When I arrived in Delhi I realized that northern ndia was a lot colder than I had anticipated. I had stupidly arrived dressed in the same shorts I had worn to the Bangkok airport, a city basking in 30 celsius heat to Delhi, a chilly 7 celsius.

Delhi is hard to describe to people who haven't been. It is chaotic, dirty, crowded, smelly, car horn are blasting all the time, and the poverty is right out in the open. Delhi could prove too abrasive and hectic for some to endure. People are just everywhere, and everything moves noisily (except for the cows) and slowly (especially the cows). I think that SE Asia helped me a bit in this regard - thanks Cambodia. It can be complete sensory overload, there is no refuge; you just have to accept you are not in Kansas anymore and get involved.

The first morning I stepped out onto the Main Bazaar in Parahganj, I had to stand back and take it in. You get hassled incessantly by touts and vendors, but you can just blow it off. For me Delhi wasn't as big a shock as I thought it would be. The accomodation is basic but cheap if you hunt around, and of course the food is fantastic and costs peanuts.

My first day I headed to the Red Fort on foot. My route took me thought the heart of Old Delhi.  Frequently unsure of where I was, I thought I might be lost. I criss crossed through narrow streets and lanes which seemed like a maze eventually running into the Ajmeri Gate, the Chawri Bazaar, and the mosque of Jama Masjid, the largest in India. Unfortunately India's Republic Day falls on the 26th of January, and the Red Fort was closed. I did get to see a camel procession practicing for the festivities which was awesome.

On my second day I went to New Delhi, the highlight being Humayun's Tomb, a huge temple-tomb complex on a grandeous scale. Tomorrow I depart for Agra to the southeast of Delhi to see the Taj Mahal.