India

Oct 15th - Oct 24th 2016

Saturday 15th October 2016 

London to Delhi

So off we go with another great adventure. INDIA!

Spent most of Saturday getting everything sorted. Lauren did all the ironing. Nikki had a few patients first and she came home with rolls for lunch. Both dozed on the couch and then sorted out the cases.

Unlike back-packers, we need two decent sized suitcases, a laptop bag - plus a bag for the plane with pyjamas etc.

We left for Heathrow at 17.15. Weather was horrible and traffic was a bit of a mare. Got to Terminal 3 for 18.30 - the time we were booked into the Virgin Upper Class Wing for. Found it OK and then disaster - the barrier that lets you in and out had packed up! Had to wait while some of the Virgin staff came down. Had a row with the Addison Lee driver behind who decided beeping his horn was the way to get me to move - despite the fact the Virgin staff telling me NOT to move.

Took about 15 minutes to sort and then we drove up the ramp. Were met by the parking guy and 3 or 4 Virgin staff who took our bags and sorted our boarding passes. Very nice to be sat on a sofa while they look after check-in.

Quick trip through the private security channel and we headed off to the lounge.

First things first - nose-bag. We grabbed a table and had a really nice Squash Soup and some warm bread followed by a salad. Soup was gorgeous but the salad was not my favourite - Nikki liked it. They then brought me some chips. Nikki had her first glass of wine of the holiday. After that we went and sat on some sofas and watched the world go by.

Decided to head off for boarding around 20.45 and then disaster! Nikki’s leather jacket had gone. We realised she’d left it in the restaurant bit so I went to grab it. But no - it was nowhere to be seen. We escalated things with the lounge manager plus all the restaurant staff searching but still nothing. After about 20 minutes it became obvious that someone had nicked it. Unbelievable. Went to the plane in a thoroughly bad mood.

Got straight on the plane - we were in 4A and 5A. And of course, with no jacket, Nikki was freezing. Not happy at all. And then to top it off she then elbowed her champagne off the little table over herself.

We had some more bits to eat - quite a nice curry - and decided we’d had enough so got changed for bed! I watched a bit of Independence Day 2 which was pretty hopeless and nodded off.

They say it comes in threes so hopefully we’re done

Sunday 16th October 2016

Delhi

Managed about 50 mins of sleep, followed by around another couple of hours.

Nikki didn’t put her bed down and instead wrapped herself in her duvet while wearing pyjamas and watched films!

They came around with breakfast about an hour and a half before landing. I’d ordered eggs, hash browns and tomato alongside some fresh-fruit and yoghurt. Nikki had the same but with mushrooms.

We landed in Delhi around 10.30 local time. Plane went to an air-bridge and we waited for the wheelchair to be brought up. Not long at all and we were whisked through by this chap who walked at a hundred miles an hour. I struggled to keep up! He got us through immigration - eventually. Very long and drawn out process with finger prints, thumb prints, picture, pre-filled in form, pre-arranged visa etc.

Got our luggage and headed out where we were met by the driver from Le Meridien. I’d found this great rate which gave us airport transfers, upgraded room and Club Lounge access. He walked us out and the first thing we saw was WH Smith! Got us into his big jeep and gave us cold towels and water before driving us into Delhi.

Driving in Delhi is a bit like driving in Rome - but worse. And the driver pointed out it was Sunday. On weekdays, the three lane highway we were on is normally 6 lanes in each direction. So no lane discipline in India then!

The driver was very good at pointing out landmarks along the way. He drove us up to the President’s Palace, the Parliament etc so we had a bit of a tour before we arrived. His particular skill was pointing out each foreign embassy in the embassy district. And there are dozens of them!

Arrived at the hotel and all our bags were unpacked by 4 or 5 chaps who whisked us to reception. Got checked in fairly quickly. We’re in 1625 which is on the 16th floor of the 20 floor building. We unpacked, had a coffee and fell over into bed. Much needed. We had about 2 hours kip before surfacing for more coffee. Up to the Club Lounge for some lunch and then an explore of the rest of the hotel.

Very nice swimming pool on the 4th floor and loads of places to eat in and around the lobby. We decided to go for a walk which was easier said than done. Reception is up a long driveway which climbs about 2 floors. We trundled down it slowly and into the quiet madness of a posh part of Delhi. Within seconds of coming out of the gate, we had 4 or 5 people ask if we wanted to visit their emporium, or needed a lift, or help with the wheelchair. Politely declined and walked up towards India Gate. Didn’t FULLY get there as it was too darn hot! 35 degrees and pretty humid.

Decided to come back and have a rest. Well it’s hard work all this travelling malarky.

Rest of the early evening was spent watching HUGE Red Kites out of the window. They are circling on the warm currents produced by the building and were swooping right past the window. Amazing to sit on your bed and watch these amazing birds literally 3 or 4 feet from the window.

We watched Dad’s Army for a bit in a futile bid to stay awake - gave up half-way through and went up to the Club Lounge to see what they had to eat. Grazed our way through their offerings which were pretty good - and it means we don’t have to pay for our dinner. Result.

Back in the room now where we’ve send off some laundry to be done before we tackle the last bit of Dad’s Army and hit the sack. Tomorrow we have a guide meeting us at 09.00 in the lobby for a tour of the sights of Delhi - but, thanks to our driver in from the airport, I fear we may have already seen most of them.

Monday 17th October 2016

Delhi

Hit the hay at 22:00 last night and slept like the dead until 06.30 local time this morning. Now that’s 01.00 UK time so we expected to be wrecked but actually felt fine.

We were in the Club Lounge for our breakfast by 07.30 - really nice spread with everything we fancied - and then some. Had a really nice omelette and various other trimmings.

Our driver and guide were picking us up at 09.00 so we were ready and waiting by 08.55. They turned up bang on time in a nice mini-van and off we went.

Started with a run to various sites around Delhi including India Gate, the Parliament, the President’s House etc. They also showed us a number of key monuments - though for the life of me I’m struggling to remember them. They then took us to a Sikh Temple for a tour. We had to take off shoes and socks and both put on head-scarves. One of the chaps took me up some stairs to the main area where the Holy Book was, while the driver took Nikki around to a Sikh museum. Very moving as, despite being Hindu, our guide was clearly devoted and explained that 80% of the two religions are the same.

After a tour round the huge lake at the back, we were taken to the kitchens to see lunch being prepared on a mammoth scale. People volunteer - plus the huge amount of food they prepare is all donated. I had a go at stirring a gigantic wok - sweating within seconds.

Once re-united with our shoes and socks, we needed a comfort break. I spotted some toilets next to the road and suggested we stopped there. WOW! That’s an experience I won’t want to repeat in a hurry!

We went to an emporium suggested by our driver for our lunch. REALLY nice food. Nikki had a veggie Kofta while I had a Biryani. Gorgeous. They even found an iPhone 6 cable so I could charge my phone while we had lunch.

We were then dropped off at the hotel around 15.00. Collapsed on the bed with the a/c on high and drank coffee for an hour.

We then decided to go out and have a look at Delhi Railway Station ahead of our train to Agra tomorrow. Thought we’d try the Metro. We walked the mile or so to the station with a number of people offering us the chance to nip in and see their emporiums - or is it emporia?

When we got to the Metro station, there was no lift so we gave up and headed back. Thought maybe we could hail a cab - nope - so back to the room for a re-think. I then had the superb idea of using Uber. One was summoned. I ordered an Uber XL and basically a Fiat 500 turned up! No way we were getting the wheelchair in there so we parted company.

The hotel then found us a taxi. Basically this guy could not turn his engine off, had no suspension and a dodgy gearbox. He got us to the station though and then we found out there was NO way of getting the wheelchair to any other platform than platform 1!

Gave up and came back to the hotel and we’re now sat in the Club Lounge having eaten more nose-bag and Nikki has had a few glasses of bubbles.

We’ve now decided to go to Agra by car - rather than train!

Tuesday 18th October 2016

Delhi to Agra

Had a lie-in until around 06.45 and got up, trying not to wake Nikki. Did quite well at that for about 15 minutes as well!

We had coffee and contemplated the day ahead. It’s the big push for Agra today. After speaking to Mr Singh last night, we’d agreed he was picking us up at Midday so we had some time to kill.

Went off for breakfast at about 07.30 and lingered awhile over some very tasty breakfast things - omelette, toast etc etc.

After showers we sort of gave up for a bit and drank coffee while watching Sky News until we felt energised to start the packing.

I went down to pay for the room - £454 for 2 nights was a bit steep but the rate did include airport transfers, Club Lounge access, laundry, taxis and an upgraded room so there we are.

Got through the packing quickly enough and then Nikki had a small nap while I sat on the bed. We called down for the bags to be taken down at around 11.30 and by 11.45 we were in the lobby. Mr Singh turned up just before Midday and loaded his wagon and we set off. 

Delhi traffic is pretty crazy so it took a good hour to get out of the city itself. We were on the Express-way motorway which runs all the way to Agra. It’s a 3-lane toll road and that’s where the similarities to anything we’ve seen end.

Even though there are white lines, nobody at all adheres to them - including trucks, bikes, cyclists, pedestrians. So this is effectively the M4 but a total free-for-all. People overtake on the hard shoulder, trucks sit in the fast lane - absolute madness! And at each of the toll plazas we came to there were big public meetings! So imagine the Severn Bridge tolls, but with hundreds of cars parked up and hundreds of people just milling about listening to some bloke with a loudspeaker telling you how to vote!!

As the view turned more and more rural, Mr Singh started pointing out cows, peacocks and tigers - though we never actually saw a tiger! We stopped at a service plaza for lunch. Toilets were better than I was expecting and we ended up having a Subway for our lunch.

We started the final push for Agra at about 15.00. When Mr Singh turned off the straight, in retrospect, deserted express-way - we plunged into the traffic of Agra. In every documentary you’ve seen about India you’ve seen a two lane highway with bikes, motorbikes, buses, lorries, goats, dogs, cows, cyclists, motorbikes, more cows, and then some cows on there. And like me you probably imagined this was an exaggerated stereotype of India. Nope. This went on for mile after mile after mile. As Nikki put it - we went from crazy in Delhi to bat-shit crazy in Agra. And that about sums it up. I lost count of the number of times we missed on-coming traffic by inches - or nano-inches in some cases.

We got to the hotel in one piece - if a little shaken. And it was an oasis of peace and tranquility. We were checked in pretty quickly and taken to our room. 2130 is a nice suite and, as the chap who brought us to the room was keen to show us, has a view of the Taj Mahal in the distance. Really weird to actually see something so iconic right out of your window. To be honest, it’s around 2km away so it’s not blocking the light or anything.

We unpacked and got a coffee on the go before having an explore of the hotel. It’s about 18 months old, has a nice looking pool deck and 3 restaurants in the lobby. Think we’ll be OK for food.

Had a look on the web at a place Mr Singh had recommended. Turned out it was 4th out of 250 on Tripadvisor for restaurants in Agra. Decided we’d head there for dinner. We picked up a Tuk-Tuk outside the hotel and headed off. After a quick stop for an ATM we got to a Pinch Of Spice. Our Tuk-Tuk driver offered to wait for us which, for INR200 in total was pretty good.

The restaurant wasn’t up to much. Nice setting, but the staff were grumpy and taciturn and the food wasn’t much to write home about. We were back out within the hour and came back to the hotel via our Tuk-Tuk.

And so to bed!

Wednesday 19th October 2016

Agra

Woke up around 05.20 and made myself a coffee in the lounge until the birthday girl got up around 07.00. Opened her cards and then I broke it to her that we were off for her to look after elephants for the day! Went down well!

Had a really nice Hilton breakfast downstairs - made the error of going native. It was a South Indian breakfast - we both liked the Samosa but not much else. Not sure the curry taste is something I like first thing in the morning. Moved on to Muesli and toast to recover my equilibrium.

Our car was picking us up for the Wildlife SOS Elephant Sanctuary at 10.00 so by 09.45 we were in the lobby chomping at the bit. Our driver was ready so we headed off early. 

The traffic on the roads out of Agra was unbelievable - so many motorbikes, Tuk-Tuk, cars, lorries buses, cows, goats, pedestrians, horses, donkey-drawn carts.

I’d arranged for us to be there for 11.00. Planning on this started back in May with a number of emails back and forth to the centre. Our driver knew where we were going and got us there just before 11.00. He parked up near the gate leading to the elephant enclosures and a nice chap came to meet us. The driver insisted on coming with us to push the wheelchair while Nikki walked.

We first went to an area that had 5 elephants in - including one called Peanut who’s the youngster of the herd. He came over and was desperately trying to undo the latch to their compound with his trunk - the centre had obviously got wise to it so there was a bolt in the latch to stop him!

The guide explained the various injuries all the elephants had suffered - from broken legs that hadn’t set properly, to being blinded by their owners. Some of them had been basically kept in solitary confinement and taken out for tourists to photograph and ride on so they were very unsure around other elephants. Absolutely horrific that these beautiful creatures can be so mistreated for profit. So glad Wildlife SOS are there to look after them and give them a well-deserved retirement.

We then moved on to another compound where we saw one old elephant who was so badly injured that she couldn’t lie-down properly. The centre had constructed a metal pole covered in car tyres which meant she could sleep by leaning on it.

And then Nikki got to go in and help wash Rhea who’d been abused in a circus for over 50 years. Amazing to watch. She lay down and let Nikki and her keeper scrub her with brushes before she got hosed down and soaked everyone!! We then fed her. 25kg of fruit and she gets that 3 times a day. Gobbled it down like a good ‘un. What an excellent visit to such a worthwhile place.

The elephants go out for an 8km walk in the morning and a 5km walk in the evening so they are all fit and healthy - one of them came in massively obese because she survived by begging and people kept giving her fast food and sweets. She’s now down to the correct weight just from her diet and walking.

We headed back to the hotel - both of us exhausted by the day. After Nikki hosed herself down in the shower, we had a very late lunch in the hotel and fell asleep on the bed for an hour or so. Revived by our nap, we decided to hit the streets of Agra for a stroll. I don’t think the local Indian population are used to seeing 2 Brits wandering around with a wheelchair across dusty roads and basically in the rush hour traffic. Lots of a stares though some of the children said hello. We walked for about 1km before finding a Tuk-Tuk big enough to get the chair into. We asked to go the Taj Mahal and then back to the hotel. Around 6 people surrounded the Tuk-Tuk shouting at each other about where we should go and we finally agreed a price. The two chaps ‘driving’ decided to take us up on to the top road from which you can supposedly see the Taj. You can’t! Failing that they offered to take us to a market, restaurant, leather shop, emporium, carpet shop, another restaurant, Delhi, Mt Everest and Sri Lanka - all for INR500 - about £6. We declined and came back to the hotel.

Moses, who’s the manager of the hotel, then turned up with a birthday cake for Nikki - lots of cream - very nice. We had a scoff of that with a coffee and made plans for the evening.

We ended up downstairs at the main restaurant. They had a buffet and a la carte - so we opted for buffet. Very good spread. We got started on some Indian food which was very tasty and moved on to pasta and then some bread & butter pudding for desert. After we sat there stuffed for a minute, the boss came over with a huge slice of chocolate cake for Nikki with a candle in and Happy Birthday on the plate. She was mortified - gorgeous chocolate cake and no room in her tummy! I helped out by eating a couple of spoonfuls (against doctors orders) but even that didn’t reduce it in size much.

We made our excuses and went to bed!

Thursday 20th October 2016

Agra

It’s the day of the big tour of Agra - though to be fair, I think we’ve seen most of it already.

I was up at 05.30 with my heart playing silly buggers. It soon settled down after some coffee so I was ready to watch the 3rd Presidential Debate by 06.30.

Nikki got up at about 07.00 and we watched the debate until it finished at 08.00 local time before heading down to breakfast.

I’d booked the Agra tour online so we had a driver and a guide meeting us at 10.00. We came down at about 09.45 and the guide was waiting. He took us outside and we had to wait 15 minutes in the blazing sunshine for our car. The driver eventually turned up at 10.00 and off we went.

First on the agenda was the Taj Mahal. We got to the car park area and sorted out our tickets. The price for foreign tourists is a lot more than for locals. Included in the price are shoe-coverings and a bottle of water. We were then taken on a golf buggy up to the East Gate. This is the quieter gate as most of the Indian tourists arrive at the West Gate which is closer to the railway station. After a very cursory security search, we went into the entrance area of the Taj. From here you can see the actual Taj Mahal through a huge door. We went through and - there it was in front of us. Any description doesn’t truly do it justice. The guide informed us the world is split into 2 groups - those who’ve seen the Taj Mahal and those who haven’t. It is utterly spectacular.

We walked through the garden leading up to it - it’s odd but it gets much, much bigger than you expect the closer you get to it. We walked around all four sides which are identical. We spent some time looking at the river just behind. Must have been quite a sight if you were a sailor in 1640 and came across the Taj Mahal for the first time!

We ended up doing a full circuit of the garden. By this time, it was getting bloody hot - we were wilting. The guide took us out through the East (busy) Gate - neglecting to tell us there were steps. After some strong words we got back to the car but all the time we were surrounded by hawkers selling books and Taj Mahal snow-globes. They just don’t take no for an answer so I was a bit rude to the 456th, 457th and 458th.

We were both utterly drained by this point so told the guide we needed a coffee, air-conditioning and a sit down - they took us to Costa which hit the mark. After a quick comfort break we pushed on to Agra Fort. Again totally packed with hawkers in every direction! The Fort itself was very impressive and they’d put ramps in so getting around while not easy, was certainly possible.

Lunch then beckoned at the Taj Mahal Restaurant. Pretty good lunch and very friendly staff. It was obvious our guide was getting a kick-back from them for taking us there - but whatever. The food was good and it was nice to have an air-conditioned sit down.

We then decided to go and replace Nikki’s leather jacket which got nicked from the Virgin Lounge at Heathrow. The guide recommended a place and they took us there. Couldn’t find what we wanted so the owner called out the tailor from the back and they said they would MAKE the exact thing Nikki wanted. It’s being delivered to the hotel in about an hour, so we’ll see!

We then went to the park on the other side of the river from the Taj so we could see it from that angle. Again more hawkers! The view across the river was equally spectacular. We then headed back to the hotel for a much needed coffee and a sit down. It’s exhausting all this looking at stuff.

After falling asleep on the bed for a bit, I had a long soak in the bath followed by some coffee. And then we had a call to say the chap with Nikki’s jacket had arrived. We went down to reception and, not just the chap, but his tailor was there too! Nikki tried on the jacket and was left stunned that it was absolutely perfect! Fitted exactly right, the pockets where she wanted them, sleeves right length. So we have a happy Nikki with a tailor-made leather jacket. Let’s hope nobody nicks this one!

We decided to go for room service so had a pizza and a burger before watching an episode of House of Cards and turning in at about 22.00.

That was a busy day!

Friday 21st October 2016

Agra to Jaipur

Got up around 06.30 ready for our trip to Jaipur. Between 4 and 5 hours in the car - dreading it!

We had breakfast, packed and checked out by 10.00 and we were sat in reception waiting for Mr Singh. Having spoken to him, he offered to drive back down from Delhi and then to drive us to Jaipur. Basically coming from Birmingham to Dover, then driving us to Cardiff before going home to Birmingham!

He turned up on time and got us packed in the van. The first 30km out of Agra is on very crowded roads - cows, Tuk-Tuk, motorbikes everywhere and then it gets a lot quieter and turns into a four lane highway. But unlike the Expressway from Delhi to Jaipur, it’s a normal road through towns and villages. So Mr Singh was able to do 80kmh and then he’d have to stop for a cow!

Actually found it a better journey than on the Expressway because there was so much more to see. We stopped for lunch around 12.30 in a really odd place. We had toasted cheese sandwiches and some chips. I went into the loo and as I washed my hand this chap appeared saying “Tip, Tip, Tip, Tip”. My ‘Tip’ was sod off and leave me alone - but I did give him INR10 afterwards.

Got back on the road quite quickly and both fell asleep for 15 mins or so until we needed to stop again for a cow. Got a lot busier as we got into Jaipur. But not cows busy - more big city busy. Arrived at the hotel around 15.30. Check in was very smooth. We were in a suite on the top floor. Very nice but finding the light-switches proved a problem! Great view of the main road, but even on the 9th floor with double glazing, all you can hear is the horns beeping outside!

We both had a doze despite the horns and went to the Club Lounge for some nibbles - totally deserted and only cookies to eat - so we did. Back to the room for a shower and then back to the Club Lounge for some proper nibbles which are provided from 18.00 - 20.00. Munched our way through some nose-bag and then went for a wander around the rest of the hotel. Nice swimming pool on the 1st floor and great roof-top bar one floor above us. The chaps up there give us a full tour and said, on Diwali, it’s the best place to watch fireworks.

We were knackered out by 20.00 so watch a House of Cards episode and hit the sack.

Saturday 22nd October 2016

Jaipur

Woke up at around 06.30 and tried to quietly make coffee but managed to wake up Nikki too! Went for breakfast in the Club Lounge at about 07.30 ahead of our Jaipur tour at 10.00.

We were met by our driver Janu. He’d worked on the BBC show “The Real Marigold Hotel” and insisted on showing us his video testimonials from Jan Leeming, Miriam Margolyes and Patti Boulaye! Very cheerful chap along with his guide.

They took us to all the main places in Jaipur and were excellent with the wheelchair. We started at the Janter Mantar which is the Observatory built by the former King. Amazing place - and we saw the biggest sundial in the world. It was punishingly hot and the place was packed with school kids. We were slightly concerned as our guide gave us a serious lecture on each piece of equipment  - but he soon cut down the length when he could see us wilting. 

From there we walked across the road to the City Palace. It’s still occupied by the royal family. Really interesting tour - particularly pictures showing Lord Mountbatten visiting just before independence. We were also shown the throne room and two giant silver pots that were used to take water from the Ganges to London when the King visited in the 1930’s.

We were ready for a coffee break so the chaps took us to a petrol station - seemed an odd choice but we went with it. Turned into a wise choice. Nice and quiet, heavily air-conditioned and had ‘western’ loos! Well almost! Most Indian toilets have a severe lack of toilet paper and hand-towels!

We then ploughed on up to the Amber Fort. We decided not to go in as it was quite a steep incline to get there and, as I mentioned, HOT! Took some amazing pictures though - looks like something out of Game of Thrones. We drove around the old city for a bit. Even though it’s over 300 years old, it was designed on the grid system. The authorities had been rounding up the cows ahead of Diwali so the traffic wouldn’t be too held up.

Stopped for lunch at a nice restaurant where Janu had arranged 20% discount for his tours. Excellent food even if the room itself was a little tired. As we were leaving this little boy with a badly deformed leg came up to me. I’m a sucker so I gave him INR100 - about £1.20. And the smile on his face was worth it. After lunch they took us to see block printing being done on fabric. Really nice chap explained how it was done and then showed us some materials. We got talking about shirts - I ended up choosing 3 fabrics I liked and he told me they would delivered to the hotel as fully tailored shirts by 20.00 that evening. It was £30 a shirt which is bit more than I normally pay, but for a tailored shirt, I thought it was worth a go!

We ended up seeding the Lake Palace and then taking a drive around the ‘real’ Jaipur. Basically the back streets where tourists don’t go. Incredible. Pigs, horses, donkey’s, cows, traders - just absolute chaos - but it seems to work. But when we saw a dead pig in the middle of the street it became clear just how hand-to-mouth the existence is here - and not just for the people.

Janu dropped us back to the hotel by around 15.30. Both exhausted so we fell asleep for a bit. When we woke up we watched a bit of TV before thinking about tea. We had more nibbles in the lounge and went back to the room - and that’s when the music started. We were in 928 which is on the 9th floor. On the 10th floor is the roof-top bar - and they were having a private party! After a call or 2 to reception, we were moved to a room on the 7th floor. They offered us another suite in 728 - but as I mentioned earlier the suites overlook a busy road so I declined and asked for a twin exec instead. Great decision. Pain to move rooms, but worth it for a night’s sleep.

After we got set up there, Nikki decided to hit the sack. I had a call to say the chap with my shirts was in the lobby so I went down and got them and gave Nikki a fashion show. Really nice shirts and they fit beautifully!

Both in bed and asleep by 22.00.

Sunday 23rd October 2016

Jaipur to Delhi

Transfer day - AGAIN!

Both had a good night’s sleep in our new room so were ready for the day. The car was picking us up at 09.30. We decided to give some more business to Janu’s company as he’d been so good yesterday.

We had a relaxing breakfast in the Club Lounge and then went back to pack. I nipped down to settle up. As we were on points it was only INR800 for some laundry. Result.

The chap who picked us up was gloriously taciturn. I think we had one word out of him during the 30 minute transfer to the airport. My perfect driver! I dread to think how long the transfer would take on a weekday.

Got to Jaipur Airport and the car was searched and our documents checked before we were let in. We were checked again at the door and then had to go through X-ray machines with the luggage before we were allowed near the check-in desks. Initially we couldn’t find where we supposed to go. Nothing on the departures board so we figured we were in the wrong terminal. Then I spotted someone from Spicejet who pointed out the desk that would open in a few minutes. As there was nobody there, we went and stood there. Then someone came - as did loads of people who pushed and shoved their way to the front. Seems like Indians don’t believe in queueing. I did some shouting and they all backed off - apart from one back-packer who refused to move. She got sent away by the check-in agent because her back-pack was GIGANTIC and she wanted to take it on as hand-luggage. Spicejet are the Indian Ryanair.

The wheelchair caused quite a bit of consternation. They eventually decided we’d need to check it in with them and we’d use an airport wheelchair. No biggie. What I was amazed at was the amount of form filling. We needed to tell at least 3 people what condition Nikki had that meant she needed a wheelchair. I was, by this point, not at my most helpful. I just said MS. We were taken through security by a chap from Spicejet and were plonked down in a pretty OK departure area. Better than I was expecting. Went off to get Nikki a coffee and just as I was ordering, the girl with the backpack pushed in and started asking the guy serving me for directions!!

Our flight was delayed for 45 mins - after a while another person from Spicejet came over to ask why Nikki was in a wheelchair and told us we needed to fill out a form indemnifying them from any claims. When we were eventually called for boarding we were pushed to the head of the queue at the gate where AGAIN the person taking the tickets asked what condition Nikki had! It was a bus to the plane and then four men carried the wheelchair to the top of the steps. We were in 4D and 4E so not far to walk. Nikki exhausted by this point!

Flight up to Delhi was only 30 mins. When we landed we let everyone else get off the plane before four men again carried the wheelchair down the stairs and plonked us on the bus. We got our bags and headed out to meet the driver from the Marriott. He took us to the car and gave us cold towels and cold water to revive us for the 10 minute journey to the hotel.

I’d booked the Marriott on points I’d forgotten I had - so good bang for buck. It was a JW Marriott - the top hotel in the chain. I asked about an upgrade to Executive Room and was told it would be INR3500 - about £50. No-brainer. If we hadn’t then breakfast would have worked out at INR1500 per person and this upgrade rate included free wi-fi and access to the Club Lounge.

We unpacked a bit and went to the lounge for lunch. I had a much needed veggie-burger and decaf latte while Nikki had a veggie Club Sandwich and some Earl Grey. Happiness all around.

We then decided to maybe just have a quick lie-down on the Marriott beds. Fatal. Both zonked out for a good while. Woke up by the freezing cold. The A/C unit in the room had decided to go into deep freeze mode. We sat in bed watching House of Cards for a few hours before heading back to the Club Lounge for dinner. I told the chap about the 

A/C and he sent someone to fix it. Great selection of nibbles in the lounge. We lingered for a while before heading back to hit the Marriott beds for a guaranteed great night’s sleep!

Monday 24th October 2016

Delhi to Home

CRAP night’s sleep. Both awake by 05.30. Not happy.

A bit more revived after a coffee. Went for a lingering breakfast in the lounge by 07.30. Our car was booked for 09.30 for the 10 minute trip to the airport.

Got ourselves sorted and were ready to go by 09.15. One of the drivers took us up to Terminal 3 and sorted us out a porter to take the bags in. We checked in at the Upper Class desk - very helpful and friendly but again some confusion with the wheelchair. First we were told we could take our own chair through and then we were told we couldn’t. In the end it was decided that we could. Security at the airport is VERY officious. We had our boarding passes checked 6-8 times by the time we’d got through security. But I guess that reflects the world we’re living in and, to be honest, I’d rather they did check the hell out of us - despite my moaning. They even took the wheelchair away to x-ray it in a big machine out the back.

Our helper dropped us off at the lounge. Virgin don’t have their own lounge in Delhi so it’s a shared facility. Pretty good though. Lots of nice nibbles and comfy chairs. One odd one though - to get the wi-fi code I had to present my passport as picture ID before it was issued!

I went for a massage from a woman with a really heavy cold. She snorted her way through the massage which rather spoilt the experience! We were then taken down to the plane at about Midday. We were the first on-board so found our seats and settled in. We were in 6A and 7A so on the more private side. Took off just after 13.00. My inflight movie system packed up so needed to be re-set but apart from that minor problem, a really good flight. Nikki watched X-Men and Star Wars while I went for Eye In The Sky and Now You See Me 2. I also watched a few episodes of Modern Family. The food was really good. Indian food for lunch and sandwiches and cakes for tea plus a really nice decaf coffee.

Landed at LHR around 17.20 and we were on the stand by 17.30. We waited a while for the wheelchair. Bit of confusion but we got there. I pushed us down to baggage reclaim. Our bags were amongst the last off - I was starting to sweat a little. Took the bags up to the car in the car park and then came back down for Nikki. Really busy car park. I miss the old Meet & Greet at Terminal 3 where they used to pull up outside.

The drive home was pretty uneventful apart from a stop at Beaconsfield Services for bread, milk, Starbucks etc. Home just after 20.00 and got the unpacking done. We then had some toast and fought to stay away until 22.00 when we flopped out in bed.

India was a great trip. A truly amazing country. Having experienced it first hand now it’s a lot less daunting. I wouldn’t rush back to Delhi, Agra or Jaipur in a hurry - we’ve seen it and done it. But I certainly would be happy to visit other parts of India. Maybe the beaches in the south. We’ll see!