Delhi a baptism of fire

Gutted. I spent the last 30 mins on the train writing this, do have it delete on me. So here is take 2. Probably not as good as take 1.

We arrived in Delhi airport to the screen on the plane telling us it was a mere 35 degrees outside. This was ok except it was midnight....

We eventually found our driver and went to the "car". "No seat belt, no problem ma'am this is India!" Seems also no wing mirrors, no problem, no lights, no problem is also true. What is mandatory however is ensuring you have a full working horn and using it at least 100 times a journey! Horn I have learned is a universal language for "I'm coming get out of the way" to "hello" to "please hire my taxi/rickshaw/bike" to "what the hell I have one so therefore I must use it".

Arriving at the hotel was a welcome haven following navigating a cow and several rabid dogs. The air con and flushing toilet were welcome followed off with a nice breakfast included today all for the 12 pounds a night for 2 of us fee.

This morning we set off for our tour we had booked of a Delhi slum with an organisation called PETE a charity that educates children from the slum. A beautiful lady called Lakshmi was our guide. She is from the slum and teaches English. The charity relies soley on donations and the tours for funding. This experience I cannot describe in words. It was humbling and shocking at the same time. As we walked around we were greeted with such welcome by the local people. Especially the hundreds of wonderful smiling children, all of whom just wanted a photo with us or of themselves. (We were to learn later that they are not the only ones who want photos of us....) A lot of the people are magicians some of who travel internationally to perform. We got treated to a fab magic show by a man in his family house whom he shared with 8 children and 3 generations in a single room 5 X 5 meters wide. People welcomed us into their homes and showed us their trade. But the sad side was also there of course. We saw how the government had demolished people's homes because they had no papers, reduced to rubble in a day where generations had lived. We learned how many still have to walk an hour to get clean water and how many still die young from cholera and typhoid. Women are married at 13 and pregnant at 16. Many still die in childbirth. Despite this the people were so happy and seemed to be living life. It puts life into perspective really.

Following the end of this we headed in the metro to the red fort a large fort in Delhi. We took a rickshaw in the end as the metro station we wanted did not exist..
We haggled hard getting the fair down from 170 rupees to 50 by shopping around. Shows what they inflate to although it does feel somewhat bad haggling over a matter of £1,50! This was an experience through crazy madness of the bazaar with people selling everything and anything. The horn again came in very useful.

We looked around for a while before a monsoon started. We took shelter and ended up chatting to a couple of guys from the Indian army. It is none compulsory in India and considered a good job to do. They wanted selfies with us and as soon as we said yes everyone wanted one. We were surrounded by men and women all who wanted selfies with us. This happened every time we stopped to rest. We felt famous. Apparently they like it as we look different. Unlike other places like Thailand we have travelled we have only seen one other European couple so far.

Eventually a little longer than expected the rain stopped. Unfortunately it had been so heavy we had to navigate deep water and mud from flooded roads to get back to the hotel to get our bags. Nobody knew where the hotel was as the rickshaw drivers can't read or read a map. We ended up having to walk an hour back in the mud and wet to get our bags. We then ran to the station to get our train! We were catching a night train to Varanasi our next stop and made it with a meer 5 mins to spare! Needless to say I have only peed once today from all the heat and running around. (In hindsight this is a bonus, as turns out Indian train toilets are not somewhere you wish to be)

Arriving on the train eventually managed to find our seats to find 4 people in a spot for 3. This is ok the guy said. Hmm not ok by me I thought. Anyway we sat for a while with them until finally we had enough and dropped the bunks to get some sleep. I am now writing this opposite an Indian family of 8 sharing 5 bunks and some smiley children. Luckily the air con is working well.

I really hope this saves now as need some sleep...

Let's see what day 2 brings!Read more