Congestion and traffic problems are a prevalent feature in his latest blog as he nears the half-way point of his epic journey.


Darren's blog

The week began as it had ended with another protracted border crossing. The Indian authorities insisted on emptying the bus and searching our luggage – it was an unwelcome five hour ordeal in the sweltering heat. After meeting up again with our Belgian driver Bart it was a short drive to Amritsar. This holy city is situated in the Punjab region and is the centre of the Sikh religion.

The main point of worship is the Golden Temple, a spectacular moated palace within an immense outer complex. Thousands line up to visit everyday, while others cleanse themselves in its water and the poor are provided with food. The temple is truly amazing and Sikhism appears to grasp the true meaning of community.

India is a culture shock and surprisingly different from Pakistan. The first thing you notice is the sheer number of people, the second most populous nation feels overcrowded and can sometimes suffocate. And while undoubtedly fascinating it can prove difficult to tolerate. People simply go to the toilet and shower on the side of the road, every village, town and city is full of inescapable rubbish and open sewers. The road infrastructure is appalling and the constant honking is deafening. I am not exaggerating when I say that the entire country feels like one massive landfill site, with the smells, infestations and nastiness this brings.

Ultimately it is the people of India who have proved most disheartening. Lots appear purely motivated by trying to con tourists out of their money and the constant, sometimes unstoppable hassling and begging can be incredibly infuriating.

And so our visit to Delhi was just a reflection of everything else we had experienced on a bigger scale. This sprawling metropolis of over 16 million people is a smelly dump, strewn with poverty and slums. Its inhabitants live in the most awful conditions alongside goats, cows and vermin. The city does have a few highlights such as India Gate and the former Viceroy residence which has a feel of Washington DC, but it is remote beauty amongst much ugliness.

Our hotel on the first night was unsurprising not very nice and thus after many complaints we rather hurriedly moved to another. The management were obviously not amused by this move and thus decided to effectively hold my clothes (which I had left to be laundered) to ransom. Fearing I would lose half of my traveling possessions; I was relieved when with only half an hour to go before we left Viv (our team leader) settled the outstanding bill.

So after all that, our visit to Corbett National Park was a much needed tonic. The tiger reserve is 1600 sq km and is situated in the remotest part of India with the most stunning scenery. Here we stayed in little log cabins and the restaurant food, like all Indian cuisine was fantastic. On Thursday we set out on a sunrise safari and although we failed to glimpse the elusive tigers we did spot herds of elephants, many monkeys and lizards in their natural environment.

Our next stop in India was Agra, where one of the wonders of the world is situated and the country's jewel – the Taj Mahal. Another early start meant we captured this 'temple of love' in its finest glory and it really is a magnificent spectacle. After many posed for their 'Diana photo shot' on the now famous bench, we also visited another gem, the city's Red Fort. The fort is very impressive and one of the best preserved I have visited.

So we are nearing the half way point of our travels. After weeks of tensions, fallouts and trouble things have settled down amongst the OzBus group. Six weeks on, friendships have flourished, relationships ebbed and flowed and groups have formed. The long hours of traveling have led to the spread of much rumour and gossip but an air of toleration now seems to hold sway. I think this trip has proven when people have to get on, they can.

And so we are still struck in traffic (we have moved ½ km in 4 hours) and we are also still in India, well for another few days at least …