This is great reading Fiona - Done some of this trip myself and you've remembered a lot more than me! I found Delhi a sensual overload - sights, smells and experiences that you can only really get by being there. Whenever I'm having a bad day, I think of some of the poor souls we saw there and then perhaps things aren't so bad after all.

Will we be seeing you pressing the flesh at the International Film Festival in Goa in December?

hmm
I'll need to check my diary on that

Even though you have only been back for a few days, I bet it feels as though it was months ago that you got home, you can't describe India to anyone, you have to be there to see it all, some one who hasn't been just wouldn't believe the fantastic sights, and the people.

I am really enjoying you report Fiona, and I am thinking of booking the Fariyas for the week we will be spending in Mumbai.

Will you be going to Goa again?

yes- we will def be going back to Goa- it isn't so easy for us though as I have to stick with school hols which are not ideal for Goa
I'm not feeling 100% tonight so apologies everyone- I won't be putting on an installment. But I will def have the report finished this weekend. (I've only done the first day )

have added the Fariyas hotel review Tomitma

Thank you Fiona, I hope that you feel better soon, its funny but every time I return from Goa I am always ill for at least a week, I am sure that it is the time difference, and getting back into the mainstream of work etc etc.
Gayle

Not the curries, Kingfisher and Honeybee, then?

The well kept greenery of the central reservations disappeared. We were 5 hours on the road but it flashed past as there was so much to see. Once the roadworks are finally finished perhaps the journey will take a little less in the future. Who knows? If we had been travelling along the coast we would have been forgiven for thinking that this part of India had been hit by the tsunami. But no- this is how they live. Everything looks on the verge of collapse- or has indeed semi collapsed. There is rubble and dust everywhere. Water has to be transported from street taps. Communal washing is commonplace. The biggest miracle can be seen though. Emerging from slum housing come these immaculately dressed schoolchildren. Shirts are gleaming white, pinafores are bright, hair is shining and tidy. How do they do it? More on the children later.
It became quickly obvious that the rules of the road are a little different from the UK. I had plenty time to observe this but not sure if I understand them all yet! My understanding of some of them is
1. Use your horn to alert drivers you are behind them
2. Drive on whatever side suits you best. Left is preferable but it doesn't really matter.
3. Use your horn to wake the driver in front of you.
4. Lanes- they don't exist. Those lines down the road are just decoration
5. Use your horn when overtaking
6. Dual carriageways- its ok to drive the wrong way down if
a. you are a tractor
b. you are bigger than everyone else
c. you can't be bothered crossing over to the other side
7. Use your horn to let the cow know you won't knock it down
8. Don't worry about avoiding pedestrians- its up to them to avoid you
9. Use your horn to say hello to the next vehicle
10. When entering a roundabout, don't stop- its up to the vehicles already on the roundabout to avoid you.
11. Use your horn to help you stay awake.
12. When turning on to a main road you must not look out for oncoming traffic. Its their fault if they crash into you
13. Use your horn
14. When turning onto a main road please remember that someone may be driving the wrong way down it.
15. use your horn
16. If you are involved in an accident, get out of your car, yell and scream at the other driver, have a good punch up and then both get back in your cars and drive off.
17. If you are a bus driver it is wise to slow down a little before any bridges to give roof passengers a chance to duck
18. Auto rickshaws- max amount of passengers is the number who can get in to it or hang off it.
19. Night driving- please be aware that people will be sleeping at the side of the road. Please try to avoid putting your lights on as this disturbs them.
20. Speed- there are no speed limits at all. Taxi and truck drivers in particular have a duty to get anywhere as soon as possible.
21. If your driver hasn't used his horn in the last couple of minutes please make sure he is still awake.
22. Don't get too close to the back end of an elephant or camel.
I'm sure I'll have to add to this but that gives you a good guide!

Brings back memories

Fiona I have'nt laughed so much for ages its so true what you wrote.I feel so much better now its brightened my day.

Great report Fi really enjoying it
Lyn x

Thanks everyone
I have to emphasise that our driver Ramesh was a great driver and had taken a British driving course.
We had a stop at a lovely motel half way through the journey and sat out in their lawn for a coke. This is where we came across our first chipmunk. Well- we couldn't agree on whether they were chipmunks or squirrels - anyone know? They were all over the place. This one came up to our table and begged for food.
As we drove further into Rajisthan we came across increasing numbers of camel trains. As we neared Jaipur we then began to see more and more elephants. Also on the roads were the usual cows and also oxen. By the side of the roads there were lots of wild pigs and also monkeys. Who needs to go on a safari???
Jaipur was a real eye-opener. It just seemed utter chaos. The roads were teeming with cars, people and animals. The buildings looked as if they were all about to be demolished. Jaipur overall looked a lot poorer than Delhi. We caught our first sight of the Amber Fort and the two above it- stunning. We drove on for another 10-15 minutes before reaching our hotel which was right in the middle of the bedlam of the streets. We entered the gates and our oasis for the next two days.

Just got back from work and your list of Road Rules has had me in stitches - can't understand how we've not started a topic about this already When overtaking something did you not find yourself moving back and forth to help the vehicle gather a bit more momentum to avoid that oncoming vehicle (which in my experience always seems to be a big bright orange truck!) Me and hubby have at times looked like we're doing the scene out of Waynes World when that Queen song comes on
It's a really good read this, and I appreciate how busy you probably are, so thanks very much for all the content.

BKS
I still have visions of oncoming lorries bearing down on us. You really can't afford to be of a nervous disposition if you want to do any amount of travel on the roads.
Our guide still remembers the two females who absolutely insisted in driving themselves between Delhi and Agra- they had to be picked up in Agra after deciding they didn't want to do the return journey

Our Heritage hotel was called the Narain Niwas Palace, built at the turn of the last century. Have a look at its photo gallery here. I've also done a review of it here
We settled in, freshened up and then went for a wander around the extensive grounds. We had a drink in the outside lobby area. Ramesh was picking us up at 4pm to visit the impressive looking Government Central Museum and the Lakshmi Narayan Temple. We would then make journey 45mins out of the city to our Rajasthani feast(which was complimentary)We discovered the Museum had unexpectedly closed for some work to be done so went on to the Temple. This is an absolutely beautiful building. It is built of marble and is filled with carvings from the Hindu religion and also of saints and some interesting windows depicting various gods. We created a bit of a stir when there as we were the only non locals there. Husband was followed around by some children who seemed to like his blonde hair and fair skin. One of the children also touched my arm. We kept seeing them and when they got a bit more bold they kept waving. . Then I ended up getting my photo taken with a group of women and holding a baby. Hubby was approached and asked if he wouldn't mind me getting my photo taken and the %&% agreed!!
As it was still too early to go on to the feast we decided to go back to the hotel for a cooling drink before setting off. Chowki Dhani is a recreation of a Rajisthani Village complete with traditional crafts on view, fortune tellers, dancers, magicians, puppet shows, elephant and camel rides. It is part of a hotel complex which continues the theme. You wander around everything then you can drop in and have your thali dinner, which did not look appetitising but was actually lovely. I have to say I found the whole thing a bit bizarre. It was a very popular place and crammed full of Indians( well off ones) all having a whale of a time. It was sort of Disneyish. I'm glad we went- it was certainly an experience. Before we went in, we had a wander around the hotel grounds and, as we were early, stopped at the ourdoor bar for a drink. I asked for a Bacardi and coke and the barman asked if I wanted Smirnoff or Absolut. When we finally succeeded in convincing him he had got Bacardi he then took out the coke which looked remarkably like tonic!
We left there at 8.30- that was enough! We had a drink in the gardens of our hotel at the restaurant and then had an early night- we were to be picked up at 7.15am.
Next day would start with the elephant ride I had so been looking forward to(lies ) and would end in me making a good job of trying to lose my little finger.

Fiona this is just brill please keep telling us all more I could read this for hours and hours .......colleen

We had breakfast in the beautiful dining room. You walk through a lounge area to get to it which is just as it would have been a hundred years ago. It really is as if you are staying in a place you would pay to get a guided tour round. Ramesh had suggested an early start to the Amber Fort as it gets really busy. We set off at 7.15 and travelled down the wide road which had been chaotic the day before but was now empty. We saw lots of people sleeping out on the streets. We passed the mother and child hospital which was still packed with people outside waiting to get their appointment. When we got to the bottom of the long road we realised why it was so quiet- the city gates were closed! We had a bit of a detour to get to the Fort.
Our tour included a complimentary elephant ride- which I really was not looking forward to. But I had to do it! Even at that time in the morning there was a bit of a queue for the elephants. This was where we got our most sustained hard sell pressure. The poor French woman in front of us was getting it worse. She must have shown interest in someone' maps/ stuffed elephants/wooden boxes/camels.We eventually got to the top where you get on to the elephants and I watched all the elephants milling around and noticed one that looked particularly drunk, swaying about all over the place. I breathed a sigh of relief when another elephant made to come towards us. Then it changed direction and the drunk elephant moved over to us! We got on without too much trouble and started to make our way up the hill. Luckily there was a bar to keep you on as I'm sure we would have fallen off with all the ups and downs and sides to sides we were getting. The Amber fort is busy so there is a solid line of elephants making their way up. Well I say solid but there was an increasing distance between us and the elephants in front. This one did not like going anywhere fast or in a straight direction. Soon other elephants were overtaking us and disappearing into the distance. Ramesh had stayed to watch us climb on to the elephant and I'm sure he had a right laugh. As we continued up there are many locals on the wall alongside who take photos and shout at you where to find them.
A note on Ramesh - most places we went to will not let anyone other than local guides show tourists around. He would lose his licence if he did. He told us to avoid guides in this particular place as most just made up a lot of drivel. He also told us that he takes his badge off just before arriving at a site as locals take note of names and then find you and tell you that they are a friend/cousin/brother of Ramesh and offer to take you round -for a fee of course. Ramesh had had several clients tell him that they had bumped into a friend of his!
We eventually arrived at the top and got off the elephant without mishap. It was good on solid ground again. I've done my elephant ride- don't think I'll bother again! But it was a laugh.
The Amber Fort was protected by the Jaigargh Fort above it. Even at a distance this bigger fort looked really impressive. The Amber Fort was constructed in the the 16th century although there had been an earlier fort there.It is an impressive complex with loads of different sections including one very secluded one for the ladies. You could imagine what life was like. The Sheesh Mahal is probably the most stunning part of it. Its walls are studded with little mirrors which obviously make it very light. We also enjoyed the visit to the Shila Devi Temple which is obviously still a very important place of worship.
We stayed there about an hour and then made our way down the many steps to the car at the bottom. These steps were crammed with hundreds of beggars- some looking pretty bad. Along the way you have to cross in front of the elephants and that is not easy!. Already it was very hot. Having been to a few places in the Far East by now we are quite used to heat but found this a very dry, searing heat. What worries me is that Ramesh told us we had picked the best time of year for this trip as it gets a lot hotter!
By the way- entrance fees varied for sites - we could have anything from a free entrance up to 250rs. The Taj is 750rs. Prices for locals were usually 25rs.

Oh Fiona, the Rules of the Road was brilliant reading and so true I specially like rule no 10, had me in stitches

We then continued up towards the Jaigarh fort. This was reached by narrow roads and some pretty spectacular scenery. After the crowds at the Amber fort I was really taken aback to find only a handful of people there, I have no idea why tour buses obviously give it a miss. I loved this Fort- I found it to be better than the Amber fort, It has not got the stunning buildings but wandering along the extensive battlements I really felt transported back in time. I could imagine the battles and sieges they had. The battlement walls had holes for firing out of and ones lower down for pouring hot oil out of. This fort has one of the world's fewest surviving cannon foundries. It also has one of the largest cannons on wheels. This looked pretty impressive. Strange to think though that the only time it was fired was to test it! There is rumoured to be a vast treasure buried somewhere within the fort and the govt actually drained the vast water tanks a few years ago but to no avail.
We went on to the highest fort- Tiger fort which has breathtaking views. There was a lavish palace built for the ruler's 9 Queens and you can wander round the maze of rooms and terraces.
We made our back down to the city and our next stop was to the City Palace and its museum which is vast and needs at least 2 hours to see round. The museum is contained within a number of buildings. We then went on to see the Palace of the Winds, which was disappointingly covered in bamboo scaffolding. We went up to the top of it. It is in need of some TLC. It is remarkably cool at the top. There were covered areas where the ladies look down to the busy street below without being seen by anyone.
By this time I was seriously flagging. It was after 2 pm and we had been on the go for 7 hours. I knew Ramesh was going to try again for the museum which had been closed the day before but I told OH I just couldn't manage that without a break. However, as it turned out, it was still closed. We went back to our hotel, had some lunch and spent the rest of the afternoon in the lovely grounds by the pool- bliss!
That night we spent it in our hotel at the outdoor restaurant and had a lovely meal. There was a dance/entertainment group who were very good. We sat in our room and had a drink and then went off to bed- the end of a great day I thought!