Wednesday 2 December

The flight is shorter than expected; only 3-4 hours plus Tarmac time. There are lots of crying children on this flight. I try and rest as much as I can. Breakfast is vegetarian special for us. It's nice, but as soon as i'm done, my stomach is a mess of cramps that don't let up till I rest. It's foggy smoggy or smoky in Delhi and cool. We make great time through the airport and no problems with visas. We get out and there is no one to collect us. We try and get money out, but it looks like Malcolm's card is frozen again. After many attempts to read my card, we get money out. Then we wait outside at our designated spot. There is no wifi to call and email so we just wait.
There is a large security presence all about. Taxis of various caliber come and go. There are lots of horns, even at the airport.
Someone approaches us about a rude, but we say we have someone coming. It feels like a long time, but in reality it's only 40min. We are ever so glad to see our ride! We walk to the parking garage and we gets us to pay for the parking fee. The ride is pretty much uneventful. The traffic is crazy for sure. Men and animal alike use the road side for a toilet. Cars just park up on what looks like to me as a traffic lane. Ppl are selling their wares along the road side too. Beggars and sellers approach cars at traffic lights. It's India! And it reminds me of Peru. A lot. Only it's worse here I think. I'm falling asleep. We check in and are led to a room, which when our guide checks, it's not ready. He calls out something and a few men rush in and whip around the room. Malcolm goes down stairs to see about wifi. I lie down. He heads out to the high commission. I sleep waking a few times. At one point a knock at the door. I man comes in to check something in the bathroom. I don't care. Once he's gone I sleep again. When I wake Malcolm is there and tells me his adventures. He didn't have to walk or bus as the hotel offers free taxi to town. But once there the info centre isn't very helpful and he ends up getting a little tok tok to drive him around to all his stops and back to hotel. He gets straight to ringing the back and after the second try is successful. Yay for Skype. We are really appreciating it! Malcolm's email locks him out again. But we get it sorted easier this time.
I get email sorted and Malcolm has a nap. We decide to go out for dinner. We end up at a different place than we planned but the food is really good. Especially my chefs special dall. Then it's back to our hotel... But we get lost a few times out eventually get back safely. It's crazy out there. But mostly the driving. We shower in our square tiled bathroom under tepid water. And sleep in our bed with the stained linen and ostentatiously gaudy frame. It's a bed though. And it's cheap.