The journey through Kashmir from Leh to Jammu via Srinagar was supposed to be pretty straight forward, that was until the Indian police decided to shoot dead 3 civilians during a demonstration at Srinagar while we were en route. We arrived in Srinagar to find ourselves caught in a curfew, the roads eerily quiet, only stray dogs and the tetchy military wandering the streets. After some discussion we were assured that it was safe to leave for Jammu late at night when the streets were quiet from the rioters. Calmed by the strong reassurance of the drivers, we were happy and even excited to be on the move again and to escape the hostile and scary atmosphere of Srinagar.

The excitement of leaving soon turned into fear as it became apparent that it really wasn't safe to be on the roads. Nevertheless our driver, co-driver and the four local men we had picked up (which we later figured out were for protection) were keen to leave the area as tensions were obviously mounting. We snaked through the city in an effort to avoid the main roads. Mountains of burning tyres, piles of rocks and trees had been strewn across the middle of roads as roadblocks to prevent anyone from entering or leaving Srinagar.

The frightening experience hit an all time high when we turned a corner and were stopped by a group of men wielding sticks and petrol bombs. Some men dragged the driver out and roughed him up whilst others peered menacingly into the car and shouted in Hindi, the look on their faces was one of true anger and one we will never forget. Thankfully the drivers managed to calm them down and convince them to let us pass, not before the car was showered in stones as we pulled away, hearts pounding and annoyance building that we didn't just pay for a flight out of there. Twenty minutes later we encountered a larger group even more intent on not letting any vehicles pass having built a huge fire in the middle of the road. We protested to the driver to return to Srinagar but we were in the thick of it, either direction was dangerous and the others in the car were keen to escape the mounting violence. After waiting for over two hours the incensed men let us pass, shouting and waving sticks in the air. A final message was given by one man who took a huge swing at the bonnet of the jeep creating a massive dent. This experience showed us a different side of India and highlighted to us just how sensitive and volatile parts of the country are. Since before Independence in 1947 the country has witnessed religious violence between Hindus and Muslims and sadly there seems to be no conclusion in sight for a peaceful reunification of the Kashmir region.

After all the exhaustion and emotion (a 25 hour journey in total), we recuperated in Amritsar in the comfort of a good hotel with home comforts. We were still shaken so kept ourselves to ourselves, venturing out briefly to the biggest Sikh temple in India and to watch the daily border ceremony with Pakistan - a pompous affair displaying great patriotism on both parts.

Keen to keep moving the trip continued and from Amritsar we took a night train to Agra. No trip to India would be complete without paying a visit to the Taj Mahal. We awoke at 5.00am to arrive at the gates before the locals descended and were treated to almost uninterrupted views of the beautiful palace, more spectacular in the flesh than any picture postcard. Some claim the Taj Mahal is the most beautiful building in the world, built out of love from a King to his dead wife, the tale itself brings magic to the place. Walking around the grounds is a peaceful experience and we enjoyed a few hours of escapism from the incessant hassling hawkers of Agra.

Apart from the Taj Mahal, Agra also houses a huge fort on the banks of the river that winds through the town. Although not as spectacular as Delhi's Red Fort or the fort at Jodhpur, the views of the Taj from it's various windows make up for it's lack elsewhere.

After two days in Agra we made our way to the final stop in India, Varanasi. Having been pre-warned about what to expect from the touts and rickshaw drivers it still didn't prevent us being led on a merry dance around the city alleyways by our driver, who was determined to not take us to the hotel we had booked. Needless to say it ended with an argument and a demand for a 'guide fee', to which he was told to politely 'pi** off'!

Life on the 'holy' river Ganges in Varanasi is a remarkable sight. We took the quintessential early morning trip along the riverside ghats, taking in the extraordinary sights as we went. Thousands of pilgrims make the journey often from hundreds of miles across India, just to bathe, wash and even drink the highly polluted waters, often resulting in death from horrendous water borne diseases. There is a recommended maximum safety limit of 500 poo particles per litre of water - the Ganges river in Varanasi has 1.5 million, reason enough not to dip in a toe, let alone swim or drink it!

After a tiring 24 hours spent on the banks of the river, Rachel surprised me for my 30th birthday by booking us into a 5 star hotel, away from the craziness of the riverside. A great surprise and a much needed break from it all. After 8 weeks of slumming it around India our last two days were spent chilling by the pool, enjoying breakfast in bed, massages and some great food with the luxury of eating meat, a 30th birthday to remember!

Our eventful trip around India finally came to an end and we'd be lying if we said we weren't looking forward to moving on. We've witnessed the truly remarkable to the outright unbelievable during our 2 months here. It's hard to say that we've been made to feel welcome by the Indian people, from the hostile stares on every corner to the constant barrage of beggars, street kids, touts, street sellers and rickshaw drivers it has taken a lot out of us. We found it to be an exhausting, exhilarating, depressing and inspiring country to travel. Still, it's a place that you simply must visit to witness and judge for yourself. They call it 'Incredible India' for a reason and there can be no denying it is incredible in it's own unique way. There is no other place remotely like it that we've been to, that's for sure.