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Day 1 - Olivia and I both enjoyed our early start practising our exploring skills at Heathrow. After 8 1/2 hours of suprisingly nice plane food and movies we landed in Delhi. Luckily our driver met us and sped us away to our taxi. We found ourselves at 1am being driven through Delhi streets filled with animals people and all kinds of vehicles, we've soon become used to the continuous horn beeping.
Day 2 - It was Thursday and after three attempts and having been told not to go the way we were going, guys who only wanted to talk to us to improve their English and to play cricket we walked to Connaught Place, despite the hassling all the way we made it into lots of nice shops and sat in a pretty park. After buying biscuits in Wenger's old fashioned store we practised our rock climbing skills to make it over the Commonwealth Game renovations - as one observer noted 'The English woman is climbing a mountain'! Our first proper curry followed with Alo Gohbi, Dal, Roti and Naan breads.
Day 3 - After testing our India tea and honey toast we tried to find the Red Fort (Lal Qila). We braved our first cycle rickshaw ride there and thoroughly enjoyed weaving inbetween buses and autorickshaws at great speed! Having survived we entered the stunning Mughal Fort through the Chatta Chowk and spent hours walking round the bath houses, mosques and museums. Afterwards we found the 16th Century Digambara Jain Temple and Bird Sanctuary which did lots of good work with animals. We strolled through various bazaars and got to the Sisganj Gurdwara where we left our shoes and walked round the beautiful temple during prayer time and even got a little food at the end. We headed through the nearby cotton market to the Jama Masjid (India's largest mosque). We met a German medical studnt called Richard who went with Olivia up the minaret where they saw all of Old and New Delhi, I waited outside with bags and had my photo taken by LOTS of locals! I then looked around the mosque's massive square before catching our first autorickshaw back to the Hotel. After a litte vege curry, bread, rice and sauces we drove slowly down the packed Chadni Chowk Road back to the Red Fort's Sound and Light Show. Despite the mosquitos, the buildings looked stunning and we learnt a little more about Delhi's history.
Day 4 - Today we decided to get a lift to our first sight and instead got a driver for the day. This student of English took us to Humayun's Tomb which inclued many amazing Persian sandstone tombs and lovely gardens. Next up were the Lodi Gardens which housed Lodi tombs, Bonsai trees and a butterfly park (without many butterflys!) After a quick bazaar trip we had a fascinating time at the Ghandi Smitri learning about his work, his last days and seeing how he lived and walking his final steps. In exchange for a quick shop browse our driver took us to see the Presidential House of Rashrapati Bhavan down the Rajpath Road (his history of which was highly accurate!) and India Gate (a little like the Arc de Triomphe in looks and purpose). After a quick stop back at Wenger's for vegetable and paneer pasties and shortbread and lemon swiss roll we returned to the Hotel to pack and eat Veg Thali.
Day 5 - Got up early today and were already so good at haggling we got our breakfast cheaply! Took a cycle rickshaw to the Raj Ghat where Ghandi was cremated and strolled round the pretty park. Now we're back at Hotel Ajanta for a spot of lunch and our first internet experience.
Despite its hectic nature, persistent tourist hassling and dangeorus driving - Delhi has many stunning sights, nice shops, and lovely people - as well as a top curry - what more could two girls want?! Love to everyone back home - bring on Jaipur!
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