Indiaaaa

Well here we are… after a looong journey from Uganda we finally arrived in a hot and smelly Delhi. It was not how I imagined. My first impressions were as if the place had been in a war. But no James assured me its just India. We headed straight to a place called main Bizarre. A load of streets jammed packed with people trying to sell you everything, tugging on you for money, trying to run you over… Dogs and rats everywhere…

Coming from Uganda where the place and people are practically horizontal it was a huge shock. It’s also Dawali which is amazing but just adds to the craziness. We decided to find our bearings (as much as you can in one day). We ate the most gorgeous dal and naan and had our first chai (mmmm). We then booked ourselves a train ticket to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. The train was surprisingly nice (apart from the rat running down the light strip). We got up at 5am to see the Taj Muhal and it was beautiful. There was fog coming from the river, drifting across it, which added to the eerie atmosphere. It was ace.

We were unable to book a train ticket back to Delhi as they were all full so we had to wait in line at the booking office first thing in the morning to make sure we got a cancelled ticket. This was hell. The place was rammed and people were literally fighting for the tickets. There were police there but it made no difference as everyone was bribing them! We got our tickets finally and to be honest I was pretty pleased to leave Agra by that point. We are now back in Delhi with one day to do a bit of sight seeing before we leave for Goa. I am so excited about the idea of relaxing on a beach and seeing my mum and dad.

A few things I have noticed since I have been here which has been a huge shock to me is… people generally pooh wherever they want. There is shit all over the train tracks. (not everyone though). Also so many people live on the platforms at the train stations. There are tents erected and whole families live there and make there living by begging on the trains. The poverty smacks you in the face as soon as you come into Delhi and it is so heartbreaking to see. I thought coming from Uganda I may be a little prepared but I was not at all.

I have only been here (like I said) for 4 days so can only write about what I have seen so far. My opinion I am sure will be very different in a couple of months. I am looking forward to staying in this country for 5 months as already I am fascinated. I can’t believe were finally here!!