Last day in Delhi, before I have to get an 18hr train, and I feel sick. I have managed to avoid any sort of sickness lasting more than an hour or so until now, it is completely not fair. I think it may be because I bragged too much about my good health until now. Damn damn damn.
Train journey will not be fun.
My bag so far seems to fit everything.... although am leaving behind an outfit that just would be impossible to pack, and I wouldn't be taking it back to Aus anyway. Luckily Noelle is meeting me in Jaipur so she has offered to bring up a few random things I can't fit in now but might be able to once I've done 2 more weeks of travel.
Rich is also coming to Jaipur for the kite festival, and it'll be really good to see some familiar faces and watch some kite fighting! I've managed to persuade him too to come with me to Varanasi so we can chill by the ghats for a few days and be spiritual etc.
Had an invite from a couple of Indians at Dave's work for dinner, and now plans have changed to revisit Punjab (via Mussoorie which'll be amazing!) rather than doing Bhopal, then flying down to Mumbai to save a 40hr train journey.. am looking forward to some excellent Punjabi food!! Plus managed to squeeze in a second short visit to Amritsar in the morning which I'm so excited about :)
New Years was pretty cool here - spent the first part at SBT watching the boys set up for their party, and had some delicious food and chai while they danced to Bollywood songs all around us. They were so good it was insane - so good and so confident with it all!! Have a video but my camera is being crap so maybe try to post some other time. Went out with the other volunteers after, had a good midnight with tiger ears (year of the tiger!) and party poppers! Managed to dink on a motorbike which was awesome, and fit 7 people in an auto. Go team.
Had my last day there yesterday which was a bit sad. It's a shame to leave Afzal - was really enjoying working with him. Had the Atlas out a few days ago and he loved it, I don't think he's ever seen what countries look like before, was surprised England was so small and Australia so big!! Learned about country and state borders too, and it was a good lesson, ended up going on too long so I was late to my next class but it's all good - no concept of time in India!
Some of the boys at Apna Ghar made me a card wishing me a happy new year, happy birthday, and happy journey. It was so sweet, filled with messages from them and for the first time here really did not know what to say because my Hindi is so limited and even in English I was speechless. It was very very lovely and I'm really going to miss them all there.
I have so much I want to write about for the past week but all I'm really thinking about today is how much I'm going to miss this place - the kids I've been working with, the other volunteers, and crazy Delhi, which I have completely fallen in love with regardless of the touts and beggars and random oxes and camels! There is something about this city that is so alive and engaging I am already desperate to return.
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