Home

We arrived home a little late owing to another passenger becoming ill and the plane having to return to Dubai to off load an ill lady. The luggage also had to be unloaded and reloaded to identify her luggage. Total flight time in traveling home was about 25 hours.

Just a note for our international friends, we arrived home to extreme weather conditions that have caused extensive bush fires with loss of life and extensive property losses. Melbourne has recorded the hottest day on record (46.4C).

Dubai Stop Over

Well a very early start this morning. We had to be at the airport at 2.00am. You should see all the development at Delhi airport for next years Commonwealth Games. Took ages to get through all the security. Soldiers were everywhere.

We have a three hour stop over in Dubai before a 7 hour flight to Singapore.

Good-bye India

Here we go, Here we go, Here we go...

Packing the back packs for the last time; you buy it you carry it.

Yes Sophie, we bought you another present.

Had the best day:

- Slept in
- Had brunch
- Went to to Connought Place
- Went to Old Delhi and Fort
- Tahlia has had enough with beggars and jammed one's hand in the wall of an auto-rickshaw as we drove off. She has been pinched and spat on. We threw the fleshy bits out.
- We had the best dinner (and a bottle of India's best Merlot) at Connought Place

We learnt off Indian TV - 'You have to have 5 glasses of water in the morning to prevent bad breath'. I had 12 onions for entree tonight.

All is normal because after Tahlia had a shower there was no hot water for me.

Delhi

We said good-bye this morning to what would have to be one of the greatest views in the world ( the view of the Tahj Mahl from our room that was only ever broken by monkeys walking on the windowsill). Our Agra to Delhi train was at 6.00am. We were locked in to the hotel and had to wake the night-watchman from his sleep on the couch to let us out and then the manager so that we could settle the account.

It was so,so, so cold on the train. I still managed to sleep most of the way. Tahlia and I had a whole row of seats to ourselves so we can have a sleep but no clothes for cold weather. The train arrived about an hour late (a bit over 5 hour duration). I was prepared for the Delhi onslaught and Tahlia seemed to handle it pretty well. When you walk out of the station you are grabbed by all the tourist touts, taxi and rickshaw drivers just for the fare or to offer the best deal on accommodation. We had a plan so we stuck to it as I hadn't arranged any accommodation for Delhi. I found a phone, secured some accommodation and the necessary directions to direct the driver. For the whole phone call and the walk to the rickshaw station we had five or six guys trying to draw our business. I find it easier to speak italian to them and then they seem to go away. Tahlia is good at getting rid of them as she just gets rude and then screams at them (yesterday a guy riding a motorbike spat at her).

Were staying at this really cool home stay that is about (3KM) from Old Delhi. We have HOT water (it'd been over a week), towels, TV a safe, restaurant, wireless internet and spotlessly clean. I negotiated a great rate that includes a car to the airport at 1.00am Friday morning. We are just having an easy afternoon that might include a walk to the local bazaar later.

Alephuzah

No pictures today but we had a great day on a boat travelling the 80K to Alephuzah. We stayed in a homestay with a couple of other backpackers, Tania (Canadian) and Maddie (French) we met on the boat. Homestay is where the owner lets out rooms of their own house or another house that they may own. The three guys that lived at this house slept on the floor so we could have the bedrooms! There was also a Dutch guy that arrived earlier in the day.

TC is having a sleep in while I work out our next few days locations. Tahlia seems to travel best if we take it slowly and travel not more than a few hours travel.

I saw an elephant working along the road while I was on the way to this internaet cafe.

Henna

Henna has been used to adorn young women’s bodies as part of social and holiday celebrations since the late Bronze Age in the eastern Mediterranean. Henna is regarded as having “Barakah”, blessings, and is applied for luck as well as joy and beauty.

On the 5th day it came to happen on the side of the road in the Chennai suburb of T-Nagar .........













I think my head is next.......

So, our time in Chennai is now almost finished and we are waiting for our over night train tickets to be confirmed. I'm going to wait another couple of hours and check on line. If still 'wait listed' go to the Chennai Central Station to see if I can jump the queue (I'm confirmed but Tahlia isn't). If I can't get Tahlia on board I'll cancel and book a plane flight or maybe we'll split up and travel separately!!!!

Got keep truck'n as there is lots to see.

Wedding Day

Tahlia and I are just off to the wedding. Aren't we beautiful?


It was about a 15 minute walk to the wedding along the side of T.T.K Road. It was I presume peak hour as it was 9.00am.

Tahlia got all the looks.

When we arrived the entrance was set out with a flower arrangement announcing the wedding.

An Indian wedding is both a celebrationion and ceremony. All of it fun with everyone talking and moving around.

Dhashi and Ananth's relatives were great to us and explained each stage of the ceremony.

And again there was eating all through the day. At one stage Tahlia was whisked off to eat by one of Ananth's relatives. They were keen to help us understand the culture and explain the food and order of eating. The food was served on banna leaves and eaten with our right hand.


The last part of the ceremony was in the early evening. It was fun as they played games and sang to one another.

Yes, we've seen it, Ananth the singer and dancer!



What a privilege to have been invited and able to attend Ananth and Dharshi's wedding.

Chennai - Monday

We had a lazy day today. A walk around the hotel neighborhood and then a rest. Mid afternoon we caught an auto rickshaw to Elliots beach. Once again we had our pictures taken with some locals (at their request). It seems I'm coming out as my alter ego the TV Wrestler and Tahlia is loved by all.

We left the beach and then spent an hour wandering through the local neighborhood. We were off any map reference but Tshlia still managed to do some more shopping.

And yes, we bought Sophie another present.

I've booked some train tickets in a sleeper carriage for 15 hour trip Thursday night to Kerala State city of Trivandrum. We are only wait listed at this stage but we'll see what happens.

We are so looking forward to Ananth and Dahshi's wedding over the next couple of days.

We leave today....

We fly out to Dubai this evening. Better start packing.

You can subscribe to this blog (below) or periodically at this address to check and see if we have updated what we are up to in India. Hopefully we'll post the occasional picture.