We leave England on our first frost of the winter, Saturday morning 27th October. Traveling to Heathrow is hassle free and we arrive in good time for a spot of birthday shopping at the airport. I am treated to perfume, Beats headphones and of course Malteasers! We get our bags ready, my trusted clutch bag with glasses, kindles, tablets and phones to save keep getting up from our seats to the main bags.

Flying with Emirates the 7 hr flight to Dubai goes quickly with us settled in our own little worlds watching downloads on our iPads. After food we take a couple of co-codomal from my clutch bag which Russ reckons will help us sleep. I pop my eye mask on, head phones and fall asleep listening to classical downloads.

The flight goes quickly and we disembark through to the Connections area which is about 10 min walk from the plane, we head to security and start to unpack our iPads, phones etc into the security boxes ready for X-ray. I search for my phone then remember it is inside my clutch bag, I look for my clutch not understanding why it isn’t in my main bag. Russ looks at me “what’S the matter?”
I am totally puzzled at first as to why its not there, it then starts to dawn on me that I must have left it on the plane. We empty my main bag knowing full well its not in there and Russ’s cabin case. Panic starts to set in......Russ runs, he runs back to an Emirates desk we passed, I start to repack our bags. My phone, kindles, medication are in that bag, I am still in a daze as to how we left it on the plane. We both checked under the seats and looked back.....
I go to Russ at the desk, by now I am quite upset. They all look at me and say that we cannot go back to the plane as it has now been handed over to the cleaning company and no one else is allowed back on. I plead, one of them escorts me to the police at the security checkpoint, he pleads, I plead, the police man hesitates then says no he cannot escort me back to the plane. Tears fall. We are told by Emirates guy to go through security and there is an Emirates desk there.

I am now cursing myself, I have no idea how I have left it but certainly know it is on the plane. We find the Emirates desk and explain, he says to come back in 2 hrs, we tell him the gate closes in 2 hrs for our next flight. He says ok come back in 1.5 hrs and explains the procedure, the cleaners have to go through security checks so the bag will be found. I give them our seat numbers again. I explain we missed it twice so what if the cleaners miss it. He hands over a sticker with an email address on it and tells me to email here when we get home! I say “home”? But I know its on the plane I need it to be found, my medication is in there. He tells us to go to Lost Property and come back here in 1.5hrs.

So our relaxing time at Dubai airport was spent going from Emirates desk to Lost Property to the Police and back to Lost Property sitting in a small office with 2 guys, me tears rolling down my face. Every phone call he hold our breath....nothing, a lady comes in she has left her passport on the plane, it could be worse I tell myself...
Nearly 3pm, our gate shutting in 20 mins we start to panic, Russ decides to go back to Emirates desk I stay, tired, its middle of night for us, and feel so sick. He comes back and says no news, then the phone call, the bloke looks at us but I am not hopeful. My bag has not been found.

There is no time to argue the gate will be shutting so we leave and hurry to C2. We explain to the staff at the gate and we are pointed to a man at the desk, we explain, I tell him I know it is my own stupid fault but medication is the bag, I need my bag, he calms me and tells us everything will be ok, he says we should have been told to come to him at the gate straight away not the police nor lost property, we are concerned about the time, he tells us not to worry, he is the one that closes the gate, he is in charge, we will be fine. I give him description of the bags contents and the medication, seat number. He makes a call, he says the plane has been checked twice but the wrong seat numbers....I feel there is hope! He raises his voice on the phone and asks to speak to the supervisor we gather he is telling them to check again (third time) and gives our seat numbers and tells them there is medication in the bag, she needs it.

He tells us to relax in the coffee area and he will call us over. I sit there with Russ saying don’t worry everything can be replaced, he carries on trying to stop me feeling angry with myself, I just sit there head shaking, what a fool.

After around long mins he comes over to us asking us to board as my bag has been found. The relief was unreal! As they check our boarding pass a bloke in a high vis vest comes through with my bag, I wanted to kiss both of them!

So at Dubai we didn’t go for a swim or spa, we spent majority of it sat in a gloomy office at lost property in a state of angry, stress and totally naffed off!!

Our next flight is only 3.5hrs and we sleep, well I do as I am exhausted!

Arriving in New Delhi the airport is very busy, we go the E-VISA checkpoint which took forever to go through, the queues were massive. By the time we get through our suit cases are already on the belt ready to be collected.
At arrivals there is a stream of guys with names on cards, we find Kouni and go for a costa whilst we wait for 2 more passengers.

The 4 of us are then escorted to our mini bus, a 1.5hr journey to the hotel. The service is top, extremely polite, given freshners, water and each step of the way explained. The traffic is manic, there are no rules, overtake only on the right, it is total chaos in our eyes!
Welcome to India.....

Arriving at The Maidens hotel in New Delhi a colonial building we feel like we are being transported back in time. Greeted by a beautiful lady she places a decorative red dot on our foreheads and a wonderful drink. Our guide on the bus checks in for us and gives us a friendship bracelet. We are escorted to our room with our luggage already inside and told our welcome meeting will be at 14:30. Rooms are very large, the bed is so comfortable, the pillows lush, we set the alarm and sink into a sleep immediately.

After an hours sleep, showered and a coffee we feel mush refreshed. At the Welcome meeting are warmly greeted by our Tour Manager, Ajeet, AJ and 12 others. AJ explains everything in precise detail and walks through our itinerary for our 6 day Taj Tour. As he gets to Jaipur he says we will need to wait for Russell as he is going on a hot air ballon ride which is a surprise...oooops he read it out loud, everyone gasps and looks at us, Russ is laughing but shaking he head in disbelief! I am over the moon! But feel so sorry for Russ who wanted it as a surprise until the actual day!! AJ apologies and tries to cover it up but then reads it again! Poor Russ but I am simply super excited!

The tour starts immediately at 1520.AJ explains exactly what we need and we embark our large coach meeting the bus manager and driver, Divinda and Mavinda are with us for the tour. The bus manager hands out freshners and chilled water. We start out tour of Delhi, AJ is on the mike telling is about everything we are seeing and starts to explain the history of India. He asks how we would like to be called, i.e. our nick names,by which he means our Christian names or by Mr Russell Lowe, we are all a friendly bunch and answer nick names.

Arriving at the park around 16:00 where Ghandi was cremated, Raj Ghat, we feel like a real tourist for sure. We are the only white tourists, rest of the people queuing are all beautifully dressed Indian’s. The ladies queue separately but AJ gets us the front of the queue, we go through security bag X-Ray, body checked we meet everyone the other side. As AJ gives us a talk I watch the chipmunks playing on the grass. We are then given time to visit the memorial and take photos.
The parking area is chaos, our driver and manager doing their best to manoeuvre the large coach, horn blowing, shouts from other drivers waiting for their tourists to arrive back. AJ explains some of the Indian coaches are also sleeper coaches. As we start to move, more horns, more shouts then a crowd of people gathered, normal Indian shouting continued from the manager and driver then the driver leapt from his seat and started to shout at one in particular, he was so angry, Russ and I sat on the front witnessing it all. AJ totally unaware of what was happening carried on talking on the mike! The shouting then turned to fists, our tiny slender driver and bus manager had turned into very angry men! The crown were pulling the 2 away from each other and we told AJ, he immediately went to the door, the man from the crowd had disappeared and AJ managed to get the driver back on board the bus. Then more shouts and gasps from us as the man from the crowd is pushing through the crowd to the bus with a screw driver in his hand!! The driver and manager go mad and want to get off the coach again! A policeman comes over and does little, calling on his radio as the crowd drag the screwdriver man away and AJ gets our guys back on the bus! We eventually are able to leave the car park!!!
Welcome to India!!

Making our way back to the coach we have all mostly introduced ourselves and easily started chatting with everyone.
On the drive to the Royal palace we pass the enormous Indian gate. AJ is a super guide, he keep explains everything and ensures we are all happy and understand, each time we get off the coach he tells us what we will need to take etc.
The Royal palace area is very impressive and as dusk approaches all the buildings are lit up. We make our way to the Royal palace and AJ becomes excited, there is a Changing of the Guards which he has never seen in the dark with the main palace all lit up. He quickly ushers us to a security gate and pleads with the security to let us through, he succeeds, we quickly walk to the Palace Gates, they are not letting us in, the police ask what nationality we are, when he says English, there is a glimmer of hope, he asks for any ID we are carrying and some are able to produce a driving license and one a passport. That does the trick we are allowed to enter. The ceremony has already started in English and Indian. Around 60 people are sat, we make our way to the centre at the back and watch the elaborate display which lasts around an hour. As it gets darker the back drop of the Royal Palace with changing lights is fabulous. AJ takes video and photos to show his family.

What a start to our first day, absolutely wonderfully crazy, has it really only been one day! Back at the hotel around 630 we have less than an hour to open our cases, shower and change for dinner. Fabulous food and 2 cakes we all share, on 25th Wedding Anniversary for Martin and Sarah and 50th for John and Marinina.

India - we love you already