Delhi Reunion

Georgie:
After 5 days back in the 'normal' world - well if you count running around making 400 vol-au-vents and playing dress up for a wedding 'normal' - it was back to travelling reality with a large thump! Arrived into Delhi International at 10am - Bournemouth Int. looks bigger and more advanced than here! I had a well thought out plan in my head about getting into town and to my pre-booked hotel...only problem was the bus company the Lonely Planet recommends was nowhere in sight! Slightly panicked by the large crowd of taxi drivers and touts hassling me I retreated quickly back into the terminal to reconsider my situation! There was no way I was getting into a taxi by myself (not after reading all the scams in the Lonely Planet, plus these Indian men don't know how to keep their eyes or their hands to themself!). I almost considered sitting out the 6hrs till Chris arrived in the rather bare terminal building, but with a final burst of confidence I once again ventured outside to be greeted by the sight of the bus I was after! I ran for the safety of the bus, pushing aside all the touts and plonked my bottom down on a seat! Thankfully all went according to plan and despite the frequent episodes of narcolepsy I managed to stay alert enough to get off the bus at the Train Station, after over a 1hr journey! Got checked into the hotel, all I wanted to do was lie down and go to sleep but having realised what a shambles Delhi Airport was I realised I was gonna have to make sure I was there waiting for Chris as he had no L.P. - this meant heading straight back out again in order to track down another local bus to get me back there! It took over a hour stood on the corner of a very dirty, smelly, congested street corner in central delhi before a suitable bus came along, and even then it only took me to the Domestic terminal....at which point I had to admit defeat and catch a dreaded taxi to the international terminal. But thankfully all went well and I was there with plaque in hand to meet Chris off his flight!

Chris:
Woke up in my Bangkok cell room with the strange notion that I was going to fly to India today (felt very surreal), packed my bags and said farewell to helpful owner lady as I made my way back to the bus stop, stopping only to enjoy my final street coffee, laced with sweetened condenced milk. The journey to the airport was very straight forward as it was a re-run of what I'd done with Georgie 6 days earlier. Spent my last remaining Thai Baht on a feast of snacks at the airport mini-mart pre-immigration (as recommended by Georgie as everything through departures was a ripp off). Boarded my Air India flight and only then did it really sink in I was on my way to India, thanks to the fact there were only two other white faces on board. Got free beer and a superb chicken curry on board my flight - it really felt like a welcome to India meal! Collected my baggage from the ultra slow carousel and made my way into the arrivals hall and was greeted by Georgie's beaming face!

The Team back together and ready to attack two and half months in India.....