market and found the entrance to the Red Fort. I had to fight off the attentions of the touts. They constantly pester to give you a tour in their rickshaw or to be your guide or for you to visit their shop. I was getting more and more rude and said no very brusquely. I got my entrance ticket and then decided to go to the toilet. This was the first bad toilet I had found. The pipe to the flush did not connect to the pan so the water flooded the floor and the pan was dirty. Luckily it was usable as it was still fairly early in the morning. There was an Indian girl with her mother in front of me and they did not want to use the toilet. They helped me by holding my bag and kitted with my own paper I went in . I returned the favour for them.

I then went into the Red Fort. The entrance had much tighter security than the other Forts and Palaces I had visited. They had very cursory checks often involving walking through a security gate with sensors which beeped which were ignored by the security guards. Here it was like an airport and I was frisked and my bag was searched. There were also several military gunposts staffed by soldiers with machine guns. I read the plaques which said that this was a base for the Indian Army and had been since the time of British rule.

The Fort itself was lovely and the sun had come out. There were plenty of tourists mostly Indians and a few westerners. Again the atmosphere was calm after the hustle and bustle of the streets outside and there were no hawkers or touts. Each building had a very informative plaque explaining the origin and function of the buildings. The themes of the other Mughal Forts were repeated. Outer public audience hall, inner public audience hall, constructed in red sandstone, then palaces for the Maharaja, separate ones for the wives, faced in white marble with inlaid precious stones. There was also a mosque and hamman. There had been some damage by looters and the British who used one palace as a prison, but it was still glorious.








I consulted my Lonely Planet guide and decided to walk down the main road, called Chandni Chowk , opposite the Red Fort which went past a Jainist Temple and led down to another Mosque at the end. To the side of this mosque is the legendary spice market. It was a fascinating street to stroll along. There were loads of touts but I just ignored them. I found a stall selling fresh fried samosas. I bought two. They were placed in a small bowl made of leaves glued together. The samosas were smothered in mint sauce. They were delicious. I meandered the full length of the street and found the spice market. This was a sight to behold. Firstly stalls selling nuts or spices or dried fruits all piled high in fantastic and artistic arrangements. The specialisms changed further down the street and became rice and pasta stall and finally cheese specialists. There were also stretches where there were barbers/hairdressers. Some had shops which opened onto the streets others had just set up stalls on the pavements. There was also a woman doing ironing and several times I saw people with sewing machines offering their services. The man below is making paan. Something I really liked about India was the absence of people smoking. Instead people chew paan. They can also buy sachets with a powder in which seems to be a modern substitute. I struggled to get used to people spitting out the juice. In addition perhaps because of the bad weather and poor air quality there was a lot of hawking and spitting as well.



I then took an auto-rickshaw back to the Pooja Palace Hotel and waited for while to see if Yaddu would arrive with news of my trip to Varanasi. After a while I phoned and left and message for him and went off to find my new hotel. I had booked the Wood Castle Hostel online. I was directed to walk down the street to Channa Market area. After a few wrong turns and few encounters with persistant rickshaw men wanting to be my guide I found it.

It was in a very contrasting quarter as the house were all new build. In fact some were in the process of being built. Some were still holes in the ground. One of the sites provided a temporary home for the family of a construction worker who had made a makehift tent/lean to out of wood, plastic sheeting and tarpaulin. The whole thing was on top of a pile of sand on the site and leaned against the wall of a new house. He his wife and two or three children lived in this. They had a wood fire burning all the time to stave of the very low temperatures Northern India had been experiencing - only just above freezing most nights. The neighbourhood was also very quiet. There were no shops and traders or much through traffic. The hotel turned out to be very nice. New and clean. I received and friendly welcome and this did not fade when I explained that my plans had changed and that I would be going to Varanasi for a couple of days so did not need the room for all the nights I had originally reserved. I agreed to pay for an extra night in lieu of short notice and all was fine.

I then retraced my steps to the Pooja Palace, where I met Yaddu. He explained that he had been busy all day with another excursion and would come to my new hotel later with news of my Varanasi hotel booking. He was going back to his office to finalise it all. I collected my bags and said farewell to the staff. I then went off with my bags and engaged a cycle rickshaw to take me down to the Wood Castle. The cycle rickshaw man spoke no English and did not really know where he was going so I kept tapping him on the back and giving him hand signal directions. The cycle rickshaw men work incredibly hard. I was a relatively light load, myself and two smallish bags. I have seen them laden with whole families and their shopping! Even so he had to cycle standing up and struggle where the road was uneven. The worst for them was if they had to stop altogether because of some blockage on the road. Getting going again was hard. I was so impressed I gave him double the money he had asked for.

I settled into Wood Castle and enjoyed a Kingfisher beer. Watched a bit of cricket on the TV in the lounge. India were playing South Africa and it had been headline news whilst I was there as had England's progess in Australia. I got a phone message from Yaddu to say that he would not make it to see me that evening but would arrive in the morning with the final arrangements for my trip. I did some more work on my blog and then ordered an evening meal. Kandi Chicken with mixed vegetable and a naan bread. Delicious and then off to bed.

Saturday 1st January 2011- Last Day in Jaipur

I slept remarkably well despite the noise of New Year celebrations in, particular fireworks, through the night. I was up fairly early in order to meet our rickshaw. Ali was driving us up to the Monkey Temple. Jo was feeling a bit fragile again so it was just Sarah and me. Once again it had been a cold misty night but the sun came out fairly early so it was lovely when we arrived at the temple complex which was set in a steep sided rocky gorge. We went through the gate and were immediately approached by a priest from a shrine who beckoned us forward and told us the story of Hanuman. He is the monkey god that the temple is based on. This photo shows him waiting on Lord Rama and his wife Sita. We listened to a talk about Hanuman and had a red string tied around our wrist, left for married and right for unmarried. We then had a red dot on our forehead and made our donation and went on our way. There were lots of monkeys everywhere as people had arrived with fruit to feed them. We walked on up through the complex following the line of the gorge. We enjoyed the sun and the calm. Another man from another shrine beckoned us and we followed through a courtyard and down some stairs to a subterranean shrine. He undid the locks to several doors and led us in.


This time we were told us about his shrine dedicated to Rama and his wife Sita. Again we had the thread around our wrist, red with gold thread and another mark on our foreheads.
We were blessed for the New Year with a peacock tail feather which was tapped on our heads. Our walk continued on up through the complex and we reached the top where the footpath came in. We had skipped the opportunity to walk in as we were a bit short of time. We met some walkers who had enjoyed the walk before reaching the top entrance to the complex. This is the view we has down the valley from the top end. We meandered back down and found our driver Ali who took us back to the hotel. We met Jo who was much recovered and sat in the garden in the sun, eating a late breakfast, before meeting up with the rest of the group in order to go to a Bollywood Movie. The film we went to see was called Tees Maar Khan. The film wasn't brilliant and the reviews have been poor but it features a hit song called 'Sheila', which was very catchy and the experience of being in a Bollywood cinema was something else. It was much more lively than a British cinema with lots of shouting, whistling etc as the audience reacted to the various stars in the film. The cinema itself was very ornate and colourful. We were then on our own again to do a bit of exploring. Jo, Sarah and I walked along the MI Road to see if we could find some interesting shops but we failed. It was hot and none of the shops looked interesting. We gave up and went back to MacDonald's for a rest and drink. We then got an auto-rickshaw back to the hotel and met up with the rest of the group to say our goodbyes to Jodie and Peter who were leaving us and setting off by train to Udaipur.

Jo and I had time to step out of the hotel garden and explore the market that we had driven through several times. It was a chaotic mix of traffic; auto rickshaws, motorbikes and cycle rickshaws, plus the occasional car vying with the other pedestrians, the cows, pigs dogs and at one point a flock of sheep. All along the road, which was very pitted and muddy in places, dusty in others, were traders. Bakers, snack stalls, fruit and veg stalls, butchers (busy killing the animals fresh for the customers who were waiting) and a fishmongers. The noise and bustle were immense. We reached the end of the street and found a full scale fruit and veg market which was fascinating to walk around. The quality of the produce was amazing. The longest carrots I have ever seen!

When we returned to the hotel we took auto-rickshaws to Jaipur station and caught our train back to Delhi. Yaddu had organised a lovely meal for us on the train and the third class compartment was spacious and comfortable.
Our fellow passengers were quiet unlike on a UK train. No loud conversations on a mobile phone or drunken shouting. Yaddu sat with me for a while and went over the details of my train ticket to Varanasi but there was no room fixed yet. We arrived in Delhi at 10.00 pm and taxis were arranged for us to take us back to the Pooja Palace hotel.

Friday 31st - New Year's Eve

I had a very good night's sleep and woke up early. I went for breakfast and met Frank who was one of our number who had suffered from a stomach bug. He like the others seemed to go down for about 24 hours with sickness and diarrhoea and then spent a day with hangover type symptoms. So far this had not affected me and I was sticking to the advice which was not to eat uncooked food, except fruit which you can peel and drink only bottled water. I also followed a strict hand hygiene regime constantly washing my hands, or rubbing them with alcohol or antiseptic hand wipes. So far so good but I spent a lot of time waiting and wondering if I would be next!

I spent and hour or so in the internet cafe and this was the first chance that I had to start my blog. I then saw Yaddu who was advising me on my trip to Varanasi. I had decided to go there after our tour ended back in Delhi and needed to get a train and a hotel there. Leaving it late was not a brilliant idea as it is a big destination for Indians.

Our driver was also our guide for the day. He was called Ali. He treated us to another crazy drive to Central /City Palace. We had a wonderful time exploring this Mughal Palace and now did not need a guide as we knew the layout and functions of the various buildings in the Mughal forts quite well. The sun had come out and after our manic drive throught the noisy, chaotic streets once more were in the quiet and calm atmosphere of the palace. The main thing which made it different was the costume museum with its display of maharajas' amd their wives costumes, which were very sumptuous. They were often threaded with gold and studded with jewels. Sometimes the costumes were so heavy the royal women, at the Amber Fort, needed to be wheeled around the palace on a sort of rickshaw, rather than try and walk in them. There was also the amazing costume of the maharaja who was 7 feet tall and as wide!

After this we set off for our first walk through the streets. This was a bit scary at first especially as the sun had come out and we felt hot. However we soon learned to weave our way through the traffic, the cows, dogs, pigs and pitiful beggars. We did not give money as we were following advice that if we did so we would be surrounded by even more. On top of that the taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers constantly approached us for custom as did touts wanting to take us to some money making enterprise. At first we were very English and said a polite 'No thank you'. We soon learned you had to be rude and say a firm 'No'! Avoid answering questions and keep going was the only way. We wanted to see a Hindu Temple which was just around the corner from the Central Palace. We made it but found it closed. This was not surprising as many things were closing for New Year's Eve.

We retraced our steps to the place where Ali was waiting and asked him to take us to the Government Emporium shop on MI Road. These are found all over India and are fixed prices shops where the quality is good. On the way we saw the camel cart. We kept seeing these from the bus but this was my first chance to get a photo.

When we arrived for some reason I felt doubtful that we were in the Government Emporium. However Ali had impressed on us that he wanted to do a good job for us so we would recommend him. We stepped inside and immediately I felt more certain this was not the right place. We were instantly approached by a salesman who escorted us up to a fourth floor area where there were textiles, dresses and sarees. I kept saying that I did not want him to show me things but just wanted to look. He was unable to do this. As soon as I stopped he was there. The prices were very high for some things. In the end I found a scarf in a colour that I liked and some souvenirs. I also bought some earrings which they said were various jewels set in silver. In the end I decided that I liked them and that they were reasonably priced so I bought them, even though I was suspicious they were not genuine sapphires and garnets! Jo and Sarah bought a few bits and pieces but not the £200 diamond ring the salesman was trying to sell Jo. I have since looked up the details on the receipt. We were taken to the Rajasthali Textile Development Corporation. Very close to the Rajasthali Government Emporium but a different postal address.

Ali then took us to a restaurant and we had Dhosa. This is an amazing long pancake stuffed with potatoes, various veg and spices. So filling we could not eat it all. Ali did a good job recommending this restaurant. We then went back to the hotel in order to get ready for New Year's Eve. A party had been organised in the hotel.

To start the evening, there was music in the main lounge. We drank beer and listened to tabla and sitar players and drank beer. Many of us dressed up and most of the women in the group sported their new dresses and scarves. Then we all sat around a bonfire by the pool. For while we went out to the front garden and watched a puppet show. After that back to the bonfire and then the food. Delicious snacks were passed around. My favourite was chunks of fish in a creamy spicy marinade. There were also chicken nibbles and lamb koftas. All freshly made and hot. It got colder and colder as the night drew on. Eventually we went in and the music and dancing started. We did a lot of Bollywood style dancing which was good fun. When midnight came we all went outside for fireworks and few Brits got together and sang a ragged Auld Lang Syne. We could not remember the words very well. Interestingly the others in our party from Oz did not seem to know it. I then disappeared off to bed.