Delhi days
This is going to be quick but so far India has been amazing - it’s certainly an intense experience - noisy, dusty, colourful and varied - well that was Delhi anyway.
Everywhere there are people doing so many different things for a living, street sellers, auto and cycle rickshaws, horse-drawn carts, rubbish, markets.
We visited an amazing mosque and Old Delhi with its narrow alleyways where we saw the spice market and had some chai made by the side of the road (very milky and sweet).
We haggled with very persistent sellers - a stressful experience. I came out of it with a nice shawl and a few more grey hairs. Many touts and sellers on the streets.
Now in Agra and just saw the Taj - very beautiful. We also visited the Agra Fort which was amazing.
Had a funny tummy yesterday - too much spicy curry. Took steps and feeling better today - on plain food for a while.
We’ve taken local buses - very crowded and dirty. One broke down on the way to some Islamic ruins.
The group is good and looking forward to going to a remote village for the next few days.
Yay, I was looking for an update since you got there… have to say Delhi is not my favourite place but it sure is a great experience.
Hope you feel better soon and have a lovely time for the rest of your trip.
Gosh, what an experience you’re having. I think if I went to India I’d need someone to hold my hand good and tight!!
All the best for your travels from now on and I hope your tummy behaves itself. You are so lucky to have seen Taj Mahal.
Happy travelling!!
Yes, hope the tummy stays settled
It’s been really hot for the last couple of days in Melbourne. Today was 37 degrees (and playing cricket in it too… Good thing we won!). Very hot and very smokey with all of the bushfires around. Looking forward to more stories from India 
Hope the rest of the trip is great!
Delhi is exciting that is for sure but I hope you will get to see Bombay or Calcutta. Much nicer places. Did you take in Connaught Place and India Gate? Then there is Ghandhi’s place too. So much to see, so little time. Oh gosh. I am homesick now for India. Can’t wait to read your updates and see your piccies. Have a grand time.
Well that stomach problem was nothing compared to the last couple of days! I’m now fine after taking medication but I had nausea, diarrhoea and fever! Ahhh! I think it all comes with a trip here though - everyone else has had it too at some stage. Otherwise everythjing has been so interesting. We saw the temples at Khaujarou today (steamy erotic carvings… hee hee) and visited a remote town where we had dinner with a family, saw some ancient rock paintings and enjoyed wandering the narrow streets. Tomorrow we go to a national park to try to see tigers. I am going to Kolkata next week which should be good. I did see India Gate from a distance went to Connaught Place but I didn’t like the touts there. I love the variety of culture everywhere though and the vibrancy - it is intense!
Ooooohh!! not good
Good to hear that the travel medication came in handy though 
From our conversation last night sounds like you are seeing some interesting things! (including the carvings 
). Hope the national park is great and that you get to see the tigers. Looking forward to hearing more of your adventures!
Didn’t see any tigers but saw a leopard at a distance (could have been a piece of wood for all I could tell) and wild boars, crocs, birds and monkeys. It was a tranquil setting.
From there we have visited another small town, a larger city and now Varanasi, a very holy Hindu city on the Ganges. We went on a boat trip last night where we floated candles and made wishes while gliding past the gats where people bathe and worship. There was a ceremony going on and we also saw a body burning. People burn the bodies of those who have died there - it is very sacred for Hindus to die in Varanasi and means they are almost certain of a place in Paradise. It’s extremely interesting and fun to wander the narrow alleys of the old city too where there are little stalls and a lot of guru type looking people wandering around.
I have just heard my train to Gaya tomorrow has been cancelled! There are strikes on the railways. I’m now planning to get a bus. Apparently the other train trips should be OK. Nothing is certain here!
You’re not looking like a guru at the moment are you? I can just imagine after 2 weeks in India you will have dreadlocks and have achieved enlightenment!
Sounds like you have been to some out of the way places. Pity about the train, especially considering the amount of effort you had to go to in booking the train in the first place! Hopefully you will only have the one bustrip and the other trains will be fine 
So you are almost onto the second stage of your trip. You’ll get to see Amit’s parents and his friends. Hope this part of the trip is good. Looking forward to seeing you back home!
That is really annoying considering all the effort you put in organising it. But I guess a rather common thing in India. You always have to make a few other plans in cae things go wrong… like Dad says you can never make enough plans while travelling around there. I hope the railway strike is lifted and you are able to travel easy or get a bus that takes you there in good time and in nice to travel in. Mum and Dad are waiting for you on the other end