Heatwave. Indian style.

What idiot would come to the hottest part of India, at the hottest time of year during a heatwave? Apparently temperatures are around 7 degrees above normal for the time of year. So where do we head? To the desert of course!

We made our way to Jaisalmer from Pushkar, arriving after another overnight bus trip tired and very, very hot. The less said about the next couple of days the better - let's just say that Kev went on a overnight camel safari in the desert... and I stayed within a few metres of a toliet in our hotel. Sadly this, combined with the unbelievably hot temperatures (45 degrees in the shade!) meant that my impressions of Jaisalmer are a little vague! It has a lovely fort. And it really hot.

The next stage of our journey took us to Jaipur, where we took a bus tour of the sights including forts, palaces and (surprise surprise) a handicrafts shop, where there was, of course, no pressure to buy. Ha ha. The old city itself is quite surreal, as all the buildings along the main streets have to be painted pink (orginally apparently to welcome the Prince of Wales in 1853). Some of the 'pink' is admittedly more of a brown.

It was in Jaipur that I suddenly realised I was fed up of staying in depressing room after depressing room and that we should treat ourselves to something a little nicer in Delhi for a couple of nights. So we trawled the internet, thinking for once we would book somewhere and found a great last minute deal on a lovely looking room. It took the rickshaw driver at least an hour to find the place, with at least 10 offers of hotels that he thought were much better, but we finally made it. At first they could find no record of our booking and they were full. Then, miraculously, a room was found. A tiny, smelly room with bugs across the floor. I could have cried. Miraculously another room was available. Much nicer. Until the rat ran across the floor.

We left.

Delhi has been unexpected in some ways - parts of it are very green and beautiful. Others of course less so and where we're staying has it's fair share of beggars and people trying to sell everything under the sun. It's practically impossible to go where you want to go or buy what you want to buy as just about everyone has a better idea.

Today we took a day trip to Agra. We saw the Taj Mahal. It was, of course, spectacular. They don't allow anyone in with food or cigarettes. Fair enough. Onec the security lady had ascertained that I has neither, she took my book out of my bag and said 'no reading allowed in the Taj Mahal'. How odd.

Almost as spectacular as the building itself, is the sheer number of people wanting to sell something, take you somewhere or generally part you of your cash in some way or another. Which is why were now hiding in an internet cafe until our train back to Delhi.

Tomorrow I go to the dentist. I hope they understand English, otherwise I may be coming home with no teeth...