Hello,

We left Delhi yesterday and have stayed last night in Agra. We have planned and booked the rest of our journey in India from the hotel travel agent in Delhi. We found a deal for 450 pounds which includes all hotels an air conditioned car and driver who will take us to each hotel and take us to all the sight seeing in the days or wherever we want to go. We weren't sure at first as it is expensive for India but for the convenience of not having to get trains or worry about booking hotels and of course the main part for us we can get driven door to door which means not carrying the backpacks or facing the beggars any more than we have to. They are really doing our heads in now!!! Also we are just plain lazy!!!

We spent our 2nd day in Delhi sightseeing we saw everything there was to see and our driver waited outside each place for us. We were very pleased to leave Delhi in the end as it really was way too manic, and the smell and heat was unbearable its a mixture between curry spices, B.O, urine, cow s*** and car fumes, not very pleasant in 40 degrees. The drive to Agra was really good we are glad we chose to drive as we got to see the countryside and more of Indian life outside the towns. Our driver Rajish is really nice he took us to his friends cafe along the way where we had indian tea and burts smoked a cigarette rolled inside a leaf. The Hotel in Agra is very nice well worth the money we paid and a palace compared to the one in Delhi which reminded us of the hotel in the movie 'The Beach'. Unknown to us there was a guide organised to take us round the Taj Mahal, he was very informative and we did learn loads about the Taj but he kind of ruined it for us coz he never shut up and it did get a little boring towards the end and we just wanted to sit down and apprecaite the view but we had to follow him round. The Taj was absolutely amazing as we expected and so worth coming to Inida to see. It seems though that every time you begin to Love India theres always another reason to make you hate it again as after our visit to the Taj our so called guide decided to take us to his friends handicraft shop, big mistake. He showed us how they make marble plaques then asked us if we would like a drink, it felt rude to say no but thats how they lure their prey into their back room full of gifts where they lock you in and basically say what are you going to buy. We tried everything to get out but ended up buying the cheapest statue in the shop for 6 quid. It was so indimidating and they got quite angry with me coz i was having none of it i went into car and burts paid, they said to him that i didn't like their shop or their gifts. This is the main problem with Inida always people trying to get your money, i suppose its the same everywhere in the world you just gotta learn how to not get into situations. We were well prepared this morning as our trusty guide (not) was ready to show us more sight s inAgra he has been trying his best for the last 2 hours to take us to more handicrafts shops but we aint having none of it we have been very blunt and we said we don't want to buy any stupid presents, so see you later!!!.

We are going back to Hotel to check out now then Rajish will take us to the next place called Jaipur, we are expecting it to be busy as apparantly England are Playing cricket match there today!!

Sorry for the long moaning email but needed to get a bit of Indian frustration of our backs!!

Will put pictures on asap, promise. Going on Elephant ride on Wednesday so will try uploading after that.

Take care love ruthy and Burts