You know where you are?? You're in the Jungle BABY!! - Chitwan National Park, Nepal

So we survived India, and despite sharing a border, Nepal is absolutely nothing like it's giant neighbour.

We leave Varanasi with Adam and Alicia, in a taxi no bigger than a Ford ka (think smart car with a snall back seat). This may seem ok, but the Nepalese border is a good 8 hour drive away and our packs are precariously balanced and loosely tied to the roof rack. Not only that we squeeze Adam into the front seat and me and the two girls cram into the back. Lets just say it's not exactly spacious.

We're all excited to be moving on to a new country after a couple of weeks in India and the time passes quickly. We arrive in Sunuali the border town, possibly trying to obtain an award for 'Most rubbish strewn in the street' which it would win hands down.We are dropped off a few meters from Indian Immigration where we need to sign out of the country. The immigration 'office' is a shack behind a curtain and we are quickly dispatched by an older official with more ear hair than I ever believed possible to grow.

 Indian Immigration 'Office'

Possibly the most rubbish strewn street in the world?

We wander into no-mans land, pose for pictures infront of the Welcome to Nepal sign and wander into Nepal. A quick trip to the Nepalese immigration office (an actual brick built building) and we're officially here. We stay overnight in a bug infested hotel and are picked up early the next morning for the 4 hour drive to Chitwan.

Our hotel in Chitwan, the Hotel Rainforest, is probably the nicest place we've stayed so far. There is hot water, air con AND the sheets are clean enough to sleep in! The hotel staff are very welcoming and everyone is smiling. We feel relaxed within 5 minutes of arriving. As we are bought welcome drinks, the hotels 2 resident elephants meander past and Heather immediately runs over to make friends. Our activities don't begin until 4pm that afternoon, so the four of us head down to the river for a quick beer in the sunshine. My adventurous wife wanders down to the waters edge and I shout to her to be careful as there are crocodiles in the river. She says I'm making it up, but she is proved wrong in quite dramatic style the next day (more on that later).

Our jungle activities begin with a sunset walk through the edges of the park with our guide, Buddha (what a great name - he was born on the same day as Buddha). We head off to see where the government elephants are housed overnight, but as we get there a local says something to Buddha and he is suddenly filled with urgency, telling us to come quickly. We all follow him as quickly as we can and we are greeted by two wild one horned Indian rhino grazing at the edge of the elephant compound. We are separated by a small fence, so we are able to get within 6 feet of these majestic creatures, close enough to hear their powerful lips ripping up the vegetation. Most of us are wary enough to stand a few feet back as the fence wasn't exactly protection from 3 tonne of Rhino. This is displayed quite obviously when one snorts a warning and we all leap back another 6 feet.

 Meandering Elephant

No zoom lens needed - 6 feet from a wild rhino

That evening we are treated to a display of dance from the locals, a quite interesting affair with stick dances and guys dressing up as girls and dancing (no idea why, the narrator spoke in the most bizarre tones we spent more time laughing than listening).

Next day and an early start for a canoe ride to look for crocodiles. We board our canoes 20 feet away from where we sat drinking beer the day previous. The flat bottomed canoes were about as stable as Bambi on ice and we are all convinced that we are going to tip over into the fast flowing river. Our canoeist doesn't fill us with confidence and crashes our already unstable canoe into the opposite bank, fifteen feet away from a 10ft long marsh mugger crocodile (a croc known to attack humans and the odd canoe). Our sense of panic does not help our balance and we rock dangerously close to going over. I can honestly say I have never felt fear as genuine as that in my lifetime, I was actually planning how I could get Heather and myself away from the crocodile, when, not if, we went in to the water. Its really not possible to put into words, just how terrified we all were. Fortunately our life preservation mode kicked in and we managed to stay still enough (mainly because we are paralysed with fear) to get away into the current and stay dry.

The only time Heather smiled on that canoe trip

We finally make it onto dry land, and we walk through some pretty dense grassland (10 foot high elephant grass) to get to an elephant breeding centre which is full of baby elephants... awwwww. The peace at the centre is briefly interrupted when Heather discovers a leech attached to her ankle, happily drinking her sweet American blood. Other than roaches, Heather had specifically stated on numerous occasions that she REALLY did not want to get a first hand leech experience, so I was proud of her relatively calm reaction (small amount of screaming for me, followed by a strange calm). The leech was quickly removed with minimum fuss by Buddha.

The mini vampire wannabe

We carried on trekking deeper into the forest, but with the exception of a recent Tiger paw print (less than 12 hours old) we didn't see any wildlife. This is because of two reasons, firstly our group of 12 is too large and secondly, part of our group were some 20 something American lads, who talked at the top of their voices, about absoultely nothing for around 75% of the time we were walking. This was until Adam politely, but firmly told them to shut up.

The closest we came to a Tiger (that we know)

Next - Elephant bath time!! Unfortunately because of monsoons creating a strong current, we can only watch, not join in bathing the elephants, which clearly love being in the water. They obey every (well most) of their handlers commands as he cleans the elephant with a rough rock, even lifting up each foot on command. After lunch and a beer break by the river where we saw a small 12ft Gharial crocodile (fish eating only), we climbed up onto the back of an elephant, for our 2.5 hour long elephant safari. The benefits of being on the back of an elephant are that you are pretty high off the ground and relatively safe (not many things attack a 5 tonne elephant) and that the smell of the elephant masks our scent and therefore we can get amazingly close to the wildlife. The downside is that if there is a more uncomfortable form of transport, I'm yet to find it.

We strike lucky again and get up close to two more rhino, this time a mother and its 3 month old calf. Depending on what statistics you believe we have now seen 4 of the 67 or 350 rhino in the 975sq/km park. The elephant safari is a bonanza of wildlife and we see deer (lots and lots of deer), eagles, peacocks, wild chickens, monkey's and more crocodiles.

Mother and baby

Chitwan National Park has been one of the highlights of our trip so far. The chilled atmosphere at our lodge, Adam and Alicia's great company and the experience of being so close to both tame elephants and wild rhino have combined to give us a really memorable time in the Terai area of Nepal.

The Canoe Four

Next on to Pokhara, Nepal to see the Himalayas up close and personal

- Mark ' I survived a near death crocodile experience' Cleverly

Goodbye India, Smell ya later!

Our final thoughts on our time in India:

1. The Indian government should focus more on providing basic human services than putting on an elaborate show for the Commonwealth Games

2. Our favorite place in India is Orchha, it's small, the people are friendly and you don't feel harassed (other than by cows and holy men)

3. If people involved in the tourist industry put as much effort into making you feel welcome as they do trying to relieve you of your hard earned rupee, India would be a much nicer experience

4. Authentic Indian food is AMAZING, it was everything we hoped for

5. Rickshaw drivers take great pride in their country

6. Indian men hold hands and and act like a new couple- they're not gay, it's just weird

Average Costs

Hotel Room - 500 INR / 7 GBP / 11 USD
250ml Coca Cola (bottle) - 30 INR / 0.42 GBP / 0.68 USD
1 litre Mineral Water - 20 INR / 0.28 GBP / 0.45 USD
Meal for 2 (Rice, Naan & 2 dishes) 350 INR / 5 GBP / 8 USD

Overall India was an experience like no other, it's a complete assault on all your senses... some good, some bad, some just different. We're both really glad that we came to India and saw first hand a country that you can never fully explain in words, you just have to come here and experience it for yourself. It's both exhilarating and exhausting all at once.

- Mark and Heather

The Holy City... and a city that's a hole - Varanasi, India

I'll pick up the story where Heather left it, as we leave Khajuraho. As there is no train the day we want to leave, we arrange for a taxi to take us the 120km to the next nearest train station for Varanasi, a place called Satna. The drive is a pleasant one and we pass through Nappa Tiger Reserve. Both myself and Heather are glued to the windows looking for a tell tale glimpse of orange and black, but the tigers are as elusive as an Indian Hotel with hot water and clean sheets.

We arrive at the station 2 hours early for the 7:20pm overnight train and have little option but to find our platform and wait. Unfortunately, Satna is not a major (nor minor) tourist destination, so the locals stare at us constantly (especially men staring at Heather). We've kinda grown used to this, but as we are the only white people on the platform, it is especially intense and when our train rolls up an hour late at 8:15pm, Heather is on the verge of a breakdown of epic proportions.  We are in the first class section of the sleeper train, but its still pretty grim, we settle into our individual bunks and try to sleep.

Heather in her sleeper bunk

Our scheduled arrival time of 4:40am passes and we finally roll into Varanasi at 7:20am. We take an auto-rickshaw to the Hotel Surya (as recommended by our Hotel Surya in Kharjuraho) and decide to spend the day recouperating from the previous evening. The Hotel is a little bit more luxurious than any previous, with a nice formal restaurant, a chilled out Hookah bar complete with middle eastern decor and last, but most importantly, a swimming pool!

Heather practicing underwater yoga!

The next morning we take an auto rickshaw ride around the main sights of Varanasi, the university complex, Vishwanath Hindu temple (complete with a lady singing in prayer), the monkey temple ... bet you can guess what was there, then a trip to a 3,000 year old temple in the heart of the city. We also took the obligatory trip to a silk factory and a 30 minute sales pitch for their goods. I wanted to visit the Ghats and see the daily rituals of hindu life, but  due to the monsoon rains, the river has flooded the usual walkways, but our driver advises us to take a boat ride at sunset to view the same things.

Vishwanath Hindu Temple

 

We have lunch in the hookah bar and meet Adam and Alicia, a couple from Wellington, New Zealand. We get on instantly and invite them to join us on our evening trip to the Ganges river.

We squeeze 4 of us into a rickshaw (highly amusing as Adam is a big lad at 6ft 3in) and charge through the rush hour traffic. The traffic in Varanasi is as bad, if not worse than Delhi. The ranking system is as follows - Pedestrian, Bike, Rickshaw, Autorickshaw, Car, Bus / Truck, Cow. Its hard to describe the complete attack on all your senses, from the smells of exhaust fumes, urine, rubbish and various body odors, to the dust that fills your lungs and covers your body. The sound of the horns of 1,000's of vehicles and the fear that fills your body when your driver goes for a quickly disappearing gap.

We squeeze down some alleyways only 3 or 4 inches bigger than the rickshaw and arrive at the River Ganga (Ganges). As we walk down the steps of the Ghat, the first thing we see is a a dead body, shrouded in cloth, floating past us in the river. The same river in which men are bathing, a child is drinking from and someone else is brushing their teeth.

Life on the River Ganga (Ganges)

After what seems like an eternity of negotiation, we secure our place on a boat and head down the river. The banks of the Ganga are full of temples and there are people everywhere bathing, we pass by the electric fired crematorium (where the poor people are cremated for 7 quid / $10), and then travel further up river to the burning ghat where a body has been put onto a fresh fire. Apparently this is expensive by Indian terms at around 50 pounds, however this is a 24 hour a day process and anywhere between 120 - 150 people are cremated per day. As darkness falls we moore alongside another 50 boats to watch the festival of light, a daily Hindu ceremony held on one of the Ghats.

At the festival of light 

Our final day in Varanasi is spent chilling at the hotel. After we had intially decided to take the sleeper train to Nepal, Adam & Alicia alter their plans and decide to head to the Chitwan National Park with us, so we spend some time negotiating a price for a taxi to the Nepalese border (an 8 hour drive away) and onward travel to Chitwan.

For me personally, Varanasi was a bit of a disappointment, I came here looking forward to seeing the devotion of the Hindu people in their holiest city, but I never found that same sense of spirtuality that is so obvious in Rome. Maybe it's just my failure to see past the dirt and poverty of the city or a lack of understanding of the hindu faith.

- Mark 'Indian Feet' Cleverly

Dodging holy men and sacred cows: Orchha and Khajuraho

I'll be completely honest. India has been a challenge for me. After Delhi I wasn't sure I could handle two more weeks here. The tranquil beauty and spirituality I've read so much about was nowhere to be seen in the city that is desperately seeking a status with the likes of NYC, London, and Paris. Agra, of course, had the Taj Mahal and no words can truly describe how incredible that is but both of us were still a little wary of the next 12 days. Until we arrived in Orchha.

 Rickshaw ride into Orchha

The very first thing I saw when we stepped out of our rickshaw was a woman dressed in a beautiful green and orange sari carrying vegetables she was selling to local shops in a woven basket on her head. The streets were much cleaner (still not to western standards but better) and everyone just looked happier. We checked into the Hotel Ganpati. The entrance was down a narrow alleyway lined with doors into peoples houses. We were amazed to see the incredible view as we walked in, the hotel overlooked the 500 year old Jehangir palace. The room was cozy and the staff of 3 was friendly. The cook/gardner/handyman had a mustache that would make Tom Selleck envious, his helper, a young boy, was constantly running up and down stairs in the direction of his yells. Throughout our stay you could hear the prayer songs from a nearby Hindu temple. It was like a lullaby and we found it surprisingly calming. The owner of the hotel woke us up every morning around 5am ringing his bells of prayer which was a little less calming but I still found his dedication inspiring.

The village only has about 8,000 people in it and while the main streets and market stay busy it's not overcrowded. There is never a moment a cow is not within sight and while the people encourage you to stop in their shop to 'only looking, you are guest to Orchha', there is no pressure and you can actually enjoy a walk down the street. The first day we were there Mark stayed in the room to nap and I ventured out to take some pictures. I wandered up to the temples to snap some shots when I met a holy man. He kept asking me to take his photo but I politely declined at first since I had  no money to pay him. A teenage boy came up and knew a bit of English exchanged a few words with the holy man and told me he agreed to let me take the picture anyway. Free of charge. There was clearly a major misunderstanding and he was yelling things that I can only assume a holy man shouldn't yell as the boy and I ran away back to the safety of the market. He saw me shying away from passing cows after a near trample experience earlier in the day and smiled petting them as we passed saying 'my God, no afraid.'

 Woman selling vegetables to the local shops

 The view of the palace from our hotel

The notorious holy man of Orchha

We toured the palaces that featured original paintings from 400 and 500 years ago. I was amazed at how well these paintings were preserved. The guide told us stories of the artwork, usually featuring the king and his 6 or 7 wives. The architecture and their means for dealing with day to day issues like heat and running water are pretty amazing. We ventured back into the market where there were rows of shops selling food we didn't recognize, cooking it right there in front of us. There were tons of souvenir shops and women offering henna designs with brilliant colors to choose from. Just before sunset we walked to the river and set up on some rocks just across from the cenotaphs we visited earlier in the day. It was pretty spectacular to watch the monkeys playing in the trees nearby, some water buffalo crossing the river and locals bathing and washing their clothes in the river. We set up the camera and got some pretty fantastic shots.

 The sunset at Orchha

That night we ate at the only restaurant we ate at the entire time we were there. They don't turn the lights on to avoid attracting bugs so we ate in darkness and took in the small town. It was almost like going to a play and sitting in the darkness of the audience and the busiest intersection in the village was center stage. Cows lazily walked through getting an occasional smack on the butt when they got to close to a shop keepers goods, people rode their bikes and the occasional car went by. The locals mingled and laughed together playing cards and all crowding around the few tv's in town to watch a favorite show. It was one of my favorite nights so far.

We stayed in Orchha for 2 nights and were honestly sad to leave it but we were ready to see the Kama Sutra temples and we'd heard that Khajuraho was a small town much like Orchha so we set off.
We're only on our 7th day into the trip and it feels like we've been traveling for months. Not because we're already tired of being here but we've settled nicely into the backpacking lifestyle. We've developed our routines for unpacking and repacking our backpacks and we've hand washed a load of laundry. We've stayed in 4 hotels and have only prebooked one, the rest we've found upon arrival. (It's amazing how quickly your standards for hotels change when you're backpacking.) We've learned how best to negotiate prices for rickshaws and taxis and aren't as stressed out by the mob of people that surround you as soon as you step off a train/taxi/bike..or if you just stand in one place for more than 30 seconds. I'm writing this tonight from our room in Khajuraho where our balcony overlooks the garden complete with a pond and a Hindu statue. The smell of incense burning for the statue floats into the open windows of our room and its lovely. We sat in the garden earlier and had our first cold beer while the sun set and flocks of parrots flew overhead.

The journey here from Orchha was less romantic. We booked a taxi for the 4 hour journey after seeing the alternative, a bus that was packed so tightly with people (and probably live stock) that they were hanging out of windows and doors. The total journey only cost 1800 rupees--around 25 pounds (37 dollars ) for a 180 kilometers (around 140 miles). The Chevy 4x4 was probably the nicest vehicle we've been in since the beginning of the trip but we became painfully aware of the lack of cushions in the seats early in. We rode through Indian country side blaring Bollywoods greatest hits and dodging herds of annoyed goats, cows and water buffalo and the occasional bus. Most of the roads are paved but not very well, leaving Mark convinced that one more hour and his back would have been broken. We passed a Rickshaw designed for 4 with around 20 people, breaking the record we've counted so far.

 New record for people on/in a rickshaw

We met some local guys when we arrived who walked with us everywhere. Spending time in India makes you skeptical of every single person you talk to because normally they are trying to rip you off, but these guys were great. We were annoyed at first but they ended up showing us around the village, to the temples and around the market and never asked for one rupee. We hired bikes the second day we were there and after a false start (we found out my tire was flat and I had to ride it back) we cycled through the city to the outskirts where the free temples were. Here we met Ramesh. He is a soft spoken temple guide who is clearly happy to be doing what he does. These temples are not overrun with tourists, in fact we didn't see another tourist while we were out. He took us around the temple describing each of his favorite sculptures which tended to be the Kama Sutra figures. His English wasn't great so watching him try to describe what they were doing with hand gestures and lots of the word 'fanny' (sounded like funny when he said it) made the experience even better. We tipped him for his information and then sat to  talk where he told us about his family and his life in the old village. He seemed so happy to have someone to talk to and he asked us to take pictures with him and promise to send them to him. He wrote his address saying each letter as he spelled it out and then gave me his sons email address just in case -thank God because I'm not sure we can count on the Indian postal system as his address is
Ramesh Tiwari
Temple Guard
Old Village Khajuaraho

 One of the eastern group of temples at Khajuraho

Close up of the erotic carvings (these were tame compared to some)

At this point the Indian heat was starting to get to Marks dainty English demeanor  so we headed back to the hotel for a break. Later we went to the western group of Kama Sutra temples and just enjoyed the quiet and calm inside the grounds.

Kama Sutra positions carved onto a thousand year old temple

One of the gigantic western temples

Close up of the sculptures

It was my sisters birthday back home so I rounded up a group of the local boys and had them say happy birthday to her on video. They were really excited about helping and all hoping that she would fall in love with one of them and move to India.

Happy Birthday Amber

(Link to the video)

The morning we were set to leave we decided to book a yoga class through the hotel. I am really interested in learning yoga and meditation and there's no better place than India to start. Mark agreed to join in and we were both ready and waiting on the roof of the hotel at 7am. Our instructor arrived and we got straight into our OM's and began our class. We spent most of the time trying not to laugh at the cartoon like teacher. He told us not to eat meat or drink wine because it causes gas and sexy thoughts, then he proceeded to burp throughout the class. We had a really great time and did end up learning a thing or two. We ended the class with laughing yoga and a song and dance. Surprisingly, Mark still wants to take yoga classes.

 After an interesting class with our yoga guru

So next is Varanasi, the heart of spirituality in India.

-Heather

"I give you very good price sir" - Agra

We leave our Hotel in Delhi just before dawn to catch the 6:15am (yes Heather was awake) Shatabdi Express to Agra. Even at this early stage the streets are full of activity and it feels like we are on a film set as the low light and dust combine to give an eerie feel. Delhi station is complete carnage as a long queue snakes away from the security point, but we negotiate and find ourselves standing on the platform, trying to make sense of where we are supposed to be. Fortunately for us, we look as confused as we feel, as a young siek (not sure on the spelling) stops and asks us if we need help....which we do!. This is the first time in India someone has done something without holding out their hand for payment after.

6am train journey

The train is suprisingly clean and comfortable and we are served tea, biscuits and a breakfast of bread, jam, vegetable cutlets and mango juice. The train ride again highlights the level of poverty in India, slums line the edges of the railway, people wash in leaks sprung from a burst pipes and there is rubbish (trash for our american audience) everywhere, however nothing is more shocking than the number of men openly squatting by the side of the tracks, wedding tackle on full display, taking their morning poo. We're not talking hidden by a bush, or under a bridge, its a good 20 yards away from cover in full view of rush hour commuters, quite why they can't find somewhere a little more private, I don't know!

 Breakfast on the train

Agra is less polluted (damages the marble on the Taj Mahal) and substantially quieter than Delhi. We meet an American couple from Chicago and decide to tag along to the hotel that was recommended to them and we're in luck as not only is it a tranquil little spot, its 200m from the East Gate of the Taj, its cheap and it has vacancies! A trip to the ticket office (bizarrely located 1km away) with our new rickshaw friend Ali, in which Heather tried her hand (and feet) at pedal power, we're now ready to see the infamous Taj Mahal.
Now, I'd guess that the Taj Mahal must be one of the most photographed places in the world, it's synonymous with the word India, but nothing really prepares you for the moment you walk through the archway and see it with your own eyes. Its a completely breathtaking piece of architecture, that is on a scale that needs to be seen to be believed. It apparantly took 22 years to build and its clear to see why, the level of workmanship and detail is astonishing. We were told that the equivilant build cost today would be around $60 billion. We saunter around, taking lots of pictures, posing for pictures with locals (Indian men are obsessed with Heather) then just sit at the back of the Taj, just taking it all in.

 Heather riding a rickshaw

Silly picture at the Taj Mahal

NOTE - Indian men (lots of them) hold hands, walk arm in arm, lounge on each other etc... its not even a gay thing.... I just find it kind of bizarre!

The afternoon takes us to Agra Fort, a huge fort that houses the palaces of various rulers from 500 years ago. One of them was famous for his harem of 5,000 women and built an entire section of palace for them. We are lucky in that we have a very good guide who is very knowledgable and again would like a photo of Heather before we leave (He takes pictures of all of his clients he explains).

 Agra Fort

Agra is alot better than I have read in the guides books and online, compared to Delhi its literally a breath of fresh air, still we're only here for one night and tomorrow we are up early once again to catch the train to Jhansi and a richshaw ride onto Orchha.

Catchphrase of India so far - "I give you very good price sir"

- M

 Creative photography by Heather Cleverly :)

 One of the many emaciated dogs in India

 Heathers favourite picture of all time, an actual bull in an actual china shop

Good brakes, Good horn, Good luck....Delhi

India. Where to start. It is rich in colors and cultures and smells...definitely smells. We arrived in Delhi on Monday morning at around 1am and as soon as we stepped off the plane we were hit with the India heat. A big change from London but not an unwelcome one. By the time we got to the taxi we had finally had our first real experience carrying all our luggage on our backs and were covered in sweat. After some failed attempts at talking to the driver I just sat back and took in the city.

 Market Vendors

I've read a lot about traffic in Delhi and no one was exaggerating when they said it was crazy. There are no rules, and the lines in the roads only serve as suggestions. People use their horns for everything. There's a constant sound of car horns, bicycle bells and the buzzing of engines going by. A taxi driver later told us that you need three things to drive in India, 'good brakes, a good horn and good Luck."We were both shocked by the number of dogs walking casually through the road, some napping near the curbs. Homeless people lined the sidewalks asleep for the night and some even set up camp in the medians of busy roads. I think I scared the driver when I saw my first wild monkey. He was sat on a fence watching the traffic go by. We pulled up to our hotel and after considering running back to the airport and catching the next plane home I took a deep breath and walked in. The people were friendly and the room was nice. We had hot water most of the time and the bed was comfy. You can't ask for much more on our budget.

 The Jama Masjid Mosque

The next day we booked a driver for the day and went exploring. His name was Singh, well it wasn't but after we failed to repeat his name correctly the first couple times he told us to just call him Singh. Delhi is by far the biggest culture shock I have ever experienced. The first place we went was Old Delhi and the Red Fort. The driver dropped us off and because I wasn't quite confident enough to walk on our own yet-after seeing a man almost hit by a motorbike, a rickshaw, and a cow I decided I would wait- we got into a rickshaw and a lovely young boy drove us around. He told us about all the various markets while we both snapped as many pictures as we could. The streets were full of cars but that didn't stop people from setting up market booths selling everything from spices to goats heads. Our cunning little driver told us about a great little underground market we had to go to. Turned out it was a store in a basement that he clearly earned commission on sales. I still bought a pashmina because I needed something to cover my shoulders in the Mosques and we left. Mark paid him the agreed price and asked for change and suddenly our well spoken driver could no longer speak English, funny how that works. It's hard not to get frustrated with the constant begging and people trying to trick you into paying them for services you didn't ask for.

 Mark in the Jama Masjid Mosque

We went to the the Red fort next and I'm so glad we did. After doing some research it didn't seem like something to go out of your way to see but it is gigantic and gorgeous. The sun hits the red stone and it just looks majestic. Next was a Muslim Mosque and it was beautiful. A little boy followed us around trying to give us information and when we told him we would rather walk alone he tried to charge us for what he had told us. Next,The driver took us to a huge garden that holds the ashes of Ghandi. It was the first place in Delhi that was well kept. It's obvious how much the people of India love and respect this man because the gardens were immaculate. it was then onto Humayun's Tombs but by this point we decided that the combination of heat, hunger and lack of sleep was making it hard to enjoy ourselves so we headed back to the hotel for some food and rest.

Humayuns Tomb

Wedding Market in Old Delhi

Tomorrow we're off to Agra to see the Taj Mahal.

-H

Blog Cherry Popping....

Thus far I've been a blog virgin, but what a way to pop the proverbial cherry!

Even in the early days of our relationship, Heather and I talked about giving everything up, throwing a few t-shirts in a backpack and heading off into the great wide yonder.... fast forward 2 years and we're about to set off on our next huge adventure.

2010 has been the most exciting year of my life so far, after buying our first house as a couple in February and getting married in April, the next 8 or so months are just going to be the cherry on the icing on the cake. I couldn't pick a better travel buddy either, although we will bicker (we're married after all) there really is no-one in the world I'd rather share this experience with.

So I have a week of work left to go and then after a trip to visit our family in Savannah GA, the departure date will nearly be upon us!!

Over and out

-Mark