Arrived in Delhi at 10pm....oh F**K i cant describe this place other than dont do it.....ever! After eventually finding my bags which had been dumped in the corner of the airport somewhere (some kind Oz guy helped me find them)....I got outside to get a taxi..I wanted to run back straight on the plane! The noise, smell, heat...just everything bombards your senses. I got in this taxi from the 1940's (stupidly looked for a seat belt...ha! this is india they dont have them...in fact the seat wasnt even attached to the car). The boy driving me was all of about 16 and he stopped to pick his mate up on the way....the two of them popping tables and giggling whilst driving me. ( I just sat there in the back praying!!) We eventually turned down some back alley which i can only describe as a scene from hell..fires everywhere, cows, kids with no limbs, and men throwing themselves at the window of the car. Oh Shit, this was where I was staying!!! The hotel security guard helped me out the car and bundled me into the hotel (they must lose a few tourists here usually). I checked into my room which had four bolts on the door that had previously been jemmed off....oh i felt so at ease NOT!. didnt sleep a wink...apart from thinking the door was going to be bashed in any minute, the noise from the street was horendous...screaming, I thought someone was being killed every 10 mins. Next morning having downed the entire bottle of rescue remedy （thanks sis） I ventured out of my room and to reception with a false sense of I can do this attitude。 Asked at reception for directions to Connaugh Square I wanted to visit。。。he laughed and said are you really wanting to walk out there！！ Hmmm he was right I would be eaten alive， so he got the security guard to walk me to the a travel agent who then talked me into hiring a tour guide to 2 weeks to take me around Rajastan。。。to be honest I would have agreed to anything at that stage but after bargaining about the price I agreed this would a be a safer option。Spent the rest of the day being driven around Dehli and visting all the sights。。。gate of India, Umayuns Tomb, Bahal house of worship (like a big lotus flower), Qutab Minor, several temples and the red fort。Exhausting day, sights are good but still not convinced about Delhi.
The next day after another night of no sleep， I set off for Agra and the Taj Mahal with my guide Nammie。。。nice guy not the best speaker of English but we get by。 I find out that he is a widower with 2 children that his mother looks after in another city （my interview skills are still ok）。 He on the otherhand knows nothing about me （as i like it） and I keep telling him I don't understand his questions as he interigates me on why I'm travelling in India alone and where is my husband！
Lesson 1 - if you're a single female travelling in India - invent a husband and wear a ring。。。otherwise they are convinced you must be a lesbian or you are barren。。。both of which I was accused of and this is by anyone having a 2min conversation with you。
Ok so back to the Taj Mahal。。。。its supposed to be the most romatic place in the world and yes it is a truely beautiful and amazing sight despite the hoards of tourists and touts。 Bit of a shame but hard to really enjoy this place when you're geting constantly harrassed， I mean being pointed at, touched, stroked even, countlessly photographed and just when I thought I'd found a peaceful place to sit for 5mins I was surrounded by an Indian family and a child thrust in my arms for yet more photos。。。。hmmm and I though the Taj Mahal was the attraction。I managed to escape as a German couple commented “that was a bit intimidating wasnt it”。。。‘yes it bloody was’I reply politely with a grimace。 Oh not sure I can surivive India!!
