Kathmandu: 15th-17th March.

After an 8 hour bus drive, we were delivered into Kathmandu from Chitwan. The journey was spectacular, jaw dropping views the whole way, mountains, mountains and more mountains, not suitable for those with vertigo (Armelle’s Mum may not have survived!). Stunning terraces so that every square cm of land was farmable and again we had to ration the photos. Our first meal in Kathmandu was at the New Orleans Café, which we practically ran to, due to severe hunger, our first true Western dining experience, naughty but much appreciated: Jess had chicken for the first time (yum), where as Armelle had buffalo, disguised as beef on the menu, holy cow and all! We then spent a couple of hours gazing into jewelry shop windows, admiring the sequined skirt, cashmere jumpers, and fake North Face items everywhere (dubious quality, but cheapness guaranteed). Thamel, the touristy district, has had the highest concentration of Westerners we’d seen since leaving the U.K. On the way back to the hotel, we had a little surprise when there was what we later discovered was a scheduled power cut at 17:30. We got quite lost, soaked to the bone (also the first rain we’d experienced in a month), and splattered in mud, due to evil spiteful flip-flops with a vendetta. We then proceeded to apply make-up by candle light (never advisable!), on our thankful arrival to the hotel.

Armelle did not realize that when deodorants say ‘keep away from naked flames’ they mean it. Fortunately Jess was there and an untimely explosion was avoided. In the evening we hit the town for some quiet drinks in a place called Sam’s Bar, a bar-come-barn, with a corrugated roof, and an inside open bonfire.

The next day, our last full day on the Intrepid tour, we got up ridiculously early to see EVEREST, Armelle was skeptical due to the expense, but it was worth it.

We had a 3 hour wait in the airport for the fog to clear, which Jess resented, as she wasn’t feeling fab. The flight itself was brilliant, we saw the entire Everest-Himalayan range, and Kathmandu valley from the air, every person had a window seat, and a visit to the cockpit. Everest itself took your breath away, and Armelle could picture throughout the flight people trying to climb it, and all the people who had donated their lives to the cause. You end up having much admiration for them when you realize how much it imposes on the Himalayas.

Everest is at the back, second in from the left.

Next we went on a rapid sight-seeing tour of Kathmandu, first off was Swayambhunath, otherwise known as the Monkey Temple, which is much easier to spell. From the top you could see the entire city, with the occasional monkey bouncing into view. There were prayer wheels and flags galore, surrounding an impressively gleaming white Stupa.

We followed this with the Bodhnath Stupa, the largest in the World; you can actually walk on it, in 3 different tiers, in a clockwise fashion. We admired it from the 5th floor of a rooftop restaurant, munching on Momos, traditional Tibetan cuisine, and Jess, with her usual pazazz, poured lemonade all over her lap. Armelle got all whimsical again, and proceeded to walk around the Stupa again, away with the fairies, Jess thought she looked in more of a Stupor than a Stupa. Jess forgot her sunglasses that day and almost blinded herself looking at these bright white monuments. From the top tier there was an awesome view of the surrounding mountains.

Our final viewing of the day left quite an impression, the Ghats of Kathmandu were like a mini Varanasi (ref entry: ‘I smell dead people’), we were firstly welcomed by naked Sahdu men. Seriously though, there were 7 riverside cremations happening at the same time, how can we not associate the smell of smoke with dead people now? AND THEN we crossed the river to see a recently sacrificed cow…Why oh WHY???? Underneath the temple adorned with erotic carvings, a cow’s head was proudly positioned, with its entrails being neatly separated into piles next to it, all the local dogs going berserk, bells jangling, and two monkeys running around and fighting (we were a little scared of rabies as they shot past us with demoniac eyes), and all this to the background of women wailing by the riverside.

That evening we went to Rum Doodle’s (if you scale Everest you can eat there for life for free) for our last group meal, we enjoyed the live band, who’s amps were occasionally affected by power-cuts, and Jess had to guess her way back from the toilets. We swigged the night away to cocktails, and customized a wooden foot, with our names, and highlights from the trip, which was then affectionately nailed to the wall. It was the done thing. We then went to Sam’s bar, followed by a random R&B club on the hunt for Roberto, who was upstairs blowing up balloons for St. Patrick’s day, though we didn’t know it at the time, and headed home without him, having sampled the delights of the club for long enough. The next day we checked out and tried to get into the infamous Kathmandu Guest House (KGH), but with no space, we headed to the Excelsior instead. After lunch at Le Bistro, with fabulous views of the streets below, we had an afternoon of organization, with napping in between. That evening we had a romantic dinner at the four seasons, enjoying our Thai dishes. The Irish pub ensued, with the delights of a live band, with a good chilled atmosphere (to start with, it was St. Paddy’s after all), especially because of the intermittent power cuts, we’d become accustomed to the candlelight. We got back way later than expected; especially as we had a 5am wake up the next morning, due to being joined by the Everest base camp crew (Roberto’s new Intrepid group). At 1am we returned to the Excelsior to find that everything was locked! Panic! Wisely, Jess went back to the KGH who had recommended them, and they (thankfully) phoned the Excelsior to let us back in. Oops!

Royal Chitwan National Park: 12-14th March.

Our next stop, which required another lengthy bus journey, was Chitwan. A few hours into the bus ride, we were halted abruptly by a roadblock. This was due to political unrest caused by Maoist rebels. Huge political problems in Nepal at the moment, and what doesn’t help is that a couple of years ago the King and several members of the Royal family were shot dead at a dinner party by the King’s brother, who then crowned himself King and who’s face now grimaces at you every time you open your wallet, from the notes! Anyhow, we had to wait at this Road block for an hour to be escorted by police for the majority of the rest of the journey.

Awaiting escort!

On arrival we dumped our bags in gorgeous little cottages, and Armelle was in awe of the slate clad bathroom, loving outdoor décor in, and all that…anyway…The thirteen of us jumped on a selection of tin-can bicycles-Armelle’s had no brakes, and Jess’ gave her bum-ache for the next 3 days! Having said this, the ride to the elephant breeding centre was some much appreciated exercise, as we felt as though we’d been sitting down for ever, and the ride there was spectacular- we wound our way through rural nepali villages, with children shouting ‘namaste’ (hello) at every opportunity, steering through hoardes of buffalo will never be forgotten, and it was so nice to see children playing together too and not begging, it seems that country air doing people good is a universal truth. After admiring the baby elephants, we cycled back as the sun set, and came across a herd of elephants taking over a street heading toward the river, which were potentially more difficult to navigate than the buffalo!

The drift from our bikes over to the breeding centre.

That evening, we had went out for a little tipple, Armelle overdid it on the Everest Beer, while Jess paid far too much for a warm and tasteless ‘tiger’ cocktail. Armelle thought she was ridiculous for ordering a warm cocktail in the first place…The next day, after a night of thunder and torrential rain, we got up bright and early ready for our day’s trekking, and gratefully drew out our breakfast for a few hours to allow the minor flooding to subside. In two groups, we unsteadily boarded our runner-bean shaped boats, to drift downstream to reach the heart of the jungle. En route, we observed many of nature’s wonders, including floating cabbages, many a kingfisher, and the odd dead dog. Which again, Jess didn’t notice, but which Armelle found interesting as it had no head! We then split into two groups, Armelle’s stumbled upon two rhinos, and a quick uphill escape was required, but the crazy guide decided to approach the rhino, climb a tree and proceed to nearly fall out of it. Jess’ rhino encounter was along the same lines, except that her group ran to hide behind trees, and I don’t think the guide was very impressed when they all ran for the same one. After another four hours of trekking at 6km/hr, (or so it felt), we arrived exhausted but exhilarated, at our huts for the night.

We had both seen so much vegetation and wildlife so far removed from British countryside. The huts themselves were so incredibly basic- nothing more than mud huts with bamboo beds complete with four-poster mosi nets and thatched roofs. They were very clean, dry and cosy all the same.

That evening we celebrated Roberto’s 32nd birthday, which involved more beer, dahl, and a CD of the Venga Boys with a little bit of Shakira thrown in for good measure, on repeat, due to a selection of 1 CD. (The next day we had a whirlwind of thoughts about the Venga Bus being back in town). It was a really brilliant evening, with everyone getting into the spirit, drinking and dancing, surprisingly the Nepali men were more up for the dancing than the Western men, shame on them…you know who you are… It was late to bed for everyone, especially Armelle who attempted to wear sunglasses throughout the whole of the next day, but after tripping up on several occasions decided she would have to face the sun’s rays! On this day we visited the crocodile breeding centre after a few hours of uneasy trekking, we then got into jeeps to head back to the hotel where we spent the first night in Chitwan. Despite sore heads and off road driving, Armelle still managed to fall asleep, but the landscape was gorgeous.

That afternoon we each opted for two different elephant activities. Armelle chose elephant bathing, one of the most comedic moments of the trip so far, it was a picture. Basically the elephant rolled it’s trunk to act as a launch pad to climb onto its head, except that the trunk receded rather quickly, leaving Armelle hanging with two men pushing her bum to give her a much needed push. The elephant would then submerge itself under water, causing her to slip off, considerably concerned for leg trappage.

Once on the elephant it would squirt water directly in her face! Hee hee, brilliant fun! Jess opted for the elephant jungle ride, and was very grateful that she was on an elephant, when they happened upon a pair of rhinos having a little dispute over mating rights.

That evening we had a group dinner by the river, where we said our farewells to Wibeke and Richard, unaware that we would meet them again by chance later on. But that’s another story.

Lumbini: 11th March.

On the 11^th March we reached the Nepalese border after an exhilarating 8 hours jeep journey from Varanasi. We arrived substantially deafer than when we departed! All forms of vehicles in India and Nepal seem to compete with each other over who can create the most annoying horn tune. Even if the vehicle is falling apart with no indicators, a doggy exhaust or no seats, as long as the horn has a good tune they are road worthy and part of the gang! Literally it’s tune. Not beep beep but beep beep diddle diddle blare beep siren blare beep. No exaggeration it is completely true. Even if there is an open road ahead it seems to keep the driver happy as a constant sound clip of entertainment. And if its not the musically altered horn it’s the radio blaring Asian pop at 4 million decibels! Jess likes to refer to the experience as being on Harry Potters Night Bus- squeezing through gaps not wide enough for a motor bike and driving largely on the wrong side of the road or deciding to drive the wrong way round a round about causing us both to squeal on several occasions!

Bye for now, India!

Our first experience of crossing a border was somewhat lengthy and scary with the firearm wielding police (Jess didn’t notice but Armelle was uncharacteristically more observant!). We then took clambered onto a bus to reach Lumbini. Lumbini is the historical birthplace of Gautama Siddhartha Budda and one of the most important religious sites in the world. We visited the Maya Devi Temple which marks the exact spot where Queen Maya Devi of Kapilavastu gave birth to Gautama Siddhartha which is basically a stone in the ground surrounded by a factory looking building, reminiscent of UEA. The grounds were completely bound by prayer flags which was beautiful and inspiring that so many people had come to make their prayers here (according to Armelle fluffy fairy world).

That evening we returned to our lovely hotel and looked forward to dinner as this would be the first time that we would both have wine and Armelle would have chicken since leaving the UK. After much anticipation, the wine was incredibly expensive, warm and non descript, and the chicken was like leathery burnt roadkill....Why us?....

Varanasi: I smell dead people: 9-10th March.

Varanasi, ooohhhh Varanasi. Well ‘I smell dead people’ is a very appropriate start to this blog entry! Varanasi is situated on the confluence of 3 parts of the Ganges. It is the spiritual home of Shiva (the destroyer in Hindu religion) and hundreds upon hundreds of people on their death beds make their final journey here to have their body cremated by the riverside on the ghats- steps declining down towards the waters edge, 80 step sections in total. The day we arrived, we took a boat out on the river with our own sitar and tabular player to watch the sun go down. 120 candles in dried leaves were then lit and we were told to make a wish and then place each one in the river. Ok, the first couple each we took quite seriously but then we got the giggles and felt disrespectful but couldn’t help it. As we ran out of things to wish for we started wishing for ridiculous things such as controlling out stomach issues! On the way back we rowed through a portion of the floating candle causing them to capsize which we both found hilarious as if this happens the wishes don’t come true!

The following day, we woke up early to take a boat trip alongside the ghats and marveled at the riverside activity as the sun rose. Hordes of locals were bathing themselves, several were taking a leisurely swim, the washing of laundry from Saris to hotel sheets was well underway, water was being collected for domestic purposes and the cremation sites were being set up- anything goes on the Ganges!

We then spent approximately 4 hours at a local silk maker- it was fascinating to watch how saris are made (such intricate work) and a feast of colour to our eyes as literally hundreds of pure silk products we shaken out in front of us from duvet covers to scarves. This was ensued by a terrifying cycle rickshaw journey whereby we literally had to cling on for dear life to each other- rubble filled pot holes a plenty, as well as suicidal cows and chickens!

During the afternoon we decided to take a mini adventure to the central backstreets of Varanasi to make the most of our free afternoon. We followed instructions given to us by Roberto and headed to the first round about to then turn right. What we didn’t know was than Roberto had taken a rickshaw where as we were relying on the power of our feet. After 40 minutes of practically running we arrived at the roundabout- Jess was extremely stressed by this point as rickshaws and cyclists had constantly pursued us since leaving the hotel, not understanding the word no and insisting on cutting in front at every possible occasion! After admiring the offerings of the backstreets for a while we walked back along the riverside steps which were far more relaxing! We came across the cremation site as a ceremony was about to start but decided to move swiftly. We felt that it wasn’t our place to watch and would be quite distressing to witness.

mmmeeeeee hhhhheeeeee

The next morning we woke up at 4.45 am to make our way to the Nepalese border. We both felt quite sad to leave India behind- our time in the country had felt like such a whirlwind, a sensory overload in every sense. We had both found India quite tough at times- the poverty is so extreme, like nothing we had ever seen before. Beggars are constantly approaching you and it is so hard to say no to the children. The thing is that it is hard to know what to do- money is often taken straight off the beggar to the master person who is controlling that section of the street and as soon as you delve out pens, balloons or sweets, all children in the neighborhood come running and fights between them ensue as they are so desperate. India is definitely a tough place to be but we both enjoyed our time there and hope to return. We both left having such admiration for the strength of the people that no matter how hard life gets, they still embrace you into their homes, greet you with a smile and kids are so affectionate towards you, it’s very humbling.

Sailing on the Ganges: 8-9th March.

On the 8th of March we commenced our 2 day trip to Varanasi via the river Ganges. After a speedy breakfast, a visit to the first president of India’s house and a never ending bus ride to the riverside we split into 3 groups and clambered onto our half row/half sailing boats. We rowed for 5 hours on the first day and this was not too enjoyable for Armelle as she suffered from sudden bouts of diarrhea and had to request on several occasions to moor quickly! That evening we camped on a sand island with its own pit toilet disguised by canvas. Throughout the nights we thanked our lucky stars for our mosquito head nets, citronella drenched pillows and cosy sleeping bags, which Jess succumbed to in the middle of the night. The following day was occupied by more rowing, a nauseous Armelle and a stomach cramped Jess. We were on the quarantine boat as we happened to be on the same boat as a very poorly pair of Finns! Once we reached our landing point we climbed into waiting jeeps to whisk us to Varanasi.

Orchha: Temple Dancers: 5-7th March.

The next stop on our Indian adventure was Orchha- a wicked little town stooped in history tucked away in rural countryside. We caught the train for 3.5 hours from Agra to Jhansi in the second class carriage. We were actually pleasantly surprised as we imagined sharing our sitting quarters with caged chickens and clambering people! Once in Jhansi we hopped into an autorickshaw for the 40 minute journey to Orchha. We were greeted by bright bursts of flowers along the roadside which made us think of our mums! We stayed in Betwa Cottages which was also very floral and absolutely stunning. We spent the rest of the day bargaining for bangles and eating the best Indian yet at 80p a head! In the evening it was our tour group leader(Bea)’s 40th birthday and she had arranged a party. We headed en mss to a farm hidden away behind the palace. There we found an Indian band, a transvestite dancer, and enough Tali and Kingfisher beer to satisfy the 5,000. Drenched in flower garlands we danced the night away with the kids who got very excited by the Indian pop blaring from the stereo once the band had retired. The next morning we took a tour around the local palace crammed full of murals, paintings and underground caves. The palace has quite a comedic background. This guy built it for his friend who only saw it once. The son of the guy that built it spent 3 years digging a tunnel to the local dwelling to try and see his prostitute girlfriend. And then the wife of the guy who built it left him because he wouldn’t stop shooting animals so he had rooms built for each one of his new lady friends…..whhhhaatttttt……!!! Anyway, we spent the afternoon wondering the market place, being severely harassed by street children and visiting temples. We ended the day by spending some time down by the river where activities include washing, swimming, collecting drinking water, and playing music. After signing a few autographs (!) for the local onlookers and helping a charming little girl with her drawings we headed back to the cottages to prepare for the evening., ohhh yes and what an evening it was about to be! We headed to the temple, for a special ceremony associated with Holi, we stood at the back to try and keep a low profile, and watched as chanting took place, the curtain was drawn back on a statue, and on queue all the men at the front raised their swords, which was a little intimidating. An apparently impromptu music session was going on in the right hand wing of the temple, which Richard, a member of our group went to have a look at, and it seemed to be a men-only affair. We popped over to get him, and before we knew it, a little lady aged about 60, in a gorgeous deep purple sari had grabbed Jess’ arm and was leading her to the front. Fortunately for Jess (but not for Armelle), Armelle followed suit, anxious about what was happening. Dancing commenced as the woman kicked aside a small area of sitting men, and encouraged us in turn to copy her dance moves. It was the most embarrassing thing ever, and we both tried in vain not to notice the crowds. The temple had emptied, and everyone, men women and children, were now fixated by these 2 ridiculous white people thrusting their hips and flailing their arms in an obscure manner. This fiasco continued for at least 40 minutes before there was a path through the people for us to escape, protesting in vain of exhaustion. Thank goodness no cameras were allowed in the Temple! Having used up all our energy, we required nourishment, so we headed back to the place we had lunch for a little tipple before bed. However, when the time came, we couldn’t resist our curiosity to see how the temple festivities were continuing, as this was the night the temple was supposed to be painted red. Not actually so far from the truth. Three of us obligingly removed our shoes outside, and headed in. Roberto, our Costa Rican friend was grabbed the moment we got there, carried off and rolled in red watery paint. Fortunately us girls were treated with a little more respect, and just had our faces wiped scarlet all over. The next morning we visited a recycled paper factory (‘Taragram’), an NGO to provide jobs for and educate the tribal women of the area, providing them with an income in an eco-friendly environment. Being geeky env students we found this quite interesting. We then went on a village tour, saw 2 schools, and helped the children with their English. The kids were very affectionate and well behaved, and it was a pleasure to spend time with them. That evening we had a cookery course with our guide’s friend, Jess is looking forward to the prospect of making Chai from scratch, where as Armelle, who has slightly less of an interest in the whole cooking thing, took a back seat, and drank a couple of beers. With full bellies, we pegged it back to the train station in Jhansi, to catch the overnight train to Allahabad, which Armelle was extremely fearfull of, due to horror stories of cockroaches falling from air vents. Having got ourselves settled, and pleasantly surprised, we were then descended on by a group of drunk men claiming our beds, who ordered us to move. Fab. After one little argument between Bea, the drunk men and the conductor; and another little fight between Armelle and a pushy man who wouldn’t give her space to get off the top bunk, we moved up a class to the next carriage, which had the added bonus of curtains. Jess, for one, however, would have preferred the first place, where she had had more than 50cm width to share with her daysack. It was an uncomfortable night, and Armelle had the pleasure of having her feet stroked by a passer by.

Agra: 4th March.

At 6:15am. we left our hotel, with rain covers over our backpacks to head to the train station. On the way, we passed India Gate, which looked beautiful in the moonlight. We arrived on the platform, surprised to find out that seats need to be booked 6 weeks in advance-but being on an organised trip we didn't need to worry about these things. 2.5 hours later, we arrived into Agra, and jumped into impressive battery-powered auto-rickshaws. First stop was the Red Fort, which was grand, the guy who built the Taj Mahal was imprisoned there for the last 8 years of his life, by his son! After dropping things off at the hotel, we excitedly headed for the Taj. Bea read us a moving poem in the sunset, to set the scene, but this was after taking a ridiculous number of photos- the quantity was impressive rather than the quality-picking it up with the finger tips etc... We also became celebrities for the day-with random men wanting photos with us, to display on their mantle pieces. Agra's actually quieter than it used to be- as the price to visit has increased to 750 I.R.s (about ten pounds), rather than the 20 rupees that locals have to pay. This puts off backpackers, because the ticket also does not allow repeated free entry, as the cheaper ticket before.

Delhi: 3rd March.

We met our Intrepid group at 1pm on Saturday, and met the 11 people we would be spending the next 2 weeks with, including our leader Bea. In the meeting we learnt several useful things that we were unaware of: Don't touch the crown of a child's head (not that we did or anything), as it's a sacred place. Don't flush toilet paper (oops!), it's meant to be directed to a bucket in the toilet, and don't use the left hand to pass things or eat, as this is used to clean the body (ahem). Difficult for Armelle to master, being left handed. We got the bus to old Delhi, which contained a rather hypocritical item in the top right-hand corner- a rusted first aid box hanging from one corner, with no contents! Firstly we visited India's largest Mosque: the Jama Masjid (?) and climbed the tower, forewarned is forearmed when it comes to being groped on the spiral staircase, and neither of us suffered this disturbing welcome! We then wandered through the old Delhi back alleys, greeted by an entire bucket of water thrown over Armelle's head. The' worst', however, was yet to come. This was, after all, the Holi festival, signifying the beginning of Spring. It involves throwing paint at each other to welcome you to the new season, and as a symbol of forgiveness. This day was meant to be for families only, but us westerners stuck out like a sore thumb and paid the consequences. And since kids'll take any excuse... we were painted ladies. The Sikh temple was the next stop, which was extremely interesting, we were told about the religion, and partook of bread-making activities, and socialising over a good cup of chai (yum yum ha ha). We then went to the spice market area which was very busy, crazy-doped up men dancing in clouds of powder paint. Naturally, being white beacons, and the Hindus wanting to embrace us in their culture, we were hurtled with paint, turning Jess' previously white shirt a fetching shade of bright pink...In technicolour, we got a cycle rickshaw to the metro station where we got our next surprise- it was shockingly clean against the Dickensian dirt of the alleys outside. New clothes were accordingly bought in preparation for the Sunday storming (the main day of Holi).

Delhi: 2nd March.

The following day, we decided to have a full day of sightseeing of Delhi, before meeting our group, to start our Intrepid adventure to Kathmandu. We were meant to meet the same driver that took us out the day before, but we were late (nothing changes!) so we hopped into an autorickshaw with a Dad and his young son, who would both proceed to spit freely for the next 6 hours. After agreeing to a price for the day, we went to Lakshmi Narayan temple (the favourite worship place of Gandhi). Barefooted, we meandered around for a tranquil 20 minutes, in between crowds of schoolkids. We then speedily drove through the Parliament district, and with many policemen lining the road, this was a clear indication not to stop, so our driver made us take many pictures in motion! We were then dropped at the India Gate, where Armelle got slightly upset by seeing performing monkeys.

Humayun's Tomb was next, which is a world Heritage monument built for the Emperor (a group of mosques and burial chambers) in Red sandstone, very impressive, with parrots nesting in the arches. We attempted to take an arm's length photo of the 2 of us. We decided after 10 minutes of trying that this is an art we have yet to perfect! After a couple of unexpected silk 'palaces' and textile shops thrown in, we arrived at the Red Fort, a 'Citadel of Power' (apparently), and marvelled at the carvings within the buildings, and gratefully ate curry. We have now concurred to be vegetarians for the next month due to toilet issues. Upon finishing, our driver asked what had happened, as we took ages. Whoops! But there was a wooden musical statue that Armelle was debating over. We then sped back through Delhi rush hour, which you can definitely call an experience! We nipped and dived between cars and buses on the journey back, and successfully completed a couple of U- turns as well as driving down the wrong side of the road. Throughout the day, 2 elephants, 3 cows, 2 horses and thousands upon thousands of exhaust pipes shared our routes. Such emissions required much scarf-tightened-around-our-face action by us both.

Delhi: 1st March.

Thursday the first of March, at about 7am, we arrived at Delhi airport greeted by our taxi driver, holding a fetching board- Ms Jessica Smith and Mr Armello Oween-Navet! Anyhow, our journey to the Goodtimes hotel was the first of our death-defying road experiences, with Jess commenting "everything is just so unfamiliar here"! After catching up on some much-needed sleep, and realising that electricity occasionally decides to cut out, we set out on our mission to get something to eat, and change some travellers cheques. We jumped into an autorickshaw and asked to go to Connaught Place, which according to our Lonely Planet, was the Western Business District. Somehow, we conjured up the idea that it would be full of skyscrapers-a typical downtown setting, but we couldn't have been more wrong! It was completely mad, bustling centre of new Delhi-fantastic, but not what we were expecting! First of all, we were conveniently taken to an emporium (taxi drivers often work on commission) Then thankfully we were taken to a restaurant, and then a very dodgy bank. We ended up back at our hotel with our heads spinning. After a quick nap, we popped up to the rooftop restaurant, which was lovely, and enjoyed our carefully chosen Indian dishes, to the blaring of horns from below.