Dhanyavad

Delhi has been a lot better this time round. We are staying at the Hotel Rak International in the Main Bazar. Lots of shopping all around us. We have been alternating between two restaurants, for breakfast the Everest Roof top Cafe, and for dinner Club India. We spent our first day visiting Gandhi Smirti, the place where Gandhi spent his last few days and was then assassinated. The walls were covered with quotes by this man who was much further ahead of his time indeed more progressive than many of our politicians are today. We saw his few possessions including his signature glasses, his bed, and the footsteps he took before being shot.

Next we went to the Planetarium which was conveniently closed for renovations and instead went to Connaught Place. Here we fell pray to the scammers and got led into an alley to the 'underground shopping mall'. Took one look at the street and figured out that the 5 different guys who had told us to go that way were all working together. Doigt! So thought I would not fall for that trap. Instead we went to The Park Hotel and booked a few spa appointments and found out all the information we needed (thanks Sony for the tip). Did a bit of shopping and then headed back for some food and to see Jess off.

Yesterday we woke up early and headed to The Park for our day of pampering. Balinese Massages and manicures. Ahhhh to feel human again! Decided to go all out and had lunch in a cabana by the pool. Mmmm western food!! Next we did a bit of shopping, got my photos printed out (all 500 of them) and headed to the cinema to see 'It's a Wonderful Afterlife'. A funny movie set in London (in English) about a mother who murders four people for calling her unmarried daughter fat. A sort of Ugly Betty meets 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' kind of movie. Very funny....sometimes for the wrong reason. To end the day with a bang we headed back to the hotel for dinner and HEENA!!! Beautiful designs that took less than 15 minutes!!! An amazing day from start to finish.

Back to the spa today for a haircut and a pedicure and some more Hindi lessons from my manicurist Raj (look, its cheap and worth it ok?....dont judge). Some shopping and then back to the hotel to see Ronit off to the airport. We have gone from three (Jess, Ronit and me) to two (Ronit and me), and tomorrow it will be just one. Flying home around 10:30 pm tomorrow night (hmm...should probably double check that)! Ronit leaves tonight so tomorrow will be my first semi-full day by myself. The next two days will definitely be bittersweet. Ronit and I have had such an amazing time together. I couldn't have asked for a better travel partner. We have already decided that I will just have to visit her in South Korea this year while she teaches English there...what a hardship, huh?

Leaving India will also be difficult. Tourists here are something of a celebrity with people running around trying to get a picture with you, staring constantly, and asking questions about where we are from. Being half Indian I also got the random people coming up to me and speaking Hindi, trying to help me learn phrases (a few of which I now know), and asking me about my heritage. I could never say that India is my home or that I feel a real connection because when we come down to it I will always identify myself as being from Bermuda. However, the country is amazing. It has been such an experience from each city, Delhi to Agra to Varanasi to Kolkata to Darjeeling to Sikkim to Siliguri and back to Delhi. The people, the food, the culture, the hotels, the movies we have seen, the laughs we have had. It has definitely been worth any hard moments along the way (shivers from the cockaroach hotel) and I will definitely have to come back.

Unless something happens in the next day worth writing about this will probably be my last blog of this trip. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I loved writing it. Dhanyavad! (Thank you)