I have actually forgotten which day it is. This is day three but slowly but surely, I'm getting to grips with India. There is a lot to get to grips with.
My journey and flight to Heathrow was absolutely fine with no problems and no terrorists. To be honest the flight wasn't long enough because by the time we had landed I felt ready for bed. That, accompanied with the heat and humidity made Day 1 a long one.
Following Julia Reynold's advice (a teacher from Nodehill), I took a prepaid booked taxi from the airport to New Delhi train station. Delhi is not what I expected for a capital city of such a huge country. The outskirts of the city around the airport itself are still in the very early stages of development; it seems common to have either half-finished and half-ruined buildings everywhere filled with rubbish and children playing cricket on tiny strips of land nearby.
Anyway, on my arrival at the train station I was duped big time and despite what the Rough Guide says, I took an auto rickshaw to an agency 5 minutes away, to apparently buy a ticket. They couldn't do that of course but offered a taxi service at an extortionate price. So, in the heat and at 7.30 am I walked away, followed by another tout and fortunately found a kind rickshaw, back to the hellish station. And promptly, as the guidebooks advise, went to the Tourist office upstairs, and bought said train ticket to Haridwar before 8.50am ! I stayed in the air-conditioned office until my train arrived at 3.25pm by which time it was obscenely warm. I couldn't face lugging my case around in the heat - travel is efficient but hard work here.
I met three lovely French chaps from Nice on the train. They were only spending three weeks here but had managed a very good tour of northern India and were heading to Dehra Dun which is much further north than myself. It was really good to have a chat in French. The chap next to me was lovely and didn't rate the food much but had lots of advice and lovely photos. One of his friends was having a very hard time with the whole thing. I already know that you either like/love this place or hate it; I don't reckon there is an in-between feeling.
My first night in India was at Haridwar, 24km from Rishikesh. There is a train link between the two but it is easier by road. With my morning experience in Delhi, I successfully ignored the touts and made my way to a hotel of my choice right by the station. Further to this, there is a major festival taking place in Rishikesh, so people(men mostly), dressed in vivid orange are worshipping or celebrating everywhere; the towns and stations are packed.
I had a good first night in an air-conditioned room with a much needed shower and a cup of tea made with my travel kettle !
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