Days 12-15, the Golden triangle, India

Day 12 and we leave Sri Lanka and say goodbye to our trusty driver Asanka who has driven us all around the island, which is quite sad. There's no time to dwell on it though as we have the mountain ahead of us that is India. We are both nervous about what India has in store for us, we have heard it is mentally busy and the fear of the infamous "Delhi belly" hangs over us. But everyone we know who has visited India has loved it, so we are heading with open minds.

Our greeting into India is a turbulent one, literally. We fly into Delhi international airport during a storm which threw the plane about like a rag doll and resulted in at least 3 attempts at landing. About 25 mins of rollercoaster riding and screams of "Allahhu Akbar" we were graced with the sound of rubber kissing tarmac. Thankfully Cam was able to remain calm by locking in on a James bond film being shown which helped Kirstin to also remain calm.

Delhi was drizzly and there was a thick cloud of "fog" over the city. We jumped in our airport transfer and headed to the hotel through the traffic which flowed like a liquid rather than the orderly two seconds stopping distance gap we are used to. It is honestly quite impressive how they drive here. We have been told that you need 4 things to drive in Dehli 1. Good breaks. 2, a good driver. 3, a good horn. And 4, good luck...

Everyone on the road was exhibiting just how good their horns were as there was a wall of sound. The only reason I can think that they were using the horn was because they got bored and wanted to check it still worked. It was a bit of an assualt on the senses, but we had prepared for this so we took it all in with fascinated curiousity.

We arrived at the hotel, which was really lovely, and were received with a wide smile and a warm "namaste"... Maybe this isn't going to be as scary as we thought.

Exhausted from our harrowing flight we had one thing on the mind - scran. The choices were a buffet (no chance, we aren't getting taken down on the first night), a Chinese restaurant or an Indian called "the great kebab factory". We went, tentatively, for the Indian kebab factory.

It was amazing, and was one of the best meals we have had so far on the trip. It was perfectly suited for us down to the ground as it was effectively a tasting menu exhibiting a variety of Indian foods, not really kebabs at all. Spiced with tumeric, chilli, fenugreek and the fear that this might be the bite that glued us (face first or otherwise) to the bathroom, the food was incredible. A particular highlight being the Pani Puri, which we have been advised is a no-go, but I am writing this a couple days after the fact... So all good?

Off to sleep we went in a lovely hotel room with the faint drone of horns serenading us into a deep sleep.

New Delhi:

First full day in India, we start with a drive through the capital of 33 million people and it is quite amazing how so many people can live in one place. Throw into the mix the wandering cows, the cheeky monkeys, the towering shacks and the lunatic drivers it is a scene straight out of whacky racers.

The first stop is Qutub Minar, a towering minaret made from brick. It's definitely worth a visit, and combined with the surrounding temples and arches which have fallen into disrepair, it was a beautiful place to start. We were then taken to the lotus temple, a beautiful temple where any religion can practice, the building was inspired by the Sydney opera house. We then visited a step well which looked straight out of Lara croft.

Following the step well, we went on to Gurdwara Bangla Sahib which is a Sikh temple to watch how the food was made for the community meal that anyone can attend and wandered into the temple. It was very impressive.

After the Sikh temple we went on to have lunch. We had a butter chicken and a Dal from a Chinese/Indian fusion place which was really tasty. Again, each bite had us on tender hooks but it seems to all have been well cooked! And off to Agra we went.

Agra:

We arrived in Agra, and still too intimidated by India we decided to eat in the hotel and chill out. Food was tasty and the bed was comfy. Absolutely no complaints.

Then came the big one Kirstin Birthday which she was able to spend visiting the Taj Mahal! Even that gates were impressive. We had a fab your guide this day called Mahipal. He was so knowledgeable and made everything come alive. On top of this, he loved taking photos of us and followed it up with "how can you not love this photo". He had us giggling and informed the whole day. A perfect guide!

But yes the Taj Mahal was incredibly beautiful and the ornate inlay on the marble was truly incredible. An absolute must visit for anyone.

Having been blown away by how intricate the marble work was Kirstin mentioned she would love to have some of the marble as jewelry etc. To take home. As if by magic we were whisked to an artisan marble cooperative where we were shown all of the seriously beautiful work that they do. And so, we needed up with a coffee table top, which we are seriously chuffed with even though it cost a fair few bob (worth it!!). We also got a couple of marble pendants and a marble elephant for our troubles. Again this stop was definitely worth it!

Following the Taj Mahal, we visited the baby Taj, which as the name suggests is a smaller temple which is similar. It's still very beautiful but if you are struggling for time it not essential. What is essential is the Agra Fort which has some incredible rooms and spaces. It was really fascinating to visit. There was a national holiday on this day so we ended up having to get the metro which was far less daunting than you would have thought.

After a day full of exploring we had a late lunch at an INCREDIBLE Indian restaurant. We had a paneer tikka masala and a tarka Dal. These blew our minds as they were so so tasty! The place was called pinch of spice.

With full bellies we had a 5 hour drive to Jaipur ahead of us which we could sleep the whole way. Well, we could have if our driver Mr Rahm hadn't taken it upon himself to beat the time given on Google maps by 45 mins. Dodging buses, tractors, tuk tuks and mopeds our noble driver took no prisoners as he meandered through the traffic at 90km/h beeping and flashing anyone with the audacity to travel the speed limit. Whilst a little scary, it was quite fun and nothing compared to our landing in Dehli.

Jaipur:

We arrived in the Pink city, Jaipur, in tact and tired. I had written the hotel to let them know it was Kirstin's birthday and they were generous enough to give us a WHOLE cake. Which was covered in pre cut fruit and cream (two things which are a nightmare for food poisoning). Cam went down to reception to let them know it was not necessary as we wouldn't be able to finish a whole cake but was sent back to the room and told to finish what we could and call the reception for it to be collected and shared amongst staff.

Not wanting to be rude we cut off a slice and flushed it down the toilet, only for the cream to refuse to flush, which lead to a series of panicked back up flushed and attempts to get it down. All was well in the end and we were gutting ourselves laughing the whole time.

Up the next day we began our adventures around Jaipur. It begun with a drive through the city and them up to Amer to see the Amer fort. On the way we visited a step well, which was really cool and quite trippy to see. We were then shown around the fort which was so so impressive and had some incredible views. There was also a wall round the whole city affectionately known as the "great wall of India" although this one is only 7km long.

We ventured back down the mountain and stopped at the floating palace which was very beautiful and serene, but found out the only person that can use it is Rajastani's young partying king, which is a shame.

Onwards we went to see more artisans, this time a jeweler and a cloth printer. This time we remained interested but unswindeled as we, for once, didn't buy anything.

Following yet another incredible lunch which left us stuffed (portion sizes in India are massive). We headed to see Jantar Mantar, which is an impressive park, created by the king of Rajastan in the 18th century, filled with astrological equipment, including the worlds largest sundial.

We were then asked if we wanted to see the blue room and the other rooms of the nearby palace. Thankfully our guide said they were really just Instagram spots and would cost about £50 each to get in. This, we were told, is how the rajastani party king can afford to keep partying. Instead we visited the Hawa Mahal, which was where the various princesses could peak on the happenings in the market.

And back to the hotel for a quick rest before being super brave and heading to an open air food court to try some street food. All of it was super super tasty and flavourful and it had a really cool vibe. We write this about 2/3 days afterwards and the stomach appears to be in one piece so we are chalking it up to a win.

We are now heading back up to Dehli, where there's another storm for us to take off into lol. Next stop Varanasi. The golden triangle tour was a lot of fun and a definite must-do for those thinking about India. Overall, India has been a lot of fun and much less intimidating than we thought.