Just a quickie today. I’m repurposing this blog for two weeks whilst in India.

Just an update on the lymphoma is that my next set of tests is at the end of November. On a side note I got a reply to my email three weeks later from Bart’s telling me to phone them… Useful…

Anyway yesterday I left the office with backpack on and headed to Heathrow and freedom from work for a couple of weeks (or to India anyway).

Stocked up on malarone, insuranced up and with a spare pair of boots, my bag weighed about 5 and a bit kgs. Heavier than normal but still light, as I like to travel tha wa.

Full of anticipation/trepedation/tortellini (thankyou airport restaurant) we boarded the plane.

The airline was air India direct to Delhi and India started when we got on. Gentle Bollywood style music, announcements in five languages, and some floral coverings to die for.

It was an odd flight, 10pm-10am and as we had dinner at 1 only to be woken up again at 5 I felt a little out of it. The food was curry but there was rice pudding stuff which was very nice and which a coworker has been raving about. Even so I was tired, a funny state of affairs when you suddenly arrive in Delhi, the busiest airport I’ve been too.

Customs was a doddle (mostly clothes in the bag!) and then we went out into the world. Now I didn’t sleep on the flight and had been at a seminar at 6:30 the day before so I was obviously raring to go and primed for my trip. We approached the taxi rank. Haggled with a driver. Got a good price and then he led us away from the rank to a battered Suzuki down the road a distance away from the more reputable cars. In the car we try and find seatbelts. On seeing this the driver said ‘don’t worry about seatbelts I’ll drive you safe.’ Reassured by his obvious skill at driving and confidence we went into traffic that would have made you lose frogger (80’s game for the less geeky) in ten seconds. Lanes are really just there for show and the meandering around and honking was eye opening as tic tics fought with trucks for gaps that would appear by magic.

So observations. I felt Delhi looked and felt a bit like Zimbabwe. It was greener than expected but with the same kind of relentless heat as Africa, although thankfully cooler this time of year I’m told. Some of the beggars also reminded me of Africa. The roads and driving on the other hand were like nothing I had seen.

We made it to the hotel alive and were immediately pampered. Turns out it was five star and very plush. Free papers and about a million porters. I noticed immediately that I was deferred to and it was me they spoke to not Jo. I suppose I look more important 😉 (sexism anyone?)

Anyway I have then slept for three hours and am ready to go look around a bit in my western clothes with loads of cash in my wallet. Wish me luck, what’s the worst that can happen?