Sleep. We remember sleep. Fondly. Vaguely. We had a good breakfast and hit the road at 8.30 am for what proved to be a massive, huge day of sightseeing. We started off on the coach and job one was a bicycle rickshaw ride around old Delhi. We figured as there was no motor involved, the travel insurance would definitely cover any mishaps - but we survived and it was actually great fun - not at all the extreme experience we thought it would be. Can’t say we’d fancy walking around that neighbourhood though.

We visited the Jama Masjid, a mosque in Old Delhi which was quite beautiful (but had an exhorbitant fee for cameras... by not paying it we saved money and the time and effort of taking far too many photos then deleting 98% of them. Win Win.) We then and enjoyed some ‘shopping on the bus’ which is the civilised world’s answer to being harassed, ripped off and robbed outside the bus. This way you at least have a chance to get money out of your pursie without everyone seeing into it. The prices are also fixed, much lower than outside the bus and don’t involve haggling for hours - what’s not to love? We bought a couple of things quite happily.

Next stop? Raj Ghat. This stop, which literally translates to Kings Bank, marks the spot of Mahatma Gandhi’s cremation. It occurred on 30 January 1948, a day after his assassination and is now marked by a black marble platform in the middle of manicured lawns and well tended flower gardens. The site is open to the sky and an eternal flame burns at one end of the platform. It’s a beautiful part of Delhi and the park-like surrounds are very tranquil - not least because food and drink is strictly forbidden and searched for at the entry - to avoid this solemn area turning into a littered and overcrowded picnic spot.

We cruised onwards for a drive around the India Gate - sometimes referred to as India’s very own Arc de Triomphe, it is in fact a war memorial to the 70,000 soldiers of the British Indian Army who perished between 1914 and 1921. We were ecstatic that it was such a busy day that there was no parking available anywhere for the coach. Saved us walking around it in the heat and the views were perfectly fine from the coach - especially the second time around the block which gave us perfect photo opportunities.

We had lunch at a nice enough looking restaurant called ‘Havemore’ - made us laugh because we are both fans of the Canadian series iZombie... where the lead character is called Olivia Moore (get it... Liv More!) Average lunch but filled a gap - as much as we had enjoyed the mornings sightseeing, there was still more to come.

Lunch led to more old stuff and quite old stuff at that. The next site was the Humayan Tombs. We initially thought they were a knock off of the Taj Mahal... but actually it was the other way around and the Humayan Tombs inspired the Taj. The first structure upon entry was a highlight for us. Isa Khan’s garden tomb was small but beautifully formed. He died in 1599, of natural causes, pretty rare for leaders and warriors in that time. The tomb has had significant restoration and recovery efforts (thank you to the Aga Khan Trust for Culture), but is now beautiful and the only surviving octagonal enclosed tomb complex with walls, complex and gateway intact.

The Humayan Dynasty tomb building was the major complex at this site and was monumental. The major feature of this era of architecture is symmetry in all things - thus perfect balance. The gardens were equal on both sides - matching trees, water channels and water features. The exterior of the structure is perfectly symmetrical as well. The inside however was a maze of rooms leading to different marble tombs for different members of the dynasty. Each room gave the impression that it would have doors out on to the terrace - but only one door actually exists and leads out. We got out eventually and now have more understanding of how rats in mazes must feel. We spent some time on the upper terrace and enjoyed the views over the super-symmetrical gardens then back to the coach for a last gasp drive to Delhi’s government buildings. We certainly can’t complain they’re not putting enough into each day!

The evening was devoted to a group buffet dinner at the hotel which featured western food - much appreciated after two straight weeks of Indian cuisine. It was also a chance to break out some snazzy clothes and jewellery - as the interior of a five star hotel is the only spot clean enough and safe enough to bother. Just for a change(!), it was an early night and we were up to the room shortly after 9 pm - early start (as normal) tomorrow - as we’re off to Agra and the big daddy monument of India - The Taj Mahal.

With a final word from one of the quotation plaques at Raj Ghat: Gandhi said... “Do not listen to rumour, but, if you do, do not believe it.” Unless someone tells you you’ve won lotto - in which case, trust... but verify.