Hello everyone from India, We arived in Delhi at 3am last friday, after an hour delay at heathrow, stupidly forgot I had scissors in my hand luggage - didn't go down to well at customs!! After a short (1hour) taxi transfer to pour hotel we were straight to bed. The taxi ride was amazing, talk about a culture shock in the middle of the night. There were tramps, men with guns, thick pollution and litter absolutely everywhere, not to mention the fact that every vehicle in India bangs their horn every few seconds. We had some time to kill until our Intrerpid tour started on sunday evening, so we sent most of saturday in bed but a full day out in delhi on sunday. The inital things that you notice our the fact that pavements don't exist and the cars drive when they like, where they like! Forget traffic lights, junctions or police its each for there own! The main form of transfort in New Delhi is autorickshaw, which is a three-wheeled trike! Absolutely crazy, but a great experience. On the Sunday we had breakfast in bed (i love room service!! hotels are very cheap!), and then went out sightseeing. Saw India Gate, the presidents palace and parliament and then finally the Old Dellhi Fort, all were great. But you have to be so careful with touts, and street sells approaching you all the time. We didn't really start appreciating India for what it is until sunday, before that we were still in shock mode. But you have to deal with poverty, beggers, slums, live electricity cables hanging loose, the traffic to name but a few; but once you have you love it and its amazing how quickly you adapt. Met up with our tour group in the evening for a meal, they are all really cool people, mainly young aswell. Ended up watching chelsea v liverpool drinking beer that eveing with two english girls, KK and Alex. On our way back to the hotel we had a near miss, we were cm's away from being crushed by a bus whilst in a rickshaw, very scary, but we're in india so you get used to these minor things. On the Monday we went to Old Delhi, it is what it says, very old and dirty. The poverty is worse here and whislt visiting a mosque, sikh temple and the local spice markets I really have never seen poorness like it, it is so sad. We caught a cycle rickshaw to get to the spice market and one of our group members fell off, she so nearly got run over by a motorbike, but nearly is the key word so we made it to the market. Went out for a meal with the english girls, there a young posh and loaded, so treated us to the best restauart in connaught place!! Early on Tuesday we caught a train to Agra, met a palm reader on the train he told me some amazing things, i love mingling with the locals! After 3 hours we got off in Agra and went to our hotel. Saw the Agra red fort, then a fully working carpet factory. But the highlight of the day was understanably the Taj Mahel, words can not describe the beauty of this building, it really is a tear drop on the face of eternity. On wednesday we went rural, to fatepur sikri, went round a bird park on a cycle rickshaw for 2 hours for like 50p!! Insane! That eveing we had dinner round a camp fire in the birders inn. the following day we caught a public bus to bharatpur where we transfered to jeeps to go to a village called Madhogarh. We were guest of the local Marhoraje (royal family) and stayed in an amazing palace. We went for a walk around the village, we had kids hanging off us, and I even hit a six in a local criacket match! Watched a beautiful sunset from the tower of the palace under the stars. We had a traditional dinner in turbans with indian folksong! Today (friday) we got a jeep to jaipur, went to see the local fort, had a ride on an elephant!! It was absolutely lovely, and made up for the grim inidan public buses! At the moment we are all a bit subdued, because one of our drop was been rushed into hospital after collapsing, but hopefully all will be ok. The Indian food has taken to me well, no delhi belly so far but im sure it's on its way!! I hope you are all well and having fun in England. Sorry have wittled on far to much here but im loving it!! Here from you soon. Love Rob