The beginnings in Delhi...

We've arrived in Delhi. Our plane landed brilliantly despite a thick orange haze that left the runway closed until minutes before we landed. A very professional pilot! A pleasant rendezvous in Hong Kong on the way prepared us a little for the smells and the atmosphere of Delhi, although still very different. We spent four hours seeing the sights of Hong Kong city during our stopover which was an unexpected bonus. Both flights were really smooth and our biggest issue was nearly missing the plane in Melbourne because we were so relaxed - eek!! We're enjoying a relaxed and comfortable hotel with a lovely garden in which to take our tea, which has allowed us to ease in a bit. Last 2 days have been days of exploring Delhi. We managed to arrive to a quieter Delhi than expected which was pleasant, however peak hour was not far around the corner!! We're experiencing the contrasts of this weird and wonderful city - colour, chai, ear cleaners, markets, very rich, very poor, clean, dirty - but very friendly people. On our first day we had a number of wonderful encounters with a range of Delhi-ites. One in particular showing us to a reputable travel agent (we think - let you know!!) to help us out with the details of the remainder of this part of the trip. Raj, a street curio seller, assured us that he knows of Australia well - he has a friend who comes from Sunshine Hospital and another from Royal Womens' Hospital!! What more is there to possibly know of Australia! He was very friendly despite the fact that we knocked him back on the hand made chess set! More details on Delhi before we leave here for Jaipur in the next few days... thanks for your interest and support and the messages from home thus far...