Delhi 3 27.2.10-3.3.10NikkiThe latest return to Delhi was by sleeper train from Varanasi. The station was as crowded and chaotic as the city, but somehow Dinesh found us a quiet corner to wait and the train turned up on time. Before retiring to our bunks (trunks?..they are stacked in 3's not 2's!) we were determined to finish the last of the gin. We had Limca, our substitute for tonic but no glasses for the four of us. Just after I returned from binning two empty...

Mysore- 23rd - 26th Feb JO An epic journey was planned-a taxi, plane, bus, train and tuk-tuk- to get from the small Goan resort of Benaulim to a hotel in Mysore.At 6am the taxi driver arrived, a relative of Flora the guesthouse owner. Once he had loaded in the luggage we were ready to leave, he turned the key in the ignition but not a glimmer of life. After a well know four letter expletive, the driver started yelling for help and a bandy legged elderly gent...

Varanasi 24.2.10-26.2.10Nikki I am writing this sitting in the sparkling new Domestic Airport terminal at Delhi and it could not be a more stark contrast to Varanasi. I should have written this while I was still in India's holiest and craziest city to try to give the full flavour of the place that gives the full India culture shock in a way no other place I have visited could ever do. As we arrived in Varanasi and neared the centre of the city in our comfy a/c ...

Allahabad 23.2.10NikkiAnother cross country 'main road' route took us to Allahabad, one of the four sites where the Kumbh Mela is held every 12 years. This year it's currently taking place at Haridwar; I had thought vaguely of going when I'm back in Delhi but have decided against mingling with the 60 million pilgrims who are said to attend!Allahabad is a large bustling city and our hotel was situated on the main drag which made crossing roads the most challenging...

Chitrakoot 22.02.10NikkiIt was a long drive in the private cars from Panna to Chitrakoot. The road was rough and narrow but from what we could gather was the main highway across the state. Think almost continuous potholes interspersed with patches of loose gravel and just the odd stretch of properly paved road and you get the picture. We probably averaged about 20 miles an hour.At one point the cars came to a halt and Dinesh leapt out and immediately started chat...