We're on the way to Rishikesh today. A holy town in the north of India where pilgrims come from all over the world to worship, meditate, practice yoga and relax.
The journey from our hotel to the railway station shows the unique signs of Delhi. It's a very individual place like no other I've ever seen. You definitely find yourself completely out of your comfort zone. The on and off smell of urine as you pass through the streets, and the constant coughing and hocking and spitting of the males from years of smoking, inhaling polluted air and chewing tobacco becomes a little overbearing. The train station is crowded again at 6am. People sleeping in huddles outside the station. The constant stares by men, having to keep your head down to watch that you don't step on anything unpleasant.
Of course these things don't matter to the locals. This is their city. But it makes me feel like we come from the most beautiful place on earth.
The only other downfall I'd have to say about the place is the inability for a westerner like myself to easily access a good meal. Due to the fact that Indians have such stronger stomachs than ours and such less sanitised food preparation it is hard to just pop into the nearest place to grab a feed. You need to research sites like trip advisor or ask your tour guide, if you happen to have one, which in that case they tend to send you to the pricey places.
So much of the trip has consisted of 2 main meals a day, if that, and then snacks like chips and cookies. It's a little unfortunate considering that the Indian food we have had has been delightful.
Our cabin on the train is in first class, so a little extra leg room and recline seats as well as free tea (great for my cookie dipping experience) and bottled water as we head north where the air and earth is cleaner :)