Hiya

Im just sat in a internet cafe just down the road from Tanyas flat! Its in the suburbs not like ours tho!! its totally mental! there are cows in the road and people everywhere, it has a mix of smells ranging from spices to sewage and pollution, its soooo sooo sooo different from anything i have every seen before and feel a bit like a fish out of water at the moment hopefully that will pass tho!! hahah made me laff cos one of my fav songs is playing as a write this!!

What else to tell u... oh as we landed the pilot said its 12.30am and 23 degrees!! Its hot and sweaty and boiling during the day! Tanyas flat is in an area of the city that doesnt have running water so we have a bucket bath everyday which there is definately an art to and i havent got it yet, just chuck water over urself, also u have to chuck water down the loo to flush it. The toilets are to be desired as well and they have water to splash instead of toilet paper!

Been in auto's most places which are ricksaws that are automatic so they are like 3 wheel scooters u sit in the back of they are evrywhere. The roads are the craiziest thing I have ever seen, they are cars, autos and bikes everywhere there are no rules and lanes do not apply. i thuoght the m25 was bad on the way to the airport but this is sooo much worse like the m25 in rush hour but with no cars staying their lanes. The pollution is mental tho and starting to hurt my chest cos u sit on an auto which is open air so u are level with a million exhausts. Im sure there must be some serious respiratory issues! Just been round the city and tanyas been our guide been nice and seen the oldest anglican church in india, also used the toilet in the governement buildings all there work is done by hand on paper so there are books everywhere!!

Getting used to the food cos even not spicy stuff is bit hot, so far touch wood on the dehli belly front nothing to report hehe.

Im looking forward to the next few weeks cos we are heading south and going to stay in a sea view beach hut in mmpumupalam, spelt kinda like that has really old temples, then to pondicherry which is old french colony suppose to be really nice and then to tanyas uncles and the most southern point of india where the bay of bengal and indian ocean meet. Then up to kerala and the backwaters. The back to Madras and up north and to nepal. Its so busy, my kinda thing!

Slowly realisising im not a big city kida girl, tho could told u that before so looking forward to a bit of beach and chill out time, cos city is so mental! Thos not sure exactly how much we will get cos packed itinery and tanya loves her temples and history so lots of sightseeing and not relaxing. So might even book a holiday when i get back to recover from this trip on a beach hehe only kidding or maybe not!

Anyway i have waffled on a lot so will go. Having a good time just trying to adjust to the craziness cos the streets of norton dont really compare to here. OOO also hilarously saw the population of norton queuing to see a preacher!!

Love u lots and will write again soon when i get chance to go to the internet again!

Rach xxx