So, after an emotional goodbye at Terminal 5, Heathrow, I was officially on my own, with my whole journey ahead of me. It is a pretty daunting thing to have to deal with, and loads of emotions flooded me. To distract myself, I took myself round the usual Airport shops, and stocked up on water and reading for the plane. Then I wanted to find Kurt Geiger! Walking around the shop made me feel strangely safe, it was a comfort. I recognised the shoes, knew the layout and was excited to see new stock (how sad!). But it really did help to settle me, as it was the only familiar link I had within the strange, new experience that I literally just put myself in.
After boarding the plane, and having to sit tight for the 35 minutes it took before we eventually took off; I realised the ultimate. I was sat behind a German. As soon as we were safe to remove our seat belts, his chair shot right back into my lap. Brilliant. Luckily, the drinks trolley was soon pushed round, and after hearing the devestating news that they didn't have any dark rum (What!?), only Bardcardi, "I'll have a Gin and Tonic, thanks", I asked the man infront to kindly sit up, so I could get on with my new mission - having a couple of stiff drinks!
A few more stories from the plane journey:
1. The male member of cabin crew who served our aisle kept telling me what a beautiful smile I had. Every time he served me. He even made me smile for him on demand, "Come on, show me that beautiful smile of yours". This was lovely, but quickly got quite embarrassing; especially when, at the end of the flight, I was queuing for the toilet and the man insisted on telling the poor young boy in front of me, who must only have been 18, just how beautiful my smile was. Soo embarrasing! But hey, the boy let me go in front of him in the queue, so it must have done the trick!
2. The in-house entertainment was pretty poor, no good TV or films. Or so I thought! As I got to the final page of the list of films I saw they had the latest Twilight movie (Hoorah!) - the only one I didn't get to watch with Lins before I left! Haha! I saw it as a sign, and thought of Linsey! Sad i know, but it did also work to settle me.
3. As we we preparing to land and the final de-brief was taking place, I caught the name of the Captain. Captain Morgan!!!! Hahahaha! I couldn't believe it. They didn't serve dark rum, but they had the Captain driving the plane! That really did excite me so much, and I wished Ellie was there to share in the hilarity of it all.
On the drive to the hotel, after waiting for what seemed like forever for my luggage to show up on the conveyer belt, I remembered just how much I love India. I was instantly back into the chaos of Indian driving. Looking out of my window the whole time, I saw within the time it took me to look both left and right, a whole family of monkeys dancing and playing with each other on the pavement to my side of the car. Following that, seconds later, I saw an Elephant carrying a man on his back whilst chewing on some twigs. I couldn't believe that in my last trip to India two years ago, we didn't see one, single Elephant for the entirety of our trip, until the final minutes on the motorway to the Airport in Mumbai, and here I had just seen one, not two hours off the plane, and five minutes in the car! Amazing.
I got to my room at 7am, and had a driver arranged for 10am. No sleep for me then, just broken attempts at a snooze. It was along day. I was out from 10am until 4.30pm, after my long flight and a severe lack of sleep. After a brief stop off at an ATM and temple, I was taken to the Tourist Information office, to sort out my travel arrangements for the month. After about an hour and a half of planning my route, replanning my route (the first was far too expensive) and several failed card payment attempts resulting in me having to call up my bank back in the UK, I left with my whole route sorted! So here it is:
Thurs 4/11: 8am pick up. Drive to Agra (4 hour journey). See Taj Mahal etc, stay for one night.
Fri 5/11: Drive to Jaipur. Two nights.
Sun 7th: Here is where my driver leaves me, and I am on my own. Overnight train to Jaisalmer, stay for 2 nights at hotel, and one night in the Thar Desert for a Camel Safari!
Thurs 11/11: Train to Jodhpur. Stay two nights.
Sat 13/11: Take 24 hour train journey to Varanasi (on the banks of the River Ganges). Stay for 3 nights, as yet, unarranged accomodation.
Wed 17/11: Overnight train to Haridwan, and attempt to get the bus up to Rashikesh (home to mediation and yoga etc). Stay for 4 nights.
Tues 23/11: Amritsar (Home to the Golden Temple). Stay for roughly four days, accomodation to book on arrival.
Sat 27/11 (or there abouts): Bus (not yet booked) to Dharamsala. Aim to stay at the Green Hotel in McLeod Ganj.
Tues 30/11: Overnight train back to Delhi, arriving the morning of the first.
Fly to Kualur Lumpur on the evening of the 3/12.
The rest of my day spent touring Delhi included a temple (didn't catch the name), the Lotus Temple and finally a shopping bazaar. Walking around the neighbourhood of my hotel in the evening I got asked, "Are you from Israel?" Ha! I found this very amusing.
After another night of little sleep, I had yet another driver, Sanjay, waiting for me in the hotel lobby at 10am, to this time take me round Old Delhi. We slowed down for a photo when driving past the Delhi Gate, which marks the difference and division between the areas of Old and New Delhi. Next stop, the Red Fort. A beautiful and extremely vast (and as the name suggests) Red sandstone fort. Next stop was another palace, with another name that I failed to remember. Again beautiful, and was made to wear traditional dress to enter, only to find out when returning the garment that the lady wanted money for the hot and sticky pleasure. Typical. But still, it was a nice novelty. Then onto the Gandhi Samadhi, a peace/memorial garden. This was pretty, but wasn't much to see, so I was glad when a friendly Brazilian approached me, asking if I was travelling alone and saying that he had seen me earlier in the Red Fort. I chatted to him for about 20 minutes. It was nice. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to meet many people so far, (there is no real communal area in the hotel) and so it was one of the first times I actually got to have a real conversation with someone my age, and on my level. Last stop was the 'Asian Overseas Emporuim'. I met a man who has a Sister in Headingley, and new Hyde Park. Small world!
Unfortunately, this Internet Cafe doesn't have any facilities for me to upload my photos of the places mentioned above. Rubbish. I'll try to add them in to this post later, or failing that, I'll put them all up in a new post when I can.
Next stop, Agra!
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