Well, we are finally here, incredible India. After months of reading guide books, listening to travellers tales and generally getting ready for the big trip, we are on the road. Things have been a bit surreal to say the least. Starting in Dublin(!!), the last 2 weeks have seemed a bit strange. It's like, in order to get through the last 8 months, we've had to have a certain mentality that enabled us to live in the present moment. All the goodbyes, and best wishes, seemed a bit too weird. It didn't register that we were going away. People kept coming up to us to ask why weren't we excited. It was almost like they were the ones going across Asia and it should have been us saying good luck and best wishes,etc.

Now, after spending the last two and a half days in Delhi, I realise that we had mentally prepared ourselves for something else. Something totally f***ed up, crazy and totally beyond the most depraved imagination. What were we expecting? Night of the Living Dead Part 2? Or City of Joy meets Dawn of the Dead? All the nonsense we had read and the bad advice from unlucky travellers had completely warped our minds! When we emerged from the 'security' of the airport, I actually expected to get mugged or at least a bit hassled. But there wasn't even a beggar in sight. No one even harrassed us or touted us for any reason. Disappointed, we walked with our arranged driver to his car and then took the road to Delhi. (of course I'm only messing)

Over the past few days, our tactics have gradually led us to become more and more brave and actually try and spend more time on the street. Gradually emerging from our adaptly named lodgings "Surya Shelter' we have been absolutely blown away by the energy of this city. The people, the smells, the colours, the amazing variety of foods, the sound of the horns and the sticky heat have all come together to create our first impressions of Delhi. One of the highlights for me, was taking my first rickshaw ride down to Connaught place. I'm never been so excited, amazed, frightened and baffled at the same time. It's impossible for me to try to capture this feeling in words. Just to say, if you feel brave enough, try it. It's absolutely great.

I'll sign of for now with a few pics. I only plucked up the courage to take the camera out yesterday. There is just too much to photograph. I really felt at a loss not knowing were to point the lens on my little canon. Delhi is a photographers paradise.

Cycle-rickshaw

Jama Masjid

Busy street

Humayun's Tomb

Enfin nous sommes arrives. C'est une attaque de tous les sens. Il fait tres chaud et nous sommes tout le temps en sueur.
Pour le moment nous sommes dans un secteur de Delhi relativement calme. Relativement parceque pour nous il y a beaucoup de monde, et parce que lorsque que nous sommes alles visiter Delhi hier, on a vu que certains endroits pouvaient ressembler a des fourmillieres geantes.
Donc la ville peut nous intimider par endroits...
Nous avons fait notre premier voyage en auto rikshaw le 1er jour ( il faut bien prendre des risques...). Nous sommes tombe sur 2 rigolos qui n'arretaient pas de se marrer. Nous leur avons demande de nous emener sur le marche aux epices et avons fini, d'abords au font d'une agence de voyage (il voulaient nous organiser la duree de notre voyage en Inde), et dans un bazar ou nous avons achete 2 peintures sur soie. En bref rien de ce qu'on avait demande. Les 2 rigolos etaient content (je croit qu'ils touchent un comission sur tout ce que l'on achete la ou ils nous deposent). Le trip en rikshaw a ete en lui meme toute un aventure: il n'y a aucune regle pour conduire en Inde et peut etre plus particulierement a Delhi. Tout se melange: les auto rikshaw, les velo-rikshaw, les voitures, les motos, les vaches, et meme les elephants! Tous se poursuivent, se doublent et se rentre (presque) dedans pour pouvoir avancer dans ce tumulte. Pour nous ce fut un choc, surtout que nos 2 guides sympathiques n'arretaient pas de se retourner vers nous pour nous poser plein de questions. Et d'ou on vient, et ou on travaille, etc.
Ce soir nous partons pour Manali dans l'Himalaya.