We are still in New Delhi, but tonight we fly to Columbo in Sri Lanka. Cathay Pacific were supposed to take us to Sri Lanka but they have cancelled all flights there until October. Well, we couldn't wait that long so we've had to go by Sri Lankan Airways. Also Columbo airport is closed at night, so we are landing just after sunrise.

The last two weeks have been taken up with painting old, folding metal chairs for the Delhi Bible Institute. Some of them had not been painted since the place opened in January 1966!

The mornings were just about 'cool' enough to work. The best idea was to sit on another chair to paint. Even the effort needed to push a paint brush about, precipitated copious amounts of sweat. And no, we didn't go sight-seeing in the afternoons, not enough energy for that. Even the locals head for the cooler hills at this time of the year.

When we return to Delhi on 4th June I will try to photogragh the dogs of Khan Market - the area where we're staying. To see them spralled out all over the pavement gives you just the right feel for such a hot place.

All day long the black kites wheel overhead looking for scraps and calling out their penetrating cries of "cia...cia...cia". And we can't help thinking that we're hearing snatches of the sound track to films like, "A Passage to India", "The Mummy", or Indianna Jones! All of which seem to have used this eerie, mysterious sound.

So, 53 chairs later we're off to the tropical rainforests of Sri Lanka. Richard is dreaming of all the orchids he's going to see. Well it's about time a few showed up!

17th May 2007

Looking back over the last four weeks in India, the contrast between our tour and the chair painting was extraordinary.

On the one hand listening to Rudy our guide painting a picture of his country and culture as we moved from one unknown place to the next: on the other, sitting in the same place cultivating the skills required to paint chairs green; and was Ana applying the paint at the same speed as Richard, or being rude about the speed of his hands?!

Eventually we found a way to be happy using each others' skills to complete the task! [Who's he trying to kid?!!]

On the tour of North India, [which started on Monday 16th April], we're part of a group of 14. Roger from Chelsea; Chris and Elizabeth from Wetherby; Carlos and Jessica from Cambridge; Stan and Rita from N. Wales; Dacre from Port Elizabeth, South Africa; Robert and Elizabeth from Melbourne; Liz and Mark from London and Rudy our guide who lives in Jaipur - when he can!

Monday 16th April and we're off to the Shekhavati region of Rajastan to a town called Mandawa, [seven hours in a bumpy coach along dusty roads.] Or are we? It's the rush-hour in Delhi.

You know all those lovely people you've been speaking to recently at a call centre, well, we've just joined most of them on their way to work! And they make very good use of the road space. The entire width of the carriageway is utilised. Two lanes become three and at times there are seven or eight columns of traffic where in the UK there would only be room for four or five. Our driver has an assistant in the cab at the front of the coach who leans out of the window at dicey moments to wave at other drivers to stop or slow down. Somehow we don't hit anything.

Along the roadside there are a few tented villages. People trying to move into the city living under whatever they can find - sheets of canvass, cloth material, plastic bags and wood. A few hawkers try to sell newspapers as they squeeze between the tightly packed rows of cars. Driving in India is rather hair-raising then, and our driver seems to have done his M.Sc. in "How to drive dangerously and stay alive" honours of course! It's not that you have to share the road with cars and lorries only. We zoom past other coaches; buses - especially dangerous as you go past the end, for their disembarked passengers not us; Tuk-tuks - 3 wheeled vehicles powered by a motorbike engine; pedal rickshaws; pedestrians; cows; goats; pigs that look like wild boar; sheep; dogs - mainly ferral; buffalo; cyclists; motorbikes; camel carts; donkey carts; horses with or without carts; elephants - occasionally; tractors; mini-buses; children and speed bumps - lots of!

The philosophy seems to be:

We will all help each other to get to our destinations as quickly as possible!

Horns are used a lot to tell other drivers that you want to pass. Tractors and lorries have " Horn Please " written on the back.

The nerve wracking journey ends and we settle in at an old house once owned in the 18th century by a merchant .

Only a short walk is possible into the town before we have to go back and prepare for dinner. Everything is set up on the flat roof and illuminated with oil lamps, very romantic. The waiters are smartly dressed in white and as we sip our last mouthful of beer some local folk musicians and dancers do their best to entertain our road weary group. A puppeteer rounds off the evening.

Tuesday 17th April.

Mandawa is full of old houses covered with frescos. After a tour of the town we're off to stay in a mud hut!

It's a resort not far away. The 'huts' are built out of bricks and stones and then covered in mud. We have a room about 20 feet across plus a very spacious bathroom.

Before dinner on the lawn we have time for a camel ride to the next village. Both of us are invited to share one camel - poor thing. He can just stand up under our combined weight, but seems to move gracefully once he's up. Up and down on a camel seems to involve three movements each time. 1. Up at the back. 2. Up at the front. 3. Up at the back again. Unfortunately for the camel you don't get any practice so you end up leaning in all the wrong directions!

18th April

A four hour drive to Jaipur brought us to Jantar Mantar. An 18th century observatory built out of stone. It claims to have the largest sundial in the world. Well it looks as if it is as high as a four storey building. The City Palace has some amazing jars. They are made out of silver [melted down coins] and can hold 9,000 gallons each! They carried water from the Ganges to England so that the royal visitors to Edward VII's coronation could carry out their normal customs when away from India.

19th April

Today's highlight was not the Amber Fort, the temperature heading for 40 centigrade or the carpet and fabric factory. But a wonderfully engaging 10 [he said] - 13 year old who was one of our cycle-rickshaw peddlers! His English was excellent and he had a great personality. Later we met him again with his grandad [he said]. The grandad did a marvellous job avoiding potholes and other traffic considering he had only one eye! We did have to dismount a few times when the going got too tough. They both looked forward to helping us again but we have to move on. They will be on the road again - no school for our wonderful little driver.

20th April

Most people have a soft spot for tigers. so the prospects of seeing one in the wild today brought on a lot of excitement in the group.

Ranthambore National Park has about 30 we are told. Infact we learn that some of the tracks have been closed to visitors for a few weeks because some tiger cubs kept wandering onto them, putting themselves in danger.

When we arrived at the relevant place a great whispering sound began. "Look they're over there behind the trees, yes, next to that rock... oh no there's two of them.... is that one of the cubs!" All we could say was, "Where? It looks like a rock to me, are you sure?"

This went on for a long time and got rather silly. You know the type of thing.. oh yes! It's probably someone dressed up in a costume..... someone's pulling something on a piece of string!

Eventually we all saw at least one real live tiger, but the whole thing felt a bit false. It's not a very big park and the wardens knew just where to go and the view was rather pawltry. After the big build up we all felt a bit flat. We'd all got rather too excited probably.

21st April

On the way to Karauli we climb up a steep path to see a 1000 year old fort - Ranthambore Fort, yes, near the tigers.

There's still a lot to see. And at the back of the ruins a small community is still living. The locals still bath and collect water from the ancient reservior and they have a few shops, stalls and a temple. Rhesus monkeys also live here. Some are doted on by the priests who feed them flour - very odd but they seem to like it. Richard got so close one male monkey thought Richard was trying to steal his flour and became rather aggressive.

Our mouths drop open when the coach turns into the grounds of our next resting place. Bhanwar Vilas Palace. Now don't think Buckingham, it's a large country house built in the Art Deco style - very comfortable.

22nd April

Walking through the town of Karauli to the City Palace reveals another place with a matrix of open drains, dust and a variety of aromas, not all very pleasant; infact not very pleasant at all. The local pigs are particularly adept and adroit at putting to good use - well putting in their mouths, all sorts of things they find in the drains. What's under the surface seems to be especially sort after. If they can find a few of their friends to join in, they love to wallow together nose to tail, a bristley, heaving, mud splattered porcine phalanx.

Richard chooses to be distracted by farmyard antics because he's just been stung on the forehead by an infuriating and infuriated bee - and it's very painful.

23rd April

Today we visited the Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary and Fatehpur Sikri - a Mogul capital left abandoned when they could not supply it with enough water, on our way to Agra.

At the bird place we spotted from our cycle rick-shaws:

• white-breasted kingfisher
• grey, night and purple heron
• saris crane
• red-vented bulbul
• fan-tailed wydar
• greenshank

And what a delight? Fish and chips for lunch! The first time for three months, mouth-watering.

Rudy has set us all a bit of a challenge. We're leaving the hotel at 04.50 tomorrow, so I set the alarm for 04.00!

24th April

Where are we going so early in the morning?

To see the sun rise over the Taj Mahal of course.

The morning air is very still, the light at dawn is silvery-grey. Only a few eager groups are pacing down the tarmacked paths towards the security gates. Local children have beaten us to the delights of the early morning as we pass a playing field bustling with football games.

The silver of the early light has melted into pewter and lead as we crane our necks around each corner to catch a glimpse of serenity.

Rudy is suddenly alarmed. I have spare batteries and Paddington in my camera bag. The armed officer at the gate lightens his seriousness with some faintly revealed dry humour as he orders me to keep, "That Evil doll" in the bag!

From the archway at the entrance to the park around the Taj Mahal, in the still weak light of dawn, it looks whitish-grey and could almost be made out of coconut ice.

The sun is rising to the right spilling very dainty pastel shades of rose and lavender and primrose upon the cold white marble ahead of us. As if bathed by light reflected from a mother of pearl shell, the Taj takes on different hues. The walls and dome not always the same colour.

Back at the hotel we have breakfast and after checking out, sit in the lobby with other members of the group plus our luggage. Rudy reckons that Pizza Hut is a good place to have a light meal before we head off for the station; and they will put some in boxes for later!

Agra station is dark and intimidating. We're waiting for the sleeper train to Varanasi. Tired after our visit to the Taj Mahal, everyone hopes it will not be as bad as their worst nightmares. It isn't. The porters have carried our heavy bags on their heads to the platform and we're waiting nervously for the train to arrive.

25th April

Eight berths in each section, three up each side and two at the end doesn't sound very comfortable, but Indian trains are broad-gauge. This means they have wider carriages and are more stable on the move. The train is late so there's time to have a discusion about who's going to tuck into some cold pizza. People ordered what they fancied so there shouldn't be a problem. But something seems to have put off one or two. It must be those who had to visit the loo during the night - yes it is. The squatting plates were okay when we left, but they became increasingly awash with water and urine. A vision that lingered in some minds such that the thought of opening a box of cold pizza was too nauseating! Ana and I ordered a Double Cheese. It's obviously congealled over-night but still smells nice and cheesy.

By the time we'd all had lunch and a rest, the visit to Samath where 'Lord Buddha' preached his first sermon seemed doable to most. The gang of child hawkers with their blatant middle-aged gang leader spoiled the reasonably tranquil setting. The sense of unsatisfactoriness and disillusion dug a moat around a possible source of happiness rather than a bridge over towards it.

Out to dinner this evening. We're praying that we arrive in one piece as our rickshaw is being propelled by a one-eyed man.

26th April

Richard's eye is still looking puffy from the bee sting, but he's not complaining - honestly.

Well there's no time for that anyway. Before breakfast we've got to get to the Ganges to see the sun rise - again, watch the morning ceremonies and anything else that might be going on. Later, we'll return for the evening ceremonies.

27th April

Quiet morning then preparations for journey back to Delhi by train.

28th April

The room in Florence Inn is okay but a bit smelly. And, oh dear! There are a number of......ANTS! Ana's off to the shops to take her mind off her formication!

29th April

Goodbyes and back to the Delhi Bible Institute in time for church.

PS. These last few entries are briefer because Richard's detailed notes were stolen before he'd got round to writing them!

Right then.... who would like to paint some chairs? Anybody?