I'm writing from my mum and dad's back in Kolkata, having parted company with the lovely Miss Bywaters in Delhi 2 nights ago. The journey from Agra; our last one together, was certainly the most entertaining yet. I don't think the old man who had the misfortune of offering to take us to the bus station on his cycle rickshaw knew quite how much we were carrying in our rucksacks. When it transpired the bus station was up a hill the poor old fellow seemed to be struggling quite a bit, and started hailing buses that were passing us in the opposite direction. This resulted in a random bus pulling over and us jumping on, with old man assuring us of a safe trip to Delhi. He wasn't exactly wrong, our driver was slightly lunatic, employing a driving style of: keep your hand on the horn and drive really fast then break suddenly if people don't move out the way, I had to fashion ear plugs out of toilet roll in order to cope. He then stopped the bus about 25km outside of the city centre and told us that was as far as he went. Following the local herd we wandered up the road a bit and found some more buses which took us into town, then grabbed an autorickshaw for the last stretch. Local travel at its best, and all that with no Hindi.
We didn't really explore Delhi extensively just took it pretty easy, found really good and really cheap places to eat, wandered the main bazaar of Paharganj, and checked out some books and music in Kahn market in a smarter part of town. That trip at least afforded us a glimpse of life on the other side again. Away from the constant crush of traffic, cows, and hawkers we mingled briefly with the Indian middle classes. It's not something we've seen much of in the last month.
I then took the overnight train back here on staurday night and leave for Bankok/Cambodia early tomorrow morning. I was happily fostered for the length of the train trip back here by a compartment of very friendly people; a young couple and their 5 year old daughter, another couple and an older lady. A good start to travelling alone after a slightly emotional (on my part) goodbye to Hannah, never was any good at the stiff upper lip thing- more like the slightly quivering chin thing! She is now into the 2nd day and night of her train trip down to Kerela but text news is its going well.
As for me the day or so here has been full of story sharing with ma and pa, and preparing for the next bit. I guess the journeys over the next couple of days will give me a little more reflection time about this last month, before I have a whole new set of stories to tell from a new country. I will miss Hannah, it has been a great month with her, after 10 months without her. When I think that we've been together 24 hours a day for pretty much the whole month its great to realise that we really do know each other very well, enough to be honest, talk together, be silent together, share excitments, inspire each other, recognise our differences, accomadate each others needs and not argue at all. That is pretty cool. I am blessed to know her and to have had the oppotunity of this time with her. I am sure that as we both reflect and when we see each other again in a few weeks we will have more to share and this time will only become more precious. It is rare to have such rich times with friends in the crazy schedules of our lives, so I am very Thankful to have had the oppotunity.
And the next few weeks, well they won't really see me alone as I'll be with the lawrences before I know it and that in itself holds all sorts of delights.
We didn't really explore Delhi extensively just took it pretty easy, found really good and really cheap places to eat, wandered the main bazaar of Paharganj, and checked out some books and music in Kahn market in a smarter part of town. That trip at least afforded us a glimpse of life on the other side again. Away from the constant crush of traffic, cows, and hawkers we mingled briefly with the Indian middle classes. It's not something we've seen much of in the last month.
I then took the overnight train back here on staurday night and leave for Bankok/Cambodia early tomorrow morning. I was happily fostered for the length of the train trip back here by a compartment of very friendly people; a young couple and their 5 year old daughter, another couple and an older lady. A good start to travelling alone after a slightly emotional (on my part) goodbye to Hannah, never was any good at the stiff upper lip thing- more like the slightly quivering chin thing! She is now into the 2nd day and night of her train trip down to Kerela but text news is its going well.
As for me the day or so here has been full of story sharing with ma and pa, and preparing for the next bit. I guess the journeys over the next couple of days will give me a little more reflection time about this last month, before I have a whole new set of stories to tell from a new country. I will miss Hannah, it has been a great month with her, after 10 months without her. When I think that we've been together 24 hours a day for pretty much the whole month its great to realise that we really do know each other very well, enough to be honest, talk together, be silent together, share excitments, inspire each other, recognise our differences, accomadate each others needs and not argue at all. That is pretty cool. I am blessed to know her and to have had the oppotunity of this time with her. I am sure that as we both reflect and when we see each other again in a few weeks we will have more to share and this time will only become more precious. It is rare to have such rich times with friends in the crazy schedules of our lives, so I am very Thankful to have had the oppotunity.
And the next few weeks, well they won't really see me alone as I'll be with the lawrences before I know it and that in itself holds all sorts of delights.
1 comment:
Haven't had the chance to catch up for a couple of weeks, but i have delighted in the way you've described the various adventures. Can't wait to hear about the next month and I love the photo's. Bad loves Good x
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