Day 1 – So after lots of consideration and much procrastination, we finally decided to visit India. We have never much inclination to visit before, but as we have got older we also realise that we might regret not going; the deciding factor was that we are both pretty fit and we felt that we may not have the level of stamina required in the future.
With suitcases packed like an emergency medical kit, we headed off to London Heathrow for a mid-morning flight to Delhi. Our first surprise was an hours delay followed by the news, once we’d boarded, that due to conflict in Kashmir our 8hr flight was now at least an hour longer due to emergency rerouting across the Arabian Sea. Our 11:30pm arrival became 1:00am but the surprising efficiency of Indira Gandhi Airport meant we were through by 1:30am. The efficiency of the airport was lost as we paused to purchase a local SIM card – 6 young men all sitting around on their phones chatting and ignoring the customers! Our driver patiently waited outside for a further 30 minutes and then we were on our way to our first stop. Driving through the most affluent area of New Delhi early in the morning was a great experience with security stops outside Narendra Modi’s house and roads blocked off to traffic. The roads were almost empty and our driver informed us that everything is shut at 10:00pm in the area so traffic is very limited. We arrived at Lutyens Bungalow at 2:15am, turned on the bathroom light and the power went out!! Our host appeared from her bedroom right across the hall from us and immediately got on the phone to demand an explanation whilst we waited in the heat of the communal space; just as we had given up hope of power being restored the lights flicked back on and we hurriedly showered and went to bed. Our room appeared to be a windowless box but we would discover the real joy of the building when we woke up in the morning.
Day 2 – After a very short night, we made our way to breakfast. We had booked Lutyens Bungalow as it was in a quiet part of New Delhi and would give us chance to relax and prepare for the pace of the rest of our holiday, but nothing could have prepared us for the wonderful atmosphere we discovered. This was more of a homestay and we lived in the main family house in a room opposite our host; there were smaller bungalows in the grounds for guests and we loved feeling part of a family. Breakfast was served on a long communal table under shade in the garden and cooked to order. Everything here was shared with the family and it was joyous. Peter, the hosts ‘son-in-law’ was English and chatted to us about his love of Delhi and how he came to be there, as well as discussing the wildlife we would see in the garden. We sat watching parrots feeding from the feeders, with flocks of black kites circling overhead; the resident dogs wrestled on the lawn whilst the cats found shady spots to doze undisturbed. During breakfast we were invited to order evening meal (there are no restaurants nearby) for the princely sum of 30INR (25p) each. We booked and fully expected to need to find an alternative for the next evening.
Following our late arrival, we decided to stay on site and enjoy the pool/garden for the day. Everything was gentle and time was filled with chatting to staff/family, reading, strolling the grounds and finally enjoying the pool. A communal drink fridge used the honesty principal and allowed you to help yourself to anything inside. In a world of technology overkill it was refreshing that here still recorded everything with pencil and paper.
Late afternoon, we decided to take a gentle walk to neighbouring Lodi Gardens; like an over-protective mother, the owner was worried we would be too hot and checked we had hats and would stay out of the sun! It was only a 10 minute walk away, but it was hot, as suggested, we stayed in the shade stopping regularly at benches to take in the environment. Lodi Gardens was huge and had a number of tombs as well as a mosque in the centre; we were stunned by how clean it was with no litter visible and people ensuring their picnic rubbish was placed in the proper bins. The paths were all clearly marked and we were able to walk the full length of the garden with ease. After spending an hour in the park we strolled back to the Bungalow for a rest before dinner.
As with all meals here, it was communal with guests sat again at the outdoor table – now lit up with fairy lights and candles. The meal was a three course vegetarian feast. The family all share the same food and are constantly bustling around partaking in conversations, checking on everybody and then sitting together to eat. We regularly have chosen to eat at communal tables with strangers so were very happy to have the opportunity to meet fellow travellers. Our company was two groups of two – two Englishmen who had been in India for 3 weeks exploring and two Dutch women who had been in Bhutan for 2 weeks – both groups were leaving after dinner to fly home. The evening was a highlight of our trip and confirmed the joy of random encounters as we chatted about our lives, travels and dreams. The meal we believed would be an easy option and no more, had proved to be amazing so we knew we would repeat again on our last night here. Oh, and the food was perfect too!
Day 3 – After a day of rest, we felt ready to hit this adventure. As the bungalow was quite remote, we decided to book a taxi only to be left standing on the kerb as it sailed past and couldn’t work out how to get back to us!! A passing tuk-tuk driver caught our eye so we took our life in our hands and got in. Our only must see in this part of town was the Lotus Temple – one of only 8 Baháí Houses of Worship in the world. The structure was set in immaculately groomed gardens and there was a gentle silence throughout the entire area with hundreds of people walking slowly along in the intense Delhi heat. Entry was free and there was no queue until you reached the building itself. A sophisticated queuing system allowed only a small number of people inside at any time and no photographs were permitted inside. Silence was expected inside and the simple decoration – only rows of chairs looking through the enormous panoramic windows towards the gardens – was calming. The inside was cool but not so cool that people felt the need to use it as a place of shelter from the heat, this meant that most people only stayed 5-10 minutes before exiting back through the gardens.
We encountered our first strange photography moment just outside the main doors. A group of young men asked for photos with us although they were not really interested in Mr Y; they couldn’t speak English and we thought it was a one off as there were no other non-Indians anywhere to be seen but we encountered this a number of times during our visit. Just outside the main gate, looking for our tuk-tuk driver, another family with tiny children asked for a photo with Mrs Y despite the children looking totally baffled!! The biggest question must be how do you explain the stranger in your photos!!
We had planned to visit a stepwell during our visit and heard there was one close to the bungalow so we took advantage of our tuk-tuk to take us there. On the way he did try to convince us that we needed to visit a shopping bazaar that would show us the original crafts of India (the first of many such nonsense tales on our trip); we stuck fast and refused to go despite a number of attempts to persuade us otherwise. Although clearly not happy, he did take us to the step well (Ugrasen Ki Baoli) which was buried in a back street and not the slightest bit touristy at all. On the short trip back to the bungalow he drove us around Connaught Place and India Gate so we could see the best parts of New Delhi.
Following the previous evening’s meal we had booked again. But today’s meal was not as entertaining due entirely to the company and not the food! Our fellow diners were 2 young couples from Singapore – only 1 couple was actually staying at the bungalow, the other couple were their friends, staying down the road – and were definitely ‘Crazy Rich Asians’. They were materially competitive and talked constantly about their staff, the problems of having a waterfall, their large hotel room being over cluttered with interior pillars, how they would get somebody to collect their luggage when they left to avoid carrying it in Delhi etc. They picked at the food, questioning everything about it and were obsessed with popping activated charcoal tablets like Smarties! The irony was that they were actually only staying in Delhi for 2 days and then moving out to Ladakh. They were not interesting to listen to and didn’t want to hang around beyond eating so we found ourself back in our room preparing for our move to Agra tomorrow.
Day 4 – We adored our stay at Lutyens Bungalow and were really sad to be leaving but knew that the next couple of days were likely to be the pinnacle of our Indian experience. Booking the high speed train from Delhi to Agra meant we didn’t need to leave the bungalow until 1:30 but the lovely people were happy for us to use the room until we left. We spent the late morning wandering the garden for the last time and enjoying a peace that we felt wouldn’t be present again during our trip. We hugged our incredible host goodbye and left with a heavy heart.
After advice from our eldest daughter, we downloaded the Indian Railway app on my phone to avoid unhelpful staff not knowing where our train was leaving from; this was brilliant and we were able to go straight to the platform and train and take our reserved seat without needing any outside assistance. The train journey was efficient, on time and comfortable, taking us through parts of Delhi we wouldn’t otherwise have seen.
During our planning we had been cautious of Agra and heard tales of how difficult it was but we had covered as much as we could – buying entrance tickets from UK, booking a hotel taxi from the station and just the night before booking a guide for our first evening. However, none of this makes any difference in Agra!! Getting off the train we were met with a sea of men all telling us our taxi was cancelled, our hotel was closed etc. Women count for nothing in India with Mrs Y being pushed and jostled out of the way too. Fortunately, arranged taxi drivers send you a photo of themselves and you send a photo of yourself back so you can identify you in the crowd – this worked brilliantly here as our driver scooped us up from the front of the station. We thought this would stop the touting and begging but instead they ignored our driver and continued hassling us. Children then appeared asking for money and continued to follow us right to our taxi, tapping on the window until we reached a travelling speed they couldn’t keep up with. We prayed that this was the end of the badgering!
We arrived at our hotel, the Royale Sarovar Portico just 10 minutes before our guide was due to pick us up for our evening tour. Touting is not restricted to the streets, as we checked in a member of staff was trying to sell us taxis, guides and tours. We made it clear that until we had been out we had no idea what we needed but she needed an answer right away as she wasn’t working later – at this point we learned that British fear of offending and loyalty needed to be forgotten so we agreed to a sunrise pick up that we later cancelled on WhatsApp!
Our guide had arrived, a rather good looking guy called Arif and we instantly had a good feeling about him. His knowledge of Agra and its history was astonishing and much of the information he shared fed in to the rest of our trip. Our first stop was Itmad-Ud-Daula (Little Taj Mahal) and Arif’s precise commentary was exactly what we needed, he didn’t spend ages talking about tiny details but gave us an amazing overview of the building and its importance especially in relation to the Taj Mahal. The bonus was he was a great photographer too, knowing every angle of the building and just commandeering one of our cameras for the visit.
Our final stop of the day was Mehtab Bagh – a park on the opposite side of the river to the Taj Mahal – to watch the sun go down. The joy of the park was that because of the size of it you have a clear view of the Taj Mahal so can peacefully watch the changing colours of the marble as the sun moves lower in the sky. This was one of the moments we had come for and we were now excited to actually see the Taj Mahal tomorrow.
Arif asked us if we had a guide booked for the rest of our time in Agra and we didn’t, but his style and manner had really suited us so we asked if we could hire him without using a company. He then helped us plan our day so that he could take us to the Taj Mahal for sunrise and then pick us up again later in the afternoon to visit Agra Fort. He also suggested that we avoid wasting unnecessary money hiring a taxi and he would grab a tuk-tuk for us. We returned to the hotel tired but excited to see the sunrise.
Day 5 – Finally, the day we had been waiting for and pretty much the main reason for this adventure – sunrise at the Taj Mahal. With a 05:00 pick up we were up and ready for it; our guide met us in reception and as promised he grabbed a tuk-tuk outside the hotel to whizz us straight to the main gate. We expected massive queues but having purchased our tickets before leaving the UK we simply walked straight in, collecting shoe covers and a bottle of water each. Despite being in the entrance courtyard, the Taj was not visible at all until we turned towards the main archway.
There she was, the Taj Mahal in the early morning light, changing colour with the light and more beautiful than we imagined. Arriving early meant we missed the crowds and had unobstructed access and views throughout our visit, we didn’t queue once and even had the inside of the mausoleum completely to ourselves at one point. Yet again our guide’s knowledge was invaluable, showing us tiny details we would have otherwise missed. Again he took control of one of our phones for photographs and produced some incredible memories for us. Having arrived early we were able to see everything before any of the crowds arrived and still be back at the hotel for the end of breakfast! The heat of the day limited our activity during the peak of the day and our guide suggested picking us up in reception at 5:00pm to visit Agra Fort. It was time for some breakfast and a recharge!
Making our way back to reception at 4:45pm, our guide arrived a couple of minutes later and quickly found a tuk-tuk outside the hotel. We wove our way through the crowded, grubby streets of Agra and were soon dropped off at the main entrance to Agra Fort. The sandstone fort looms high above the city with views to the distant Taj but until we visited we had no idea of the links between the buildings or it’s history. Again our guide showed us details we would never have found ourselves but did not overload us with information or spend hours on minutiae. We love to know about the places we visit, but we do not need to be Mastermind level so I guess this makes us quite difficult to please, however, Arif suited us perfectly and we wished we could have taken him on with us.
Everybody in India is involved in some kind of side hustle to make money and Arif was no exception, but we made it clear we were not going to buy anything and he accepted that but asked us to go with him. We did not feel pressured by him at all and he understood that travel experiences are where our money goes and not material things. Being totally unimpressed with heavy marble table tops and expensive jewellery makes it an impossible sell!!
We said our farewells to Arif and grabbed dinner in the hotel before packing our cases ready for our move on to Jaipur in the morning.
Day 6 – Although we prefer to use local transport wherever possible, we decided to use a driver for the journey from Agra to Jaipur. We wanted to visit the Fatehpur Sikri on the outskirts of Agra and using the train wouldn’t have allowed for this. The Fatehpur Sikri is an ancient city that was abandoned due to scarcity of water and political upheaval, but is still completely intact. It was about an hour out of Agra so, after an 8:30 pick up, we were there by mid-morning. The intense heat would have made any later in the day impossible. Our driver, DK, was not to be our guide although, as expected, he knew somebody who could!! It was made very clear by DK that we were not to pay him if we weren’t 100% happy – something that we knew was absolute nonsense!!
Our guide for this visit was Tony who was also very good with photography – this seemed to be a common thread but something that we were very grateful for. The ancient town was beautiful and was just as it had been left with undisturbed views over the countryside. We felt this was well worth the detour but unfortunately the next part of our visit left us angry and feeling scammed. Our guide explained that next door was a small temple open to the public for free and was a place they came to present their wishes in the hope they would be fulfilled. We were told that, if we were comfortable, we could also make wishes with some string and donate to the poor. Mrs Y decided this was not in line with her own Christian faith but the guide was insistent that he would be present and it would be safe – not understanding at all; she continued to refuse and wouldn’t partake in any of the rituals. Meanwhile, our guide suggested buying a large colourful cloth (again trying to sell one to Mrs Y) even going as far as to suggest size for 3000INR. At this point it was impossible to know what was going on, so a single cloth was taken, only for the guide to then sit on the steps outside and leave us to another man who took the cloth, spread it atop a large stone, scattered it with rose petals and then started to explain about making wishes (again we refused). The second man then showed us a couple of good spots for photographs – all within a couple of footsteps – and then asked for money as he worked at the temple and had helped us. Mr Y, being completely baffled, gave him some rupees and we left. The 5 minute visit to this small place had cost us the equivalent of £40 and we had nothing to show for it but a bad taste – this 5 minutes had cost the same as all our admission tickets including the Taj. Perhaps the most annoying thing was the pretence of buying a beautiful silk cloth, sizing it, choosing a colour in the full knowledge that we would never have it; we have every confidence that the cloths are repackaged and sold time and time again to unsuspecting tourists. Of course, it was impossible not to pay our guide, although we guess he had a very successful day through his side hustles too.
We still had a 4 hour drive ahead of us to Jaipur ahead so we settled in and simply watched the world go by. Strangely, moving into the state of Rajasthan was obvious as this state had a very different feel to Uttar Pradesh. We were staying in a residential area just outside the city walls but the city felt much more real than Agra. Rising tensions in Kashmir had put India on war alert and once we were checked in to the Pearl Palace Heritage hotel, it became really obvious that things were happening right outside our room. Opening the doors to our balcony, we were greeted not only by the sounds of young men playing cricket in the street below us but to a backdrop of air raid sirens! The entire city was on war drill; the air raid sirens continued for 10 minutes then there was an announcement that a blackout would be practised from 10:00 along with a city wide curfew. The main reason for coming to Jaipur was to see Hawa Mahal and our plan had been to grab a drink in a rooftop bar after dark and get a good look at it illuminated. This plan had to be changed as it was not being lit due to the curfew! We grabbed a tuk-tuk from outside the hotel and took a ride around the city visiting a non-tourist market to buy some shirts and enjoyed the bustle of a city that seemed full of locals and not constantly trying to make money from unsuspecting visitors. We loved the rows of bookshops that lined the street. Our tuk-tuk driver was very keen to get us the best masala chai and took us into a busy local street, leaping out and returning with clay cups of steaming hot, sweet chai. He was right, nothing after this chai could match. As we finished drinking, a police car started patrolling the streets telling everybody they had to be off the streets and lights out in an hour – our driver took us through the busy streets joining the mass exodus to outside the city walls so we could all be where we needed to be safely.
Day 7 – As our plans had been disrupted by the blackout last night our first question was – are the lights back to normal tonight? Fortunately for us, everything was back to normal, so we could plan our day. Through our driver from Agra to Jaipur, we had arranged a car for the morning to take us out to the Amber Fort with stops at Panna Meena Ka Kund (a more ornate stepwell) and Jal Mahal (the palace on the lake). Our driver picked us up promptly after breakfast and we were quickly on our way. The drive out of the city took us through narrow alleys and gave us a real glimpse into life in the city – a very different vibe to both Delhi and Agra. As we approached the Amber Fort the clouds got blacker and blacker, threatening a downpour in a setting we knew would have little or no shelter! Nothing could have prepared us for the beauty of this hilltop fort and the imposing sight of it looming over Jaipur, made more foreboding by the grey stormy sky.
Our first stop was the stepwell and this was so much more spectacular than the one we’d visited in Delhi with symmetrical sets of steps on 3 sides and much larger; the water at the bottom was populated with enormous fish and turtles bobbing around out of reach of everybody. This was not a tourist spot and we shared the experience with only 5/6 other people which was a delight.
Our next stop was to be the Amber Fort but, with narrow roads barely wide enough for a single car, it was a slow, windy ascent to the drop off point outside the fort entrance. This was the only monument that we hadn’t purchased our admission tickets in advance so we had to fight the swarms of touts in the main entrance to get to the ticket office. Although we would never become accustomed to this chaos, we had learned how to ignore it! Picking up our tickets and refusing all offers of a guide we were free to explore at our own pace – something we had looked forward to. As soon as we left the ticket office and walked across the courtyard the rain began; great thunder drops that would drench us in seconds if we didn’t find shelter. We didn’t want to shelter near the ticket office, surrounded by the touts, so we made our way across the huge square to a set of stairs in the wall and sheltered there watching the chaos around us.
The fort was truly spectacular, built around 4 courtyards terraced from the main entrance and the views from each were breathtaking. However, at the back of the final courtyard (as the exit signs appeared) it felt like interest in restoration had been lost and the buildings became unloved and ramshackle. We were fed down a dark cobbled alley, slippery and treacherous from the rain shower, back down to the main square. This was the last planned monument visit of our trip and it was a fitting end as it seemed to embody so much of the India we had hoped to see – elephants, camels, classic Mughal buildings, stunning location.
Our final request was to see the floating palace (Jal Mahal). This building was set in the middle of a lake and used by the royal family for picnics and parties as nobody could get to the island to see what was going on. It is not possible to actually visit the palace so this was just a photo opportunity but it was beautiful, surrounded by mountains and sitting in the middle of the lake. The ubiquitous touts were trying to sell us the usual tat but we avoided them successfully, took our photos and returned to our car.
In case we felt under pressure to buy anything today our driver then tried to convince us that he knew a great place for shopping!!! We stuck fast with our no’s and, although he phoned our previous days driver in an attempt to put pressure on us, we returned to the hotel to eat, pack and rest up before popping out again after dark.
Our first job was to eat, so we grabbed the complimentary tuk-tuk from outside the hotel and headed to the Peacock Restaurant at the sister hotel. Sitting on the rooftop, we found time to relax over another great meal and grab a Kingfisher beer. This also gave us time to plan our journey back to Delhi as well as our evening.
Having sorted out a driver to the station for the morning, we picked up the tuk-tuk and headed into the centre of Jaipur. This was the moment Mrs Y had been waiting for; we were dropped outside a rooftop café (Wind View Café) and we climbed the unsafe staircase up to the rooftop.
On the first floor we were asked to pay a 200INR non-refundable deposit to get to the terrace (this whole experience was India in a nutshell) which comprised of 3 small patio tables but the most magnificent view of Hawa Mahal fully illuminated in the dark. We ordered drinks and brownies to make sure we used our deposit and simply sat and admired the view along with the hustle and bustle of the road below.
The cafe offerings were pretty awful but the waiter was lovely and the location was to be hoest, absolutely perfect. We sat for a short while, eating our brownies when a young Indian couple arrived and decided they wanted our table (the staff seated them behind us but they leapt into our seats as soon as we moved!) and we then made the hazardous descent back down to the street and messaged our tuk-tuk driver to take us back.
Our train to Delhi was leaving at 07:40 the next day and we were advised to be there at least 30 minutes before our departure, so we made our way back to the hotel to prepare for our early start.
Day 8 – Our final journey of the holiday involved an early start and a missed breakfast. Despite being just 10 minutes’ walk from the railway station, we didn’t want to walk so grabbed a tuk-tuk from outside the hotel. Finding the station entrance was more of a challenge than finding the right platform (thanks to the Indian Railways app) but we were soon waiting for the arrival of our train. Surprisingly, the trains seem to run on time and the platform markings are spot on, meaning you don’t have to panic about walking through crowded carriages. We settled in for a long ride in the knowledge that we were on the last leg of our journey.
Before we knew it we were alighting at Delhi Cantt station and looking for our pre-booked taxi; this station was much easier to navigate and our driver was visible without a sea of touts blocking our path. The most difficult part of leaving was waiting for the crazy traffic to let him reverse out of his parking space!! The drive to the Haveli was an hour but it gave us an opportunity to see some different parts of Delhi.
This hotel, the Haveli Dharampura was our splurge moment as it was in a restored Haveli deep in the congested alleys of Old Delhi; we knew that it would be difficult to find independently hence the reason we booked a taxi pick-up. The taxi stopped amongst the crowds of locals at the Police Station, Gate 3 Jama Masjid; instantly two men appeared with a luggage cart and once our cases were safely loaded led us through the narrow alleys to the gates of the Haveli. Turning the corner we were greeted by the most beautifully adorned doorman who welcomed us.
Entering through the door was like entering a magical world; the noise of the outside world was lost and peace filled the internal courtyard. Every member of staff attended to our needs – the ‘no individual tips’ policy encouraged this as it meant everybody gave the same level of care and attention. The general manager welcomed us with a paper kite that would be our souvenir of our evening of kite flying from the rooftop.
We had decided that this would be our time to relax and decompress so we had no plans, beyond the Haveli, for the day. We made our way to our room up on the second floor and decided it was time to unpack our cases for the first time in 8 days!
The remainder of our day was very gentle, we chose to eat in the restaurant and enjoy some rest before taking to the rooftop as the sun went down. The rooftops of Old Delhi become alive with people flying homemade paper kites – there is not enough open space for the residents to fly anywhere else. We climbed to the highest point on the Haveli and one of the staff taught Mr Y how to fly the kite safely amongst the crazy mish-mash of satellite dishes, aerials and other strange rooftop structures. Watching the kites flying high, monkeys leaping from roof to roof and black kites soaring overhead was something we will always remember. We grabbed a couple of ice-cold beers and simply enjoyed the moment until the sun had fully set.
Later on in the evening, two dancers performed traditional Kathak dances on the first floor landing. This was a perfect end to a great day and we felt like we could breathe again in the Haveli.
Day 9 – So this was our last day in India and we had no plans whatsoever; a slow haveli breakfast followed by just enjoying our surroundings. We knew that to fully enjoy this day we had to make sure that everything was ready for our departure, so we set about repacking the suitcases and preparing our travel clothes. With the rest of the day free to just enjoy we headed off out of the peace of the haveli and into the warren of narrow alleys. Despite being led to believe that we would be overwhelmed by the chaos, we weren’t and enjoyed the purposeful bustle of the locals – and the lack of touts! It was lovely to see local shops, people making their way to the nearby Sikh temple and just generally going about their daily lives. Knowing that it would be easy to get disoriented, we stuck to a small area around the haveli only straying further afield on the main Chandni Chowk Rd.
Having avoided street food throughout our stay we were finally tempted, stopping at Jalebi Wala for a hot jalebi each. They certainly lived up to expectations being just sweet enough and dripping with hot sticky syrup.
The heat was beginning to make the narrow passages sticky so we decided to brave a different route back and hope we arrived safely! Nothing looked familiar but we continued with mock confidence knowing that we could always pick up a rickshaw to take us back to Police Station Gate 3. Miraculously, we suddenly recognised the street we were on as the road where Police Station Gate 3 was and we knew the way back easily.
As this was our last day and we had already eaten in the restaurant, we decided to treat ourselves to high tea before making our way back up to the rooftop to watch the kite flying again. The high tea was a number of small plates – all local Delhi dishes – cooked hygienically, in the words of the restaurant manager! Each plate was beautifully cooked and presented, giving us a little taste of an India long gone. Finishing our tea, we made our way back up to the rooftop but positioned ourselves in a secluded part of the terrace to watch the locals scurrying about the rooftops and winding up their day. The hotel employed a young man to keep the monkeys away from the building – the ‘monkey man’- and he certainly had his work cut out this evening as there were large groups wandering on all sides of us.
The hotel, which had only had a small handful of guest on our first night, was now completely full so the roof was busy with people waiting to fly kites and watch the sun go down. We stayed until the sun had sunk beneath the rooftops and reluctantly made our way back to our room to clean up ready for our journey home. Again, the dancers performed on the terrace below us and we couldn’t resist a final look.
We sadly returned to our room, prepared everything for the morning and settled in for a short night.
Day 10 – Today was just travelling, but the escalating situation between India and Pakistan meant that again, our flight would be at least an hour longer and we needed to allow an additional hour to get through security at Delhi Airport.
We had arranged our own taxi to take us to the airport (half the price of the hotel) and he arrived promptly. The staff at the haveli were concerned that we would miss our breakfast so they gave us a bagged meal – cheese sandwiches, banana and juice box. Yet again the staff accompanied us to our taxi with the baggage trolley and within minutes we were on our way. Getting out of Chandni Chowk was the biggest challenge as there is a street market that starts at 4.00am and it was packed. Our driver edged through the carts of clothes – tagged Levis, European branded shirts/t-shirts, shoes and even goldfish in sandwich bags!! Constantly honking his horn, the crowds reluctantly moved to give us access and suddenly we were on the road moving freely.
Sunday in Delhi is quiet and the journey to the airport was straightforward and traffic free. We loved looking out at the more familiar landscape of New Delhi and realised that this city that had caused us anxiety before we arrived had actually taken a little piece of our heart. From we will never return, we had moved to thinking about how we might return!
The airport turned out to be incredibly organised and within 30 minutes we had cleared the additional security, check-in, security and immigration. This left us heading for the lounge and the first real calm we had encountered for 10 days – it was only then that we realised how exhausted we really were.
Final thoughts – Before we left home, we were very anxious about the entire trip and spoke to our daughter about it (she had spent 6 weeks in India travelling). She finished our conversation by saying, you will only realise just how amazing it is once you are back home and you look back at the experience. We didn’t really understand this until we got home, but she was spot on. Whilst we were there it felt like we constantly hypervigilant to absolutely everything, it is tiring when compounded with the harshness of the travelling conditions too (heat, dust, noise etc). When we got home, back to the peace quiet, it was clear that we had done something truly incredible and would never experience it anywhere else in the world.
Did we fall in love with India? Hmmm, probably not, but now, we would certnly not rule out going back as the anxieties we had would now not exist on a second trip. Maybe Delhis charms will call us back…oh and maybe a visit to the hill stations!!!
mrandmrsyoung 