Monday 11 and Tuesday 12 October D-Day and Delhi

We left Gatwick with Emirates at 10am in bright sunshine and later enjoyed the wonderful sunset which lasted almost to Dubai. I was delighted to have obtained a window seat so that I was able to feel on top of the world. Unfortunately had to to change planes at Dubai but never mind we were soon on our way to Delhi. As expected there was the usual red tape and very long wait for luggage after which went out into the warm Indian night, obtained a taxi at the prepaid kiosk and were on our way, we were surprised at the lovely wide boulevards in a very quiet city, we eventually arrived after the driver stopped and asked about half a dozen times for our street in Paharganj then tried to demand a very large tip - which wasn't forthcoming.


Our Hotel Lal's Haveli was in darkness but we found a bell with the help of someone in a doorway who we had woken up and were let in by a sleepy man. Upstairs in reception I felt guilty at waking the bodies sleeping there. By now it was 4.30 am and we were wondering what our room would be like - after all, this week was during the Commonwealth Games when most hotels had doubled their prices and many were booked up - a pleasant surprise - clean and quiet with big comfortable bed and lovely white sheets - a clean bathroom with shower and hot water and we hadn't expected the huge TV and shag pile carpet.




We got up rather late, completed the booking, obtained directions and decided to have a quiet day walking around just looking and feeling the atmosphere, it was very hot but we stayed in shade where possible. My first surprise after walking down the road was the small, brick built open fronted box on the corner with a queue of men, of course I quickly realised it was the local urinal, as men turned around putting themselves away! Nearby we found a long busy street lined with open fronted shops where artisans were carving marble and stone - wonder who buys it all, there were some enormous items of furniture and huge animals such as lions.

The road which was very near to New Delhi Station was teeming with noisy hooting vehicles spewing out stinking fumes, as well as motorbikes, tuc tucs, cycle rickshaws, poor skinny horses pulling wagons overloaded with large men, ladies and children, and a surprise seeing an enormous camel pulling a laden, long rubber wheeled cart, dogs lying around, beggars and friendly locals. We decided to check out the station for tomorrows trip and were told which platform and where to stand. The morning had long disappeared and by now we we were in need of a proper Indian meal so we took a tuc tuc to Connaught place and went to the first place we saw that looked promising The Maharanee, we enjoyed nice cold beer with vegetarian curries - what else.

Afterwards we found Fabindia where I bought a pair of blue cotton trousers, we wandered around but although this area has much written about it to me it was a large, overcrowded shopping mall. By now we desperately needed a money changer but couldn't find one which seemed strange so we returned to Paharganj where we were sent in the right direction, the rate of exchange is not very good about 66rs to the pound. We also phoned Agra to confirm our arrival tomorrow. Then off to the optician for Johns new reading glasses, he was so well looked after with half a dozen ladies fussing around him, we were offered large cold glasses of water and then the owner sent them off to make us masala chai - so refreshing.

That done, back to hotel for shower, I decided to repack our bags in a more sensible way, after realising that we would be living out of them for the next three weeks and I needed to know where to lay my hand on things quickly. Off out and back to Connaught Place as we were too tired to look for a local restaurant, Lonely Planet recommended Legends of India which was a delightful place with excellent food and service but we did go over the budget - will have to starve for a day. And so to bed tired, happy and feeling excited about Agra tomorrow.