After 6 months of careful planning, hard graft and nail biting visa applications I was off on my latest adventure, with the ever-crazy and inspiring Mel in tow for an experience that would undoubtedly test, tantalise, shock and humble us both. The planned route is Delhi –> Agra (Taj Mahal) –> Jaipur –> Varanasi –> Kathmandu –> Bangkok –> Cambodia –> Melbourne –> Tonga. Lets see how it all played out!

2nd/3rd June - After touch down in Delhi we were swiftly delivered to our accommodation by a driver than was probably an incarnate of Evel Knievel. The hostel was nothing like it’s photos on the outside which had me instantly suspicious, but the host and the interior were lovely and comfortable. Thats all we needed.

Once we dumped our bags, we began our exploration at a nearby fort compound called Qutab Minar. (Note: Do not step out of a tuk-tuk until you’ve looked at the ground first, I stood in what was undoubtedly sewerage sludge)
The various structures within were built between 1100’s-1300’s (or near abouts) and where spectacularly detailed in design and features. In our first encounters with the locals it became obvious to us that foreigners don’t come through here often, with ‘us’ becoming the main attraction at the historical site. We were stared at, videoed and photographed. We were non-famous, z-grade celebrities, gawked at like animals in a zoo by pervy locals. Now I know how it feels to be Katie Price.
Local women and men alike wanted their photos taken with us and their children,…. and who could resist.
Moto-rickshaw drivers were vying for our attention, with one lucky driver telling us that he could deliver us to an ATM and our desired end destination where we were to meet our Delhi contact for dinner. Although very accommodating (he gave us beer and a free ride) our requests became lost in translation, and so did we. Finally, arriving 2 hours late and only just making it in time for dinner, we met Atul - a friend I had known for years and never met until this day. After a good feed we were taken back to our hostel for a sound nights sleep and dreams of further adventure.

Rising early we took advantage of the free breakfast on offer at the hostel and made our way into the city, sightseeing all the usual places such as Red Fort in Old Delhi and various markets and temples around the place. It was stinking hot and at about 3pm we literally couldn’t do any more Delhi heat so we hid in a cafe until Atul met us to take us to his family home and out to dinner.
Once all fed we went into Delhi to see India Gate which was unfortunately unlit, possibly due to a power outage - a frequent occurrence. On heading back to the car we encountered an elephant and master travelling along the dual carriage way. WEIRD….