NEW DELHI:

We arrive at the airport and are very relieved that our car from the hotel has turned up. On the road to the City Centre we pass all manner of traffic - you name it, it is there - but we arrive at the hotel in tact and ready to see what we have in store over the next few days.

We are staying just off the Main Bazaar and it gives us a great feel for the delights of Delhi - the place is constantly buzzing with people trying to sell to us - you name it, they sell it - it is crowded, hot, very dirty and great fun. On the less appealing side are the open urinals at the end of the street and the fact that we didn't take any more than a few photos as we were worried about getting the camera nicked! We ventured over to Connaught Place the following day but there were just too many hawkers to enjoy strolling around, so we retreated back to the Main Bazaar and found a nice rooftop restaurant - away from the bustle of the street below.

We also booked a tour of Rajasthan and after much discussion decide to blow the budget somewhat and hire ourselves a driver so that we can get to everywhere that we want to see in a relatively short space of time.

AGRA

We meet our driver Ashok on the Saturday morning and set off on the 4 hr trip to Agra. It is hot hot hot but the drive is interesting as we pass camels, elephants and of course hundreds of cows on the road. When we get to Agra we stop to pick up 'our guide' who we have not asked for, or to our knowledge paid for... as we have already learned that nothing is free for tourists in India we are immediately a bit suspicious but we let him accompany us to the Agra Fort which is pretty impressive, not least for the views across to the Taj Mahal, which we can't wait to see at close quarters the following day. We manage to ditch the guide and make it clear that we don't want any help with our sightseeing from now on, because Mark has the guidebook obviously!

The following day we arise at 4.30 am (who said this travelling lark is easy!) and set off for the Taj Mahal which opens at 6am. We get a cycle rickshaw for the last 1km of the ride up to the Taj which sounds incredibly lazy but saves a load of hassle from the touts. After queuing with all the other tourists in our respective male/female queues and being searched for offensive articles such as drawing implements (?) we finally make it through the courtyard and take in the wonderful monument. As you walk through the main gateway the Taj Mahal reveals itself and is every bit as sumptuously gorgeous as you expect it to be. It looks as if it is rising out of the morning mist and really does reflect the different colours of the changing sunlight. It is an experience we are not likely to forget in a hurry and and we are very glad we have made the effort to come early as it gets really packed out at about 9am, whereas it is actually fairly calm in these first hours of the day.

JAIPUR

From Agra we move on to Jaipur, arriving early evening to find that we are in a very nice hotel which is a good surprise, so we order room service and get out the trusty guidebook to read up on what Jaipur has to offer. The City is not as we expect it to be as it is nearly as busy, hectic and dirty as Delhi and we were both expecting it to be a bit smaller and prettier. It is known as 'The Pink City' due to the colour of the buildings and parts of it are very beautiful but much of it is not - but then this is India, truly a land of contrasts. We visit the Amber Fort just outside Jaipur which is really impressive - we get an elephant ride up to the Fort before wondering around for a few hours inside. In the afternoon we go to the Observatory - which is very cool - loads of huge sundials which are more like sculptures and then the City Palace - which is pretty dull. We are starting to feel the pinch of the 'tourist tax' by this point as when you take in a few sights in each day it gets a bit annoying that you are paying not only an entry fee which is 20 to 30 times more than locals, but also money to take your camera in. We will later find out that you also pay 'passenger tax' to people by the roadside and Mark even got charged 'trouser tax' at one of the temples - he wasn't too impressed at that one.

With The Golden Triangle now complete our induction to India has truly begun, the sights and sound are truly incredible and very unique to India. Jaipur is the Capital of Rajhastan which we are exploring further over the next week and we look forward to what it may bring.