Our seven and half hour train journey from Jaipur to Udaipur, went surprisingly quickly, although for the most part the torrential downpours of the monsoon lashed on the windows I was forever occupied by the sights outside the window, the acres and acres of dry, desert land, the children on the tracks, the different characters at the stations, the disorganised and chaotic flooded streets - and when the light went I listened to sound of the music on my ipod, while...

Those of you who know me well will also know that I can break into a sweat as a Pavlovian reaction to the mild spices in a bottle of HP sauce - on certain curries, even at home where temperatures are sensible this reaction extends to the near need for a shirt change. Because of this I have been mocked a bit about my total exposure to Indian cuisine for up to six weeks including Sri Lanka which is to follow our stay here in India! Just to let you know I am survivi...

The bubble of excitement and anticipation filled us as we left Kuala Lumpur. We had read and heard so many stories. Hannah had told us about her experiences when she was travelling. Our first day in Delhi was to be honest quite a shock. The hotel staff warned us quite emphatically that we would attract attention and that we must say no and must not agree be taken anywhere!!! I think we now saw ourselves as 'intrepid travellers' and thought it was just a warning ...