Indians just love the camera (by Joe)

Far from being camera shy as I'd anticipated, loads of Indians have proactively asked us to take their pictures.

They are paricularly impressed by being able to see the shots immediately on a digital camera and like to have a good look at their pics.

Several times we've had crowds of 10 - 20 gather around us and peer over each other's shoulders to watch as I scroll through pictures of our trip on the small display screen.

Top - two lads on the street in Agra
Left- a group of lads at the Red Fort (again in Agra)
Bottom - a family we met on a station platform (baby modelling Laura's hat)

Joe

The Taj - seeing is believing (by Joe)

We've all seen the pictures (see my best effort - above), but the Taj Mahal really has to be seen 'live' to undertand just how amazing it is.

I'm not a big one for spending my time site-seeing temples, tombs, forts or palaces, so was expecting to be a little underwhemled by the experience, but both me and Laura were actually blown away.

It's the luminescence of the white marble in different light, the perfect symmetry, both the minute detail and the massive scale that make it so amazing (two huge mosques built on either side to boot) ... and all built around the (tiny) tomb of the wife of Shah Jahan which sits at the absolute middle of the whole construction.

Shah Jahan was something of a serial monument builder having built many other major buildings around the city (see left - Laura in front of a view from a section of the Red Fort which he built also).

Joe

Shimla's mugging monkeys (by Joe)

There are several notable things about Shimla, the old colonial hill station which has been our gateway to and from the Indian Himalayas.

These are the fantastic narrow gauge railway, climbing nearly 2000 metres which links it to the plains; the mock tudor colonial architecture (now crumbling somewhat); the views; the monkeys; and the fact that, because of the altitude, crisp packets inflate virtually to explosion point (strangely fascinating).

However, of these, it is the monkeys which we have been most fascinated by (see left and above). There are monkeys all across the region, but the monkeys of Shimla have a particular culture, bred through over 100 years of tourism in the town, of criminality.

We were told, firmly, to take extreme care as they were especially cunning and monkey muggings (even in broad daylight) were very common.

We were warned several times by several people that whatever we do, we absolutely must not let them see food in our hands or bags - especially fruit or nuts which would invariably incite them.

Walking around the town we wondered whether this guy might need to reconsider his business plan:

Joe

Diwali - Festival of Light (by Joe)

We are lucky to be in India for Diwali, the Hindu 'Festival of Light' celebrated for 14 days and nights around this time every year in the the build up to the new moon. Diwali itself is on the day before the new moon.

The whole thing is a major public holiday, similar to Christmas in the UK, and there is a strong festival feel with decorations, candles and fireworks almost everywhere you go (see left- decorations for sale in Old Delhi). TV ads tend to involve companies wishing Indians a 'happy Diwali' and there is great focus on gifts and present-giving.

Since we arrived, we have seen fantastic firework displays from our roof terrace across Delhi and been given many frights with firecrackers going off around us in the streets.

On the day itself, we were lucky enough to be staying at a friendly family-run hotel. Thy invited us out to share in a (rather manic) DIY firework display with rockets, catherine wheels and sparklers (see left - Laura getting stuck in).

Joe

A hilly birthday (by Joe)

It was my birthday yesterday (34).

We are staying in Mcleodganj (a village above Dharamshala, the Himalayan retreat which the Dalai Lama has made his home).

Birthday treat was a big trek up one of the local mountains. It was an ascent of around 1000 metres over 8 km.

The guide was friendly (see left). We talked extensively about international cricket and the stunning views.

We passed goats, monkeys, shepherds and walked through clouds on the way up. Arriving at the top, were greeted by a very nice man who lives in a shack on the summit with his dogs (see below left).

He cooked us lunch which we ate in his shack (see bottom).

I had a bit of a cold, so found the climbing hard going (its always hard at altitude in any case - we reached 2800 m at the peak.

It was a fantastic birthday treat - very different to the usual (but also pleasant) beers and dinner at the Canbury Arms.











Joe

The greatest bus ride? (by Joe)

Took a wonderful bus ride the day before yesterday from Shimla to Dharamshala through Himachal Pradesh (a provence of northern India in the shadow of the Himalayas).

It was 10 hour, 300km (yes, average 30km per hour) journey on a 'real' long distance Indian bus (not one of the luxury tourist buses) .

We boarded at 9.30, having secured our rucksacks on the roof and headed off.

For the first 3 hours leaving Shimla, the mountain views were utterly stunning , though, sitting right at the front next to the driver, neither Laura or I could pay them the attention they deserved as we found it almost impossible to focus on anything but the winding, pot-holed road ahead and the sheer-cliff drops at the side of the road.

The driver was a friendly guy - he seemed pleased to see tourists on his bus - and, between chatting loudly on his mobile phone (goodness knows how he got any reception in the mountains), he leaned over to give me a reassuring smile (eyes off road) having just turned his big wheel to swing the bus around another major U-bend.

It didn't help my nerves to notice the 'shrine' above his seat was that of a sitting buddha, arms upright and fingers tightly crossed.

The soundtrack to the whole trip was fast-paced, wailing Bhangra played very loud in mono through a straining tape deck.

Nobody seemed desperateley surprised when, a couple of hours into the trip, we stopped for half an hour for a bit of roadside maintenance (Indian-style) to mend a punctured tyre (see right and below).

Once we came out of the mountains and into a valley and the plains, we were able to relax a bit (not completely -the road was narrow and there was ALWAYS oncoming traffic) and take in the sights along the road.

We weren't able to take photos, it was very hot and the 10 hours is all a bit of a whirl - neverheless, here are a few 'flashbulb memories':

- Monkeys by the side of the road
- Small towns
- Corrugated-iron shacks (many)
- Roadside food stalls
- Motorbike sales shops
- Tractors and trailers
- Many many tyre repair garages
- Hundreds of colourful, hand-painted goods-lorries (see right)
- Hand painted ads on sides of buildings for Lay's crisps (that's Walkers in the UK)
- Cows meandering along the road
- A tractor shop
- A paddy field
- A massive fort on the other side of a gorge
- Fruit stalls
- An enormous (14ft) statue of a chicken in the garden of a posh house (honestly - I'm not kidding)
- Goats
- A massive lake
- A pure, cool blue, freshwater river
- Easy rider motorcyclists
- Hundreds of smartly dressed schoolkids (come 4pm)

After night had fallen (that made the drive even more hairy), we arrived in Dharamshala desperately tired but wonderfully stimulated and feeling like we had seen a real slice of genuine, rural India. We headed for our accommodation in the nearby town of McLeodganj.

The whole journey was 160 rupees each (about 2 pounds - only 50p more than the price of the 65 from Kingston to Richmond) - amazing!

Joe

The Delhi traffic buzz (by Joe)

Thinking back to Delhi:

Of the many crazy things in that city, the traffic is probably the king.

Thousands of cars, mopeds, bicycles, horse-drawn carts, rick-shaws, tuk-tuks (auto-rickshaws) and (amazingly) free-roaming cows (which wander everywhere across the centre of the city - see one creeping up on Laura - left) all compete for space through the narrow streets and alleyways.

It is amazing it's not 24 hr gridlock, but like everything in Delhi, everything seems to get wherever they are headed (at pace).

We had several very 'stimulating' trips in taxis and rick-shaws - 30 minute adrenaline trips where we both just ended up laughing out loud hysterically (see left - the view from the back of a rick-shaw).

Who needs white water rafting, bungee-jumping or mountain biking ... just hop into a delhi rickshaw, tell the driver you are going to the other side of the city and that you're in a hurry.

Try getting your black cab through this, 'mate':


Joe

Touchdown Delhi ... (By Joe)

Greetings from Delhi (our hotel is up onthe left just after the 'money changer' banner)

We've now had 3 full days here and after a very confusing first 48 hours, we've started to get to grips.

The city has some 17 million residents, 500,000 of which are homeless and another 500,000 who live on the trains (apparently). Its divided into two contrasting parts - Old Delhi and New Delhi.

New Delhi, (see me, left) built for the Government of the Raj, is wide boulevards, fine architecture, monuments and posh hotels.

Old Delhi is narrow streets, traders, markets, activity, colour, noise and smells - the pace of everything is just incredible.

So far we've found all the Indians we've met in both Old and New Delhi to be mild mannered and charming - even the hustlers seem to take 'no' for an answer with grace.

We've nevertheless enjoyed the relative peace of the roof terrace at our hotel on the Grand Bazar. Early evenings watching the sun go down (see left) have felt like a little bit of sanity above what still feels to us like a pretty crazy world.

Delhi has been good (in at the deep end as we expected) and we move on tonight by overnight Indian railways service to Shimla, an old colonial hill fort in the Himalayan foothills - we are fully expecting both the train trip and the mountains to be another big experience.

Joe

Goodbye cake (by Joe)

Nice farewells from people.

Work gave both of us good send-offs with boozy night out at a merged leaving do in London pub. Also nice presents for travelling.

We had lovely meal with my parents, brother and sister-in-law, which also doubled as an early birthday treat for my mum's 60th (we're actually going to be missing the day itself on November 3rd, when we'll be somewhere between Delhi and Mumbai - sorry Mum, but hope you have a great day and enjoy the present!).

Also had nice meal with Laura's mum including large send-off cake (see right).

We fly on Monday. Saying farewell has been emotional.

We will miss people.

Joe

Stuff I will and won't miss (by Joe)

It’s a long time to be away - some things I will and won’t miss.

What I’ll miss (in no particular order):

· My family (Mum, Dad, Dan and Kate)
· Friends
· Big nights out
· Laura’s family
· The growing up of Benny McGee and Joey McGoo
· Cricket and the Richmond Nomads
· My lovely garden (see right, my champion sunflower of 2005)
· My CD mixing decks
· Occasional big sessions at the gym
· Some of my work
· Some of my work colleagues
· The Ashes on Sky Sports (see right and below, me, tipsy, at the Oval the day the Ashes were won)

What I won’t miss (in no particular order):

· The football season
· Too much caffeine
· London in midwinter
· London flu and colds (caught on the tube)
· Some of my work
· Some of my work colleagues
· Sitting all day in BAD air conditioning systems
· London prices
· Staring at screens all the time (computer and TV)

Joe

'Farewell' work! (by Joe)

So, its my final week at work - and I'm feeling dangerously de-mob happy - so much so I need to keep checking myself so as not to burn any bridges! Thought I’d put down a few words re my work colleagues.

A job, inevitably, is a big part of your life. So I'm lucky it's been so good: pay is reasonable, issues interesting, hours flexible and benefits exceptional (friends are in awe when I mention that the job comes with a gym in the basement and sessions with a personal trainer).

The organisation is run through joint decision-making by the directors. I’ve learned an immense amount from being a director – about relationships, about management, about getting the best of existing resources as a preferable alternative to demanding more, and about creating a ‘winning’ culture, which is also humane.

I’ve also learned that once you join an organisation’s management team, colleagues inevitably start to view you differently – and not always favourably. It’s a good thing to move on and up, but there is sh*t that goes with it … and to handle that you simply have to decide what is important, what is not and ‘be big’.

I’ve grown up a great deal since I arrived 7 years ago. Thanks particularly to Malcolm, to Ian, as well as to Debbie, Bob and everyone else I’ve worked with.

It’s been fun and it’s been a great place to learn and develop. 7 years is a long time, but I reckon it’s been time well spent.

Joe