Day 4: Delhi and Agra

4.30am is a cruel time to be awake. Yet, that was when we all had to get up in order to miss the traffic on the way to Agra and the Taj Mahal. Unfortunately, we were still not early enough to miss all the traffic and the drive still took us nearly five hours.

The Taj Mahal was of course spectacular, and we took the obligatory touristy pics. India’s number one attraction not only lures millions of tourists every year, but also thousands of beggars and street urchins. It wasn’t possible to move more than a few feet without being accosted by individuals, many of whom could not have seen their tenth birthday, offering to sell you a postcard or plastic trinket.

Posing in front of the Taj

Sandy learnt a valuable lesson that day. NEVER sit down next to a giant cobra snake, even if there is an old guy with a flute telling you to. You never know when the snake will attack!!!

Where's Prashant?

It’s a little embarrassing to admit but the highlight of the day was actually our lunch at Pizza Hut! In the first instance, it was a welcome relief to our digestion systems to have one non-India meal. But the real treat was the bangra dance show that the waiters at the restaurant performed for us. None of us had ever seen anything like it in a Pizza Hut before, and Carloyn, Jason, Mika and Nao joined in showing off their funky moves on the Hut dance floor!

Dancing in Pizza Hut

The journey back to Delhi was tortuously slow. But it made the evening’s New Year’s Eve celebrations sweeter when we finally got back to the city. We went to Dr Mo’s sister’s house. She works out here for an NGO and was a great hostess and threw a wonderful party for us all. Many of us, unfamiliar with the style and form of Latin dancing, were given a first hand show by our resident Don Juan de Brotons. We’d give you details…but what happens in Delhi, stays in Delhi ;-)

Parting at Mo's sister's house on NYE

Happy New Year everyone!!