I left Australia from Melbourne travelling with a short stopover in Singapore – a 13 hour flight. Arriving in New Delhi at 6am I was picked up by the hotel in the southern suburbs (pre-arranged in Australia).
My first impressions were that the airport was modern, clean and the surrounds the same. However, as I travelled further through the city it became busy, chaotic, dirty and crowded. The hotel was clean and orderly and a relief!!! That day I arranged a taxi with the hotel (Rs 300) and did a city tour.
Next day I left on my pre-arranged tour (4 days) to the Taj Mahal in Agra and onto Jaipur. The tour consisted of a private driver, all entries, tour guides and hotels. The Taj Mahal was magnificent and as stunning as I expected it to be. The remainder of the tour was also excellent, but also a bit of information over load!!!
That evening I caught a short flight to Dehra Dun. I was collected by a taxi arranged by Raphael. It was a nightmare journey as traffic in India is nothing short of chaotic and finally reaching Raphael was a relief. I was greeted there by the other volunteers, who had saved food for me. They settled me into my room. One of volunteers showed me around early the next morning. I was concerned that if no volunteers had been there, no one would have helped me. At the same time I did expect to be a bit independent. On the tour I met some residents, but it was still too early for school and the offices. Raphael seemed like an oasis. (Note from RCA – arrangements are made for Volunteers to be welcomed who arrive out of work hours.) Continue reading Derek