After feeling rough mid-week I decided I needed to take it easy and stick to a plain (English) diet. Thursday I was feeling better (In as much as I could function) but by Friday I felt normal again, but decided not to have an easy weekend.

It was Mik Bedson's (Operations Director) last day Friday, before he fly's back to the UK to take up his new role, and as always it called for a party. The band he played with here in India gave a very good performance and Mik, his normal fun loving self, was soon there guitar in hand to join in the fun. Friday night there were drinks and joint dinner party for Mik and Nick De Vansey, who is also leaving shortly, at the DLF Golf and Country club where we all got to say goodbye, or see you in a few months for those of us following in his foot steps.

It was a lovely evening and a lovely venue and I got to catch up with a lot of people I only usually speak to across a meeting room. It was a nice and relaxed evening and I was home and tucked up in bed by 23:30. Click here for pictures.

Friday Chris, Sandra, and myself had made tentative plans to get out and do something on Saturday. So after a nice lay in Saturday morning Karan picked us up and we headed towards Delhi. We first of all headed to a dear park which we spent about an hour and a half walking around before stopping at a restaurant for lunch. After lunch we had about an hours walk around the rose garden before heading to Buddha Jayanti Park. This was an extremely large park that has been created along what is known as Delhi Ridge, which according to the guide book is the last outcrop of the Aravalli Hills extending northwards from Rajasthan.

After about 5 hours walking we were all pretty tired and had trouble keeping our eyes open during the drive back to Gurgaon. Once in Gurgaon we headed to Harriez for something to eat and lots of water as we were all feeling pretty dehydrated after all the walking. Click here for pictures.

Today I woke up about 09:00 and did the normal washing and called upon the services of the Ironing man (really need to find out his name before I leave). Now I am sitting down with a cheese and onion sandwich sorting out my trip to Thailand, oh and another trip I am looking at doing 1st-5th May to Khajuraho and a tiger reserve. More on that later!

Tags: Beer, Food, Friends, Fun, Party, People, Photography, Relaxing, Sickness, Sightseeing, Travel

So yesterday I woke up about 09:00 and decided that I needed to do something with the day! Karan picked me up about 10:15 and we headed to the local shops so I could get my hair cut and pick up some groceries. We were done by midday and I headed back to the apartment for some lunch. After lunch we headed off towards Surajkund. There wasn't much to see but I didn't want to hang around the apartment all day. On the way back we stumbled on an old fort, but unfortunately it was closed as they are currently restoring it, but we had a little walk around the outside.

We got back to Gurgaon about dinner time and I got Karan to drop me at TGI Friday's. The staff were all please to see me again as I hadn't told them I was going back to the UK and they thought I had left. I told them not to worry and that they still had a few more tips coming there way. I had a couple of beers and something to eat when a bunch of the staff from the Crown Plaza (The hotel I stayed in when I first arrived). came in. They all said hello and were keen to hear what I had been up to and what I thought about India. I then grabbed a rickshaw home and had a few more beers. I must admit this morning I woke up with a sore head.

Tags: Beer, Food, Relaxing, Shopping, Sightseeing

Okay you can now see the edited highlights of the Mumbia & Goa visit in the Movie Gallery.

For those involved the unedited DVD will be on sale for £1999.99 Excluding VAT (Victims Additional Tax).

Tags: Beer, Friends, Photography, Sightseeing, Travel

Okay so starting at the begining Karan picked Laurence and I up at 07:30 Saturday morning and we drove to the domestic airport terminal. Laurence, Sandra, and Chris all flew with SpiceJet but I was on a Go Air flight that was supposed to leave 5 minutes earlier, not that is the reason I booked it, I booked it because I wasn't paying attention. The flights were about an hour late taking off but we all arrived at Mumbia airport within minutes of each other and all met up outside. Leon, a friend of Chris and Sandra's, flew into Mumbia International from the UK and the hotel cab picked him up then came around to the domestic airport to collect us before we all headed to the Farias hotel where we checked in, dumped our bags, and meet by the pool for a few drinks and a late lunch. After lunch we headed off into Mumbia, checking out the Gateway to India on the way.

We wandered around the streets taking in the sights, sounds, and smells, before making our way towards the beech for a long walk along the promenade. We stopped off for 10 minutes to take a walk down to the sea. Laurence and I then headed to Leopolds bar for a few beers leaving Sandra, Chris, and Leon on the beech. We got to Leopolds and it was obvious we were not going to be able to eat as the queue for the restaurant was out the door and half way up the street. So we headed upstairs to the bar and ordered a couple of Budwiesers. The place was dark, crowded (mainly with ex-pats) and very very smokey. We were half way through our second beer when Sandra, Chris, and Leon walked in. We quickly decided we were all hungry and tired so we finished our beers and decided to walk back to the hotel for dinner. We walked, talked, and headed in the general direction of the hotel. We were just starting to doubt ourselves and a street kid came up to us offering to show us the way. We turned left and walked about 200 yards and we had arrived. Laurence gave him about 8 rupees (10p), and we all laughed at his demands for 20 as we headed for the hotel restaurant. We grabbed dinner and a few more beers before all heading to our respective rooms for an early night.

Sunday morning we met for breakfast by the pool and discussed the plans for the day. We decided to head off on a boat trip to an Island called Elephanta (http://www.sacred-destinations.com/india/elephanta-caves.htm). The island is basically a set of 5 temples all carved into the rock. They are pretty worn now, and any restoration that has been done hasn't done anything to preserve the beauty of the carvings etc, but we walked around all 5 caves and then up to a place called Cannon Hill. Named basically as it featured a large cannon on top of a hill. After a little rest and a bunch of photo's we headed back down the hill only stopping off for a quick soft drink. We were just in time for the 13:30 boat back and most people snoozed all the way. We arrived back at the hotel and met up with another friend of Chris and Sandra's called Scott who has setup camp in the bar. We dragged him out and up to the poolside bar where we had lunch and got to know each other over, yes you have guessed it, a few cold beers.

It was early evening by the time we set off out taking Scott to see the Gateway to India and the streets of Mumbia. We found one of the other hotels we had considered and decided to stop for cocktails and later dinner. We had to be at Mumbia train station for 23:00 so we all ordered stuff that we knew wouldn't take long to prepare, cook, and eat. We left the hotel and grabbed taxi's back to the Fariyas to collect our luggage and then drive us to the train station.

We arrived in good time but checking the boards we found the train was running 45 minutes late so we headed to a waiting room and waited it out. The train eventually arrived and we found our bunks. We made ourselves at home and then sat back and took in everything that was going on around us, you know the call for Coffee, Tea, and Chicken Lollipops, before eventually succumbing to tiredness and falling asleep.

We woke up Monday morning traveling through some beautiful countryside and it all looked so much more civilized. I decided to go for a smoke and stood by one of the open carriage doors watching the landscape rush by. We arrived about two hours later and booked a couple of pre-paid cabs for the journey to the hotel. It was so nice seeing different (non-city) scenery and now I felt like I was on holiday. We arrived at the Oceanique Hotel about 45 minutes later and by this time we all needed a little down time. We had slept on the train, but maybe not as well as any of us would have in our own beds. We checked in and the first thing I needed was a shower and a shave. I came back down to find Leon, Scott, and Laurence by the pool and it took no effort to join them lying there in 33 degrees as they organized the drinks.

After a swim and a few beers we headed out in search off food by way of the beech. Sandra, Chris, and Scott has gone ahead of us and had found "Bob's Bar", or something like that. Laurence, Leon, and myslef had waited for Ndidi, who had flown in from Delhi that morning, and then walked down to join them. We took our seats and enjoyed some great food and yes a few more cold beers. We sat, we talked, and we watched the ocean before heading back to the hotel for some more R&R agreeing to meet up later in the bar. Well after a shower (yes another one, well it was hot) I wandered down to the bar and ordered a beer. My intention was to have one, maybe two, and then go exploring as I wasn't tired. It didn't quite work out that way. I was about halfway through my first beer when Ndidi walked in. She wasn't tired either, having only flown the couple of hours from Delhi. She was closely followed by Laurence, Leon, Scott, Sandra, and Chris. Now after this things are a little bit of a blur. I remember sometime later we decided it was time to head out for dinner and I remember walking into town with the gang. I also remember saying to Chris that I wasn't hungry and was going off exploring. The basic upshot was that I had figured out I was rat assed and needed to go to bed. So I wandered back to the hotel, stopping off for a beer or two on the way, and once back at the hotel I promptly passed out. I am told that the rest of them bar Chris and Sandra didn't fair much better as they were drinking until about 02:00 Tuesday morning.

Tuesday morning I found Chris, Sandra, Scott, and Ndidi in the restaurant having breakfast. Sandra had arranged for cab's into old Goa. Chris, Sandra, Scott, and Myself headed off in the first cab about 10:30 and the others left about 11:00 in the second cab.

Goa was invaded and occupied by the Portuguese and is predominately Roman Catholic. We looked around ruins of old Churches and some of the older churches and cathedrals that are still very much in use, before heading down to the Quay and the admiralty arch that most of those that came here entered through. We then headed back towards the hotel as Sandra, Chris, Scott, and Leon were all due to leave. Scott and Leon for Jaipur and Chris and Sandra for Delhi.

We decided however there was enough time for lunch if we went straight there and that's exactly what we did. Well Sandra, Chris, Scott, and myself. Leon walked down from the hotel as they had got back before us and went for a final dip in the ocean, and Ndidi and Laurence walked down to say goodbye. I got the cab back to the hotel with Chris, Sandra, Scott, and Leon, and opted for a few hours by the pool.

A couple of hours later, a subtle shade of red, hot, and sweaty I decided on a shower followed by a couple of cold beers. Laurence met me in the bar and we headed down to the beech to find a bar and food. Ndidi was going to catchup with us as she had a massage booked. We sat, drank, ate and then bar hopped our way back to the hotel.

Wednesday morning I woke and the guys had arranged to go and see a spice market. I had already toured the Delhi spice market and decided a day by the pool and on the beech was in order, and we agreed to meet up at the airport.

I spent a couple of hours laying by the pool before heading off to the beech. I spent my last 5 hours sitting on the beech, swimming in the sea, and sitting at a beech bar with a cold beer watching the world go by, before getting a cab to the airport to meet up with Laurence and Ndidi.

We had a good flight back, and I slept all the way. Laurence's driver picked us up at Delhi Airport and dropped us all back home.

Thursday, Friday, Saturday I chilled out at home, did a little shopping, got my hair cut, and drank some more beer. I think tomorrow I might venture to the gym!

Checkout the Photo's, and over the next few days I intend to cut the footage together I shot with the Handycam and upload that to the Movie Gallery.

Otherwise check out some of the photo's the others took;

• Chris's Photo's.

Tags: Beer, Food, Friends, Fun, Relaxing, Sightseeing, Travel

Okay so Thursday morning Mum was pretty rough. She had an awful night and couldn't keep anything down and was extremely dehydrated. We immediately decided that she needed to see a doctor and after a few phone calls I was advised the best thing was to take her to the MAX Hospital down the road from my apartment.

We arrived at the emergency department and Mum was seen by the doctor straight away and within a minute or two the decision was taken to admit her. Dad and I waited in the waiting room for about 10 minutes and then were guided to admissions to complete the paperwork. Once that was done we accompanied Mum up to her room where she was made comfortable.

After a hour or two Dad and I returned to the apartment for some lunch and packed a bag for Mum. We returned later that evening but she was still in a bad way. Friday Mum was still not feeling great allow she did look a little brighter but she hadn't had a very good night and the hospital isn't the quietest of places. The staff were taking good care of her and there wasn't much we could do so we headed into Delhi for a couple of hours and looked around the home of former prime minister Indira Gandhi. Friday evening Mum was looking and feeling a lot brighter and was ready to come home. the doctors however wanted to keep her in one more night.

Saturday morning we were there when the doctor did his morning rounds He was happy that Mum was on the mend and ordered one more set of tests before ordering the IV drip be removed. It was gong to be a couple more hours until they released her so Dad and I headed to the gym for a sauna, and then back to the apartment for lunch, via Galleria for provisions.

Mum was released about 3pm on Saturday and we all returned to the apartment and a relaxing evening and some home cooked plan food. Sunday morning Mum was back to her normal self but opted for one last quiet day.

Monday was back to work for me, so Karan picked me up from the office and then went off to sort out the brakes on the car, before returning to pick Mum and Dad up and take them shopping in Delhi. The rest of the week is a blur for me as it's been back to work with a vengeance, but Thursday morning after dropping me off at the office, Karan drove Mum & Dad to the domestic airport for a flight down to Goa and 7 days of Sun and relaxation. They are due back on the 14th so I will get Mum to let you all know via the blog how they got on!

For me it's a quiet weekend on the couch with a few cold beers.

Tags: Beer, Family, Sickness, Sightseeing

Okay so it has been a little while, but I do have an excuse, well kind of.

So after the visit down to Pune I went into preparation mode for Mum and Dad's arrival. To be honest there wasn't to much to do but I think it was the anticipation more than anything. So Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were normal days in the office. Thursday Mum and Dad were due to land at 10:20 IST so Karan picked me up at 08:30 and we headed for the airport. We arrived in good time and missed the normal Delhi traffic. Mum & Dad's plane had made up the little time it has lost and was showing on time, so Karan and I joined the mass of people assembled at the arrivals gate and waited.

About 11:30-12:00 Mum and Dad emerged and I managed to grab Mum's arm (Having pushed my way to the front). We quickly made our way through the throng of people and to the car, where we said hello for the first time in 2 months.

Getting into the car Mum and Dad started striping off the jumpers and Karan put the air conditioning on. The fact he and I were still wearing jumpers and coats and were freezing was of great amusement to Karan.

We made our way back from Delhi along to NH8 to Gurgaon with Mum and Dad taking in as much as they could. Once at the apartment I gave them a quick tour and settled them in before grabbing some lunch and heading back to the office. The rest of the day was hectic as I still had so much to do before going on leave, and to be honest my mind wasn't really engaged, but I struggled through. I finished at 18:00 and went back to the apartment for a beer and Mum and Dad looked a lot more relaxed if a little tired. About 19:30 we headed off to Harriez, a restaurant located in my gym complex and enjoyed chicken sizzlers and chips, after booking Mum and Dad in for a massage the following day.

Friday morning I left for work at 08:30 leaving Mum and Dad in bed. Karan picked them up at 11:45 and they met me at the office, where I learnt they had only been woken up by the cleaners at 11:00 (I think they have got accustomed to Indian life already). We headed to a local shopping center, where i showed them around the shops they would need before grabbing a subway for lunch. After lunch Mum and Dad dropped me back at the office and headed for the gym for there massage.

Karan picked me up from work at 18:00 and I returned home to find Mum and Dad well and truly at home with a glass of wine. After a couple of beers we headed off for dinner with Chris, Sandra, and Laurance at a restaurant called Park Balucshi where Mum and Dad tried there first Indian meal in India. After a very nice meal (if a little rich) we headed back to the apartment via the Crowne Plaza, where I had spent my first 3 weeks for a night cap. I think we sat up until 02:00-03:00 Saturday morning talking and catching up.

Saturday was a gentle day. Karan picked us up at 13:00 and we went for a drive around Old Gurgaon before having some lunch at one of the malls (McChicken Sandwich Meal). After that we took a nice walk around Leisure Valley Park before returning to the apartment where we had a few drinks and ordered Pizza.

Sunday Karan picked us up at 11:00 and we drove into Delhi via the Diplomatic area and Parliament house, stopping off at India gate. We then headed to Connaught Place (CP) touring the inner and outer ring where we stopped off at Blues for a quick beer (Well sightseeing is thirsty work). We then drove to the Red Fort but Mum wasn't feeling too great, add to that it's extremely big we didn't think we would have time to have a proper look anyway. We headed back to Gurgaon and at about 20:00 Dad and I headed off to Sweet Obsession for a mexican, leaving Mum resting up on the sofa. We returned about about 22:30 and enjoyed a nightcap.

Monday Karan picked Dad and I up at 10:00 Monday and we headed for the Red Fort, leaving Mum on the sofa still not feeing great. Karan advised that the Red Fort was closed, Doh!. I had asked him Sunday when Delhi was closed, but I had asked while touring CP and he had correctly stated Sunday's, What I should have asked of course is what is closed on what day's, but live and learn. So Dad and I stopped off at a crafts market and has a 30 minute look around, but it really wasn't something we were into. We then drove to Lodi Gardens where we spent about 2 hours walking around, trying to find the sunshine and avoid the shade of the tree's. We then headed back to Gurgaon on the MG Road stopping off at a rather impressive temple on the way. We arrived back at the apartment at about 18:00 and cooked dinner and enjoyed a beer.

Tuesday Mum still wasn't feeling great and I had a stinking cold so Dad headed of towards Delhi with Karan and visited Qutub Minar, the Lotus Temple, and Humayun's Tomb. He arrived back about 18:00 and I was feeling a lot brighter, but Mum still wasn't feeling so good. About 19:30 Dad and I headed to a Punjab restaurant for dinner, after which we dropped in on Vikram for a night cap.

This morning Mum was still feeling awful and hadn't slept much so we opted for a quiet day. Dad and I did however go for a brief drive out into the country side this afternoon and on returning found Mum to be a little brighter. We are going to have another quiet night in tonight and see how she is tomorrow before making any firm plans.

Well that's it for now, hopefully a little more as the week goes on and Mum gets better.

Tags: Beer, Architecture, Family, Food, Fun, Sightseeing

Okay so it's been quiet this end, in more ways than one. To start with my Internet connection has been up and down since last weekend which has left me feeling like my hands have been cut off. I knew I shouldn't have asked for the phone to be moved.

It has been quiet socially to however. I think people are recovering from the Christmas / New Year hangover, but know a lot of people are also planning the next holiday. How do I know this? Well I am one of them.

Well let me start at the beginning, Monday Laurence arrived back and we had some catching up to do. We were both pretty knackered so settled on a local restaurant called Bar-B-Q-Nation, we had a good meal and a few beers and then headed home. Tuesday was a normal day, you know fireworks, several fire's, and the odd fallen comrade, but about 16:00 I developed a headache that i just couldn't shift. I got home about 19:00 and went straight to bed, by this time with a sore throat. I woke up Wednesday morning feeling *crap*. Sore throat, headache, and general "please take me now" sentiments. I settled on a day in bed and slept for about 14 hours, only waking for a drink of water and to see what the time was. Thursday morning I woke and still didn't feel great but headed for the office and limped through the day.

Friday I felt a lot better and Friday night I had my first Team Leader offsite meeting and headed to the MGF Mall for dinner and drinks with the team. We finished up about 22:00 and I called Laurence to see what he was up to. A few beers later (01:00) I headed for home, with that warm fuzzy feeling.

Saturday morning I had a nice long lay in and finally got up about 13:00. Sandra had emailed me earlier saying they were heading to the cinema and it seemed like a perfectly lazy thing to do on a Saturday afternoon so Laurence and I tagged along. We watched The Golden Compass which was good but I didn't particularly like the way it ended, mainly as I now know I have to watch the sequel. After the show we headed for TGIF for dinner.

Sunday I decided I needed to get back to the gym so about 15:00 left the apartment picking up laurence on the way, hoping Amit wasn't on duty (I knew I would get told off), he wasn't thankfully and I had a 45 minute workout (which hurt) and hit the sauna. After the workout we grabbed dinner and then headed for home.

This morning I woke, after having the best nights sleep in a while, and headed for work, committing to getting back in to the gym routine.

Tonight my Internet connection is working so I am catching up with email, and this (my blog), and preparing for my next holiday. Yes I said holiday!

So here is the plan. This weekend I am off heading towards Pune, Vikram's home town (or where his wife is currently living) so we are going to try and hook up. Then Mum and Dad are due on the 24th so I have booked the first week off to show them around, which will actually be cool as it will encourage me to get out and about and show them the sights i have seen and some I haven't. I have also booked the last week of there visit off to do some more sightseeing and spend some quality time with them. There are a number of tentative plans (these are the ones I need to firm up) to head off with Chris, Sandra, and Laurence during this period too.

Then at the beginning of March Chris, Sandra, Laurence, and myself are off to Goa via Mumbai (formally Bombay) for 4-5 days before I head back to the UK for a week or two.

Well as you can see I have a bit of planning to do, but if the Internet gods are on my side it should all be very interesting. I'll keep you posted on the plans as they develop or fall apart.

Tags: Beer, Family, Friends, Cinema, Gym, Sightseeing

Okay so the end of last week was hard work. Nobody really wanted to be in the office and I was clock watching from about 16:00 every day. Friday arrived and spot on 18:00 Chris and I headed for a local bar glad to put the week behind us. Vikram and Sandra joined us an hour or so later and we headed for a nearby restaurant for dinner. We finished up about 23:30 and headed for home having made plans to tour old Delhi Saturday.

Chris and Sandra picked me up at 11:30 and we headed off for old New Delhi. We arrived about an hour later and headed into the throng of people making our way towards Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India. Unfortunately it was near to prayer time and was closing to tourists so we opted to come back later heading of towards Chandni Chowk, by way of Chatta Chowk (covered bazaar). Once in Chandni Chowk we found the Digambara Jain Temple. Unfortunately camera's are not allowed so I can't show you just how beautiful it was, but it really was.

After looking around we were all feeling hungry and Sandra hadn't experienced Karims, so we walked back via Jama Masjid, cutting through the main courtyard and found Karims without a problem. After butter chicken, mutton rice, lamb kebab's, and butter narn we headed back to Jama Masjid for a proper look around. When we finished we called for the car and sat on steps of Jama Masjid watching life go by. It's complete chaos and personally I couldn't take it for too long, but it was very interesting watching life go by.

We then headed for Humayun's Tomb, described in the Lonely Planet guide as a "must see tomb". It was quite remarkable and the symmetry, especially of the water features, is amazing to see. The effort put into these places is admirable but I can't help but wonder if they had spent the money on the country India might be a lot further advanced than it is.

We were all knackered after the visit to Humayun's Tomb so we headed back to Gurgaon, via the off-license at the Galleria Mall for beer and snacks. Chris and Sandra hadn't seen my apartment and a review of some of the Wii games I had brought back with me after visiting the UK. Sandra and Chris headed for home about an hour later and I spent the evening chilling out in front of the TV quite happy that I had done something with the day. Today I am taking it easy. The tailor is coming round between 15:00-16:00 to do the first fitting of my suit and then I am off to do some shopping and get my photo's taken for my registration tomorrow morning. Then I fully intend to lounge about and chill out.

Why not check out the Old Delhi Photo's.

Tags: Architecture, Beer, Food, Friends, Muslim, Sightseeing

Okay so Christmas 2007 was certainly different, but let's start with the negative.

So I woke up Christmas eve about 05:00 with chronic stomach cramps and a bad dose of Delhi Belly. I managed to get back to sleep but was up and down all day. All I could stomach was water and even that was in small sips. By 22:00 that evening I was still feeling rough and had to bail on the party I was supposed to attend, not the way I wanted my Christmas to start but vowed if I was still rough Christmas Day I was going to the chemist and getting something that made me feel better, legal or otherwise.

I woke up Christmas day about 08:00 and wasn't sure how I felt. I had slept all night and just felt hungry. I took a gamble and made myself some toast. It was only when I heard Christmas carols at full belt I remembered it was Christmas day. Now before arriving here I understood that the Christian faith was a minority faith in India, but I was surprised at how many people were celebrating, even if it wasn't quite in the way I was used to. Silly really, if I had thought about it for one second I would have remembered how Indians love a good party and don't need a reason, given a reason it just makes for a bigger party. I'm in!

I took a walk up to the local malls and you wouldn't know it was Christmas, except the street vendors were selling Father Christmas hats instead of the normal tourist junk. Life was in full swing and it was then I decided I was better. I grabbed some fruit juice, milk, and bread and headed for home where I made myself a bacon sandwich and opened my Christmas stocking that Mum had sent me back with. I thought of opening the Christmas presents straight after but decided I need to keep the tradition so settled back and watched Christmas movies. At about 12:00 I decided it was lunch time and made myself a ham salad. After I finished I opened my Christmas gifts (Thanks Everyone). I then called Vikram and we re-organised the Christmas Eve Party.

Karan picked me up at 18:30 and we headed to Vikram's place. I got the usual warm welcome at Vikrams place, the guard asked me 20 inane questions, I shrugged and quoted the apartment number, he tried to get me to sign in and I refused, he called Vikram and I headed for the elevator shouting back "I don't understand". Once inside we had a couple of beers, ordered some food, and headed for the local beer shop to stock up. Vikram took delivery of his new car on Sunday and I wanted a ride so we went for a 5 minute trip around the block, picked up some beer and headed back.

Later that evening we were joined by Vik's friends and drank, ate, but mainly drank our way through the evening, only really stopping to put the train back on the tracks for the son of Vikram's friends. It was a great evening and a better outcome that I had thought given how I had felt on Christmas Eve. I left about mid-night and had a lay-in on boxing day.

Boxing Day I woke up about 11:00 and went for a wander for a couple of hours. I couldn't really be bothered doing anything else so went back to the apartment and chilled out listening to loud music, reading, and about 15:00 I gave in and opened a beer and started to think about what else I was going to do with the few days I had left. I had mentioned to Karan that I wanted to go to the Taj Mahal so called him up. After a little discussion we settled on a 06:00 pick up.

So this morning at 06:01 I was in the car heading for Agra. It was dark and cold and I wanted to go back to bed, but NO NO NO I told myself. I have been here since July and done nothing but work so I was doing this. About 20 minutes from Agra Karan woke me up....WOW what a dump!

We made our way through the car park barrier and were swamped with tout's, vendors, Camels, and offers of an auto rickshaw ride. I could smell the camels as I got out of the car and opted for an auto rikshaw and the government guide. We drove the 35 seconds to the Taj (Doh first mistake) paid Rs 200 (£2.56), well over the odds, but then enjoyed a pretty good guided tour. The place is pretty impressive, although not as impressive as I was expecting. I don't know exactly what I was expecting really but other people had told me a lot about it, so I guess I was expecting it to be bigger. It probably is if you look at the reasons for it being built, but it is difficult to appreciate the work that went into it, unless you have first hand knowledge of working with marble.

Anyway after about 2 hours the tour guide offered to show us how the marble inlay was done, and I was quite interested in seeing this (mistake number two). We headed out of a side gate into what was obviously a street of shops and the guide showed me to a little "government" shop. I smelt a rat as soon as I saw the benches in front of the counters and was asked to sit as they brought out a selection of there wares.

Now they were nice and I love marble so listened to the sales patter. They showed me plates, cups, jewelry boxes, and elephants but I got up and said I wanted to look around on my own. This confused them somewhat, but ass I had been suckered so was going to make the most of it. I made them more or less empty ever display case of something or other and inspected every inch. I finally settled on a set of six marble coasters with the Taj Mahal inlaid. They tried to push me further but I then said I changed my mind and wanted nothing. We eventually settled on the coasters.

Next stop was how they made the precious stones, and I saw this one coming. I walked in the shop and the guide stepped back outside. What he hadn't realized is while paying for my coasters I had emptied my wallet of notes and credit cards into other pockets. The guy spent about 3 minutes getting boxes out of the display cases and I took my wallet out, making sure he could see its contents and asked what I could buy for Rs 150 (£1.92). He was *pissed*.

I left the shop and asked the guide to show us back to the car. We arrived back at the auto rickshaw and climbed aboard. 35 seconds later we were back at the car and the auto rickshaw driver was demanding another Rs 200. I told him I had already paid and walked away. Poor Karan then became the subject of there attention. They settled on Rs 50 from Karan, which I gave to him later and then told me they had booked me a table at the restaurant for a very special lunch. The guide was equally as pissed when I told them that Karan had already booked us a restaurant and we needed to leave to make the appointment. I guess I should of told Karan about this before hand, but he just went quiet and shrugged.

Now lesson number three was that I should have asked the guide how much before hand, but government guides are usually Rs 500 (£6.39) but he was demanding Rs 1000 (£12.78). I thought about arguing, but it's not in my nature.....Okay so the rickshaw guy's were gathering and the look on his face when I pulled out Rs 1000 from my other pocket was priceless after hearing the words exchanged between him and the precious stone seller.

Well I had learnt a few lessons, but I don't think I came out cheated. In fact I think there were a few guys stood there at the end wondering exactly what had happened.

So we jumped in the car and headed back out into Agra. Did I mention it's a dump? This time I was awake and Karan couldn't stop laughing when a rickshaw driver hit him from behind depositing his customers on the ground and I yelled 20 POINTS. We worked our way out heading for Fatehpur Sikri. About half way Karan announced he was hungry and I realized I hadn't eaten all day so way out of my depth I asked Karan to find a restaurant.

Now given my experiences on Christmas Eve I was a little hesitant when we pulled over into what I can only describe as a little chef without the elegance. I was surprised however when Karan barked something and we were shown into a side building that was just like a little chef (Plastic chairs, and patio tables included). The restaurant was full of other middle class indians all happily eating so I went for it. There were western dishes on the menu, but I have learnt these usually carry more risk as they are not quite sure what they are cooking or how to cook them so we settled on Roti and Dal. It wasn't bad but I couldn't live on it. The waiter then brought out another dish and set it down and stated it was complementary. Karan wasn't sure and I could see it in his face. I asked him it was okay and he said he wasn't sure. I said I would try it and then he said in a very authoritarian way that he would try it first. I could see he wasn't comfortable. He tried one mouthful with Roti and didn't look impressed. He took a mouthful of bottled water I had insisted on buying and said, "no it's bad, old food!" Then started yelling at the lad that had set it down. There must have been something in it as the place went quiet and he cleared it away. Two lunches Rs 220 (£2.81), including a coke and bottled water. Time will tell if it was value for money I guess. We continued on to Fatehpur Sikri.

We arrive in normal style, surrounded by touts but this time we were ready. I had told Karen No Guides. He didn't quite understand the Internet but understood I could read about it. Mind you it didn't stop the bastards trying. The funny thing was the official government guide started off at Rs 500 and dropped to Rs 100 as we got nearer. Karan and I both laughed when we were accosted by a young lad that could be no more than 7 who offered to be our guide for Rs 7 (£0.09). I gave him Rs 10 for making me smile, and no I still had my wallet as I walked away.

At the top of the steps we were approached yet again and Karan tried every trick in the book to get rid of him. It was when he told me that Karan wasn't allowed in I bite and asked him if he could fly? He looked a little confused, so I explained if he spoke to me or Karan again I was going to throw him off the top of the stairs, funnily enough he gave up, mind you he did say goodbye as we left. Well I felt better, but won't win any UN recognition awards.

We drove back and I feel shattered, but happy. I can now say Xmas 2007 I went to the Taj Mahal!

The photo's can be found here if you haven't clicked on the embedded pictures already, Xmas 2007, Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri.

Tags: Beer, Friends, Fun, Muslim, Sickness, Sightseeing

Okay so I have been a little slack again with updating the blog, but let's see if I can pick up where I left off last Sunday. Well the plan was to head off to the Red Fort in New Delhi so Laurence's driver picked us all up at 13:00 but advised us that it was closed this time of year due to terrorist bombing incidents in the past. So we headed into Delhi anyway and just drove around to give Mark Leggo a sense of what it was all about. We then then headed for Khan market and did a little shopping in preparation for the cheese and wine party Laurence was hosting that evening. As soon as we entered the market we were stalked by a couple of shoe shine boys and just before we left Laurence relented and allowed them to clean his shoes (Rs 50/63p). Mark and I were then feeling hungry so we headed for Ansel's Mall where we sat down to Pizza and a couple of beers. We then headed back towards Gurgaon and the local off-license to pick up some wine for the evening.

Sunday Evening Laurence, myself, Mark Leggo, Chris, Sandra, and Vikram meet up and enjoyed several bottles of wine and a collection of cheese and biscuits. Vikram had been partying the night before and excused himself early. He did look delicate. Now unfortunately the real purpose of the evening was uncovered early on as both Chris and I turned up with out MacBook Pro's, and after sufficient cheese and wine started waxing lyrical about the virtues of Mac's compared to PC's. Chris had discovered a cool piece of software called Mojo that allows you to share iTunes library's. The only problem was I couldn't get it to work. How frustrating. Well the party finally broke up about 00:30.

Monday we were joined by Jason Hamer and Simon Derry. They were both pretty tired and by the end of the day were struggling to stay awake. We headed to the Crown Plazza for a couple of beers and then they both headed for there respective rooms and a nights sleep.

Wednesday night we all met up (Myself, Mark Leggo, Laurence, Simon Derry, Chris, and Sandra) at the Galaxy Mall for dinner at a restaurant called Axis. The food was very good and everybody was able to catch up with events in the UK and compare views on India. Mark Leggo flew back on Thursday, and Simon and Laurence flew out early hours Friday morning. Friday night I had a few beers with Jason as he wasn't due to fly out until early hours Saturday and didn't intend on going to bed. I got back to my apartment about 21:30 and after a quick short hit the sack happy in the thought I didn't have to get up early.

I woke up yesterday (Saturday) at about 11:00 still full of cold (I brought it back from the UK with me) and decided there and then I needed a R&R weekend. I was supposed to meet up with one of my teams that evening, but I was still tired and knew that I wouldn't be good company so postponed it. I ended up laying on the sofa watching DVD's all day (Pirates of the Caribbean, and The Office). The temperate has dropped to about 10 degree's Celsius and I am feeling the cold, so I am laying on the sofa with the heater on high next to me wearing two pairs of socks and a jumper. I managed to speak to Mum & Dad via Skype and planned a video call for today.

So today I am feeling a little more together, but decided once again to take it easy. I got up about 10:00 and the ironing man turned up about 11:00 but that is as social as I have got and intend to be today, with the exception of my Skype call with Mum & Dad. I have managed to catch up on email and few person admin tasks, but otherwise this afternoon I intend to chill out with a book.

Next week is going to be be very busy with everybody trying to get things completed prior to the Christmas break, and I am on leave the week commencing the 24th so need to get as much done as possible if I am going to enjoy it. I was planning on getting away, but I have left things a little late so I think I will just try and explore Delhi a little more, especially Old Delhi, and then get out and about a bit in the new year.

Tags: Sightseeing, Shopping, Beer, Friends, Sickness

Okay so tomorrow is one week since I returned from the UK and it has flown by, then again time does seem to move faster here. Wednesday night Mark Leggo and myself headed off to a restaurant called Earth and enjoyed a few beers, dinner, and generally caught up. Thursday was another quiet night, after work I went back to Laurence's and we ordered Thai curries before heading home about 22:30 for some much needed shut eye. Friday was a really busy day and leaving the office at 18:30 we all needed a beer so Chris and I headed to Dine Estey, a local (Indian) Chinese restaurant, not to eat, but just because the bar is one of the cheapest around. Vikram joined us later for a drink and then had to head off to meet up with some other friends just as Laurence arrived. Sandra joined us later and I think by the end of the evening was the only sober one there.

Yesterday was "lay-in/sleep it off" day and I didn't wake up until about 11:00. Mark Leggo and I headed into Delhi about 13:00 and visited the Indian National Railway museum. After spending a couple of hours looking around we had seen everything there was to see so jumped in the car and headed for Delhi. Karen took our to the Parliament building and then to India Gate (Photo's available in the gallery). About 16:00 we headed back to Gurgaon so I could do some much needed shopping. I had pretty much run everything down before returning to the UK so needed everything. Mark made a very good basket carrier!

Once we had stocked up on the necessary items (we also bought food), we headed back to my apartment for a snack and a beer. We met up about 19:00 with Laurence and headed for a nice Italian restaurant creatively named "Italino" for dinner.

Today we are off to the Red Fort in Delhi and then depending on the time into Delhi itself to do some sightseeing (I'll post some more pictures later). Tonight Laurence is hosting a Cheese and Wine party. Life in the fast lane!

Tags: Friends, Beer, Food, Party, People, Shopping, Sightseeing

Okay so it's nearly time to fly back to India and I must say I am looking forward to the sunshine, but am going to miss my family. The last few days have been fairly hectic as I always leave things in my personal life until the last minute, that is if I do them at all (I haven't got a suitcase yet).

So what have I been doing. Well here are the bits that I can tell you about without compromising myself to much. Wednesday I finished off my Christmas shopping before heading up to London to meet up with some friends for a few drinks. It was good to see everybody again and they were all as busy as when I left. The thing I did notice this time however was how many more people there were in the office. After catching up a few of us headed out to one of the many bar's and enjoyed several beers. I'll admit by the time I thought of taking the camera out I was a little to foggy and the "Vegas" rule kicked in. We had a good chat however and most importantly arranged the next time we would meet up (drinking session).

I was supposed to meet up with some other friends later that evening, but couldn't raise any of them on the phone so I decided to walk back to London Waterloo stationalong the south bank. It was nice seeing the regular sights, and I must admit I probably took more notice of them that evening than I have done for the last seven years. I got home about midnight and had no problem getting to sleep.

Thursday was a farce. I got a phone call about 09:30 advising me that there was a problem with my Visa and that I had to attend in person. So after canceling a bunch of things I couldn't / shouldn't really of canceled I made my way to the office. I picked up my paperwork and was in and out in the space of 15 minutes. I then grabbed a taxi down to India House and stood by the little "door" waiting for "the man". Now you have to understand India to understand the importance of the "little man", but I'll attempt to explain.

Every place you go there is a "little man". He is never taller than 5 ft and is usually softly spoken. He is however "the man". You give him your paperwork, and he vanishes. That's it; It really is that simple. What goes on when he vanishes I like to think of as magic. I imagine that he immediately reads through the paperwork and follows the processes set down by the Indian Government, and if and only if, you meet the criteria he approves it. He backs this up with the latest in computer technology and makes several phones calls to secret government agencies.

This is what happened. I stood by the "door" with about 6 other people. The "little man" came out and looked at one lady then her paper work, said NO you need a bank statement and sent her away, she tried to protest but she had been dealt with and there was no appeal. He looked at me and then took another ladies paperwork as it was thrust in his face. He looked at it, at her, at the paperwork again, and then me. I simply said "Employment Visa". He took her paperwork and then my paperwork and closed the door. About 15 minutes later he appeared again with the ladies paperwork, said no, said something about Tax and told her to wait in another queue. He then handed me my paperwork, which he had scribbled something on that i couldn't make out and simply said counter 5. The looks I got made me feel like I knew the secret and I all I could say was, "It's a simply renewal", smile, and walk towards counter number 5.

As I got to the counter a lady was waiting (Yes I think everybody sends the wife). Just as she was about to pass her paperwork over the young lady behind the counter closed her cash tin, and simply said "After my Lunch" and left.

ARHHHHHHH 13:00 and the Indian Lunch Hour.

Another thing to note about India, and I quite like this one. Nobody misses their lunch (If they can help it). We are terrible working on through our breaks. In the UK it's quite acceptable (expected) for you eat at your desk while working on.

Anyway 14:00 (ish) they open back up and I push my way to the front (pi$$ed off now). I hand over my paperwork and she looks it over, she then looks at me and says very clearly "ONE YEAR?". I smile and say "365 days!", not the smartest answer in retrospect, did I mention I was Pi$$ed off? She wanders out the back and the people around me sigh. Two minutes later she is back, requests £50, hands me a ticket and tells me to come back in half an hour.

Twenty Nine minutes and fifty seven seconds later I am stood my the little vent in the wall marked counter number 7 and they call my number, I grab my passport and make a break for freedom.