In part 4 of her blog series on India, Isobel Wilson-Cleary talks us through the highlights of her stay in Delhi.
Delhi. It’s a big place and if like me, you’re only there for a few short days you maybe want to see some of its biggest hits. Not as large as megacity Mumbai but big enough that these are the highlights of what I got up to whilst I was there. (And definitely check out the metro system!)
If you’re interested in seeing the everyday reality for many in India…
Chandi Chowk should be top of your list. Boasting the Jama el Masjid and Red Fort which brings in busloads of tourists it is also the sight of a major Jain temple (with a bird sanctuary!) and gurdwara – a little microcosm of India in a few square miles. More people than you’d ever imagine crammed in such a small space wandering the streets is an experience not to be missed – try some street food; engage in some bargaining if something catches your eye (and it probably will the market is impressive) and pay the extra to go up the minaret (signs tells you women and children must be accompanied by a male) and see where you’ve just come from, it’s pretty hard to believe that this is some people’s everyday. Continue reading Isobel goes to India Part 4: Deliberating in Delhi
My visit to Iguassu Falls in Argentina was one of those highlights of a lifetime – and it turns out, not just for the spectacular waterfalls themselves – it was going to be an extraordinary opportunity to see wildlife close up, too.
Maybe it wasn’t an obvious choice of first destination for a couple of first time travellers who like their home comforts, but actually Kolkata was not the terrifying culture shock people warned us about. Yes, we walked out of the airport to find a road made virtually uncrossable by unpredictable yellow taxis; we took said taxi in a seat-clutching ride across town seeing people cycling with boxes of chillies on their heads and live chickens tied to their handlebars; we were greeted in the streets by mothers begging for milk powder and packs of yellow dogs and men sleeping on the pavements. Yes, it was a million miles away, but amid this melee of people and smells and confusion, we found a city of incredibly beautiful buildings and parks, some of the best street food of the trip, and so many smiling faces: a girl who taught us Indian classical dancing in the Victoria Memorial gardens, a couple of street kids who we shared a lassi with, parents and children shaking ours hands at a Kali festival we happened to catch.
It wasn’t just that Kolkata allowed us to jump into another culture headfirst, it also allowed us to meet other travellers, get advice, make plans. There is definitely a district for travellers, and lucky for us, most of them had been around for a while. Trains were all explained, haggling (although we never really mastered that), the head wobble. We ended up travelling with a guy we met on the first day for three weeks. Really (and I hate to admit it) it does help to have a man around in India. They just get more respect. Annoying but true.
From Kolkata it was an overnight train to Darjeeling. The trains are really something. The queues for the tickets are utterly bewildering, but as long as you stand your ground as aggressively as everyone else pushes it shouldn’t take too long! The train itself is the best place to meet people. There’s always one man who takes charge of the conversation. Warning- he is usually the one that snores the loudest. You can buy everything under the sun. On that first train journey we counted 33 items that you could purchase, including yo-yo, statues of Ganesh, and nail clippers. 
The 5-hour bus journey up the east coast of Vietnam from Saigon was packed full of near misses, a distinct lack of seats, and a police pullover. The driver appeared to be more focused on speaking on his mobile than the safety of the passengers and we could both see the headlines about two British backpackers being involved in a road accident. After what could only be described as the worst travel experience of both our lives, we finally arrived at the Zenora Beach Resort, Mui Ne.
Debbie Valentine explores the cultural side of the sunny island of Malta.
With the London marathon approaching on Sunday, 
A couple of weeks later, Disley finished and presented a course design that edged along the Thames and only closed two bridges. The course was approved by police and the tourist board was very pleased with it because it displayed many London sights including Cutty Sark, Tower Bridge, the Docks, The Embankment, Big Ben and Buckingham Palace.
