India and Nepal 1987

Delhi

6.18pm. Talking of teeth, we're now rotting ours with bottles of Campa-Cola (at 2.5 "ruples" - Mary's word). We could have had "Patato Chop" which sounds worthwhile. We're in a tearoom/cafe at the Red Fort. Two firsts today - first Indian food and first rain. We ate at the "Volga" in Connaught Place, as much to get out of the heat as anything else. It was fairly elegant, the staff all in uniforms. We had lassi, tea, soup, nans, vegetables in cream with spices, paratha, more nans and more tea. Total cost for four - Rs180 including service charge (£8.44). I had a chat with an Indian gentleman and his wife. He was interested in my camera (worth Rs2800 apparently) and eventually bought my bottle of Red Label for Rs250 (£11.75; it cost £6.40).

We took a trip on an ancient, clapped-out Harley from Connaught Place to the Red Fort, and here we are. I feel bad because a young Indian chap came up to me and said, "Excuse me, sir," and I, thinking he might be trying to take money from me for something, got up and walked away. He gave a genuinely disappointed "Awww..." and didn't follow me, so I feel a heel.

Later - As the sun went down the Red Fort positively glowed. I wandered out to the grass behind the Campa Cola cafe, where the trees seemed a brighter green that usual against the dark sky and the buildings and earth were glowing red. I stopped dead when I realised the animal under a tree was a large, old monkey. I looked around to see several smaller, younger monkeys playing with something white, running up and down trees and turning somersaults. I could have stayed for ages watching them. It was very peaceful.

The street market that we walked through was not peaceful. It really was teeming millions stuff, an apparently endless line of wooden tables selling largely cheap, imported junk, but some more attractive home-grown items. Cathy bought a sari, which she hasn't yet worked out how to wear, and all three girls bought plastic flip-flops [the British word for thongs]. I bought a size 38 shirt but the damn thing was too small.

We took a trip home in a motor-trishaw driven by a Sikh. Very cramped, very fast and worrying.

1.40pm. Back in the "Volga" again - lassi, pizza and a tomato omelette. We've booked tickets to Bombay for the 19th, so we'd better be back by then. 1st class - air-conditioned chair car, Rs325 (about £15). We couldn't book any other tickets - they have to be booked at the departure station.

Cathy didn't sleep last night - she was imagining people coming in the doors and windows.