Delhi-London

0735 Up, dressed, feeling like shit - didn't get to sleep til gone 3, probably more like 330, snoozed on 7 alarm til about 725. Having some bourbons before final check round room.

0801 OK, let's go check out.

0828 On train about to leave for airport. All very modern, swish and virtually empty. Except because this is the *airport* line we have to have intrusive airport-style security. Contents of my pockets examined by guard. Because they presumably won't check at the airport now. Oh no, they will. The one thing I can see which remotely justifies this is that they do have bag scanners and security guards on entry to regular metro - I never had my pocket contents examined, but maybe that's just because it's too busy, whereas airport line is practically deserted. Because otherwise what possible excuse is there to have extra-tight security on that line, when you could kill hundreds of times more people on the jam-packed regular lines? But then, what does logic have to do it? I just don't appreciate the complexities involved.

Had trouble finding ticket gates once bought ticket, local woman showed me in the end. They were sort of obvious but I still think the signage once you passed the ticket counter was poor. In theory you can pay 120 and have it on your smart card, but that didn't seem to be an option so I paid 150 for a plastic token. Still, touch wood all going pretty smoothly.

The line used to run at >100km/h but doesn't any more. They are supposedly slowly ramping it up again, something to see next time maybe.

Didn't tip anyone at hotel, not got loads of cash and I might want it for food at airport and I felt slightly harried with the receptionist, portery chap who intercepted me as I left my room and offered to carry my bag and the door-opening chap.

Still feel a bit tired but not too bad.

Oh, despite struggling to find ticket gates, I got lucky with this train - they are every 15 mins, and this one was waiting on platform and left 2-3 mins after I got on. Of course I will probably end up with hours to kill at airport but better that than be rushing like crazy. (It's not massively likely but if I did miss the flight somehow I might be at slight risk of not making it back home for Christmas. Would probably be OK but still, I do have a definite 'thing' to be back in time for.)

0848 Here at airport! [Can they have improved the speed since what I read on the web, can't remember where, was written?]

0940 Through security. Seemed a little shitter than normal, they got upset because I put some notes in the tray when I emptied my pockets out. Wearing short-sleeved T-shirt and jacket and I feel hot. My trousers also feel tight on the third hole, even though I've been wearing (admittedly the combats, not these, but it's the same belt) them on that for weeks. Presumably my body has swollen in the heat.

1042 Sort of tempted to go get food but in reality I feel a bit bloated and that is the last thing I want. If I wasn't going on a plane I wouldn't even be considering it, it's only the 'now or never' feeling. But the food on plane will probably be OK, I have two big bags of peanuts or the like if I get desperate for nutrition and while right now it is the last thing I want, if I am feeling hollow by the time I get to London I can have a gorge on pizza there, which will be something to look forward to.

Not as sad as I might normally be to be leaving India. I think in a way that is unfair; in part the fact I am leaving to go home to see family etc for Christmas (not work) and maybe a certain tiredness after 2.5 months travelling contribute to it, whereas when I left Thailand and (sort of) Georgia I was going on somewhere else. I don't think I have fallen in love with India but I can well imagine I will come back in the future.

1114 Looking at screens I see my gate (1) is open. I might as well go over there I guess. (I knew the number before and could probably have gone anyway, but it is open now.)

1124 At gate. Had to be security screened *again*. Oddly they asked if I had anything metallic in my pockets and had to put that in tray with jacket, but they let (in fact, insisted) I kept my belt on and didn't send me through the metal detector but instead a chap felt me over (not with one of those wand things, with his hands). I had to take my laptop out for the bag scan. I also suspect given both compression straps on my bag were loose and I only undid one (I think) to get laptop out they opened the bag for a peer inside when I wasn't looking but not sure.

I was not rude but possibly slightly sullen at the security check, not sure.

No one seemed to care that the contents of my pocket emptied into the tray included Indian notes and coins.

1206 On plane. No one sat next to me yet and they boarded rows 50-53 quite early, so just maybe I get a double seat, though not holding my breath - it's probably some tubbler who was busy shoving food down their gob and hasn't got to the gate yet. Though generally the rear rows look empty so maybe the flight is not that full.

1211 Wow. Announcment says we can now use mobile phones, e-readers and personal headphones during take off and landing.

1239 It's quite foggy out BTW. Got my double seat. Loads of spare space; it's packed up front judging from the seat map on the online reservation page. ;-)

1648 Watched Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa and The World's End. First not bad, second sort of OK but also a bit crap, still, I guess I'm glad I've seen it, slightly interested me when it was advertised on billboards. Let's switch to London time.

1120 So about five hours to go, maybe a bit less as announced flight time was 8h something instead of the 9h something I expected. Difference might only be 10-20 mins I suppose, and you have to allow for time on the ground.

Not sure if will watch another film. Nothing astounding, could watch Great Gatsby but I dunno. I quite like the book, not sure I could stick a dramatisation. Maybe I'll give it a go.

1653 We landed about fifteen mins late, could see on map we did one big circle over NE London and one zig zag. On platform at T5 now waiting for tube.

Delhi, Friday

1238 Checked in online, got an aisle seat in a twin seat near the back. Wondered if should go for something nearer wing as have an idea it is smoother, but the relative isolation of a twin seat seemed too good to pass up.

Despite going to bed when I said, didn't get to sleep til 330ish. Woke up on alarm at 11 and snoozed on it til about 12.

Probably not going to do much today but let's do quick bit of research online then go out and find an internet cafe (hopefully not on Hellhole Road) and print boarding pass and hotel confirmation and then maybe go out somewhere.

1718 Kwality. Rogan Josh with peas pulao and a stuffed parantha. They served me a bottle of black label without even needing to ask...

Went to Race Course metro and walked over to the Nehru Memorial Museum. Very green and relatively tranquil area. Museum interesting in a quiet way, though I had to rush round a bit towards end and felt I got a bit bogged down reading stuff. Made me think about my own political beliefs, for want of a better words.

Huge queue to go through ticket gates/security at New Delhi station but it did move surprisingly quickly.

Got boarding pass and hotel confirmation printed at Lal internet cafe round corner (desk staff told me where it was) as soon as left hotel. Looking forward to food and will assess cash, go back on metro then taken out some cash and go to Reliance Fresh for snacks then back to hotel. Obviously to a certain extent I now just want to be home, but there you go.

1814 Got coffee without asking for it either, which is sort of nice but also was a touch harrying. Bill 903, made it 1100. Will use bog then off back to metro.

2017 Finally back at hotel. Was on platform at Patel Chowk (pronounced sort of like chalk) from approx 1830 to 1910 before could get on train. Locals a bit more successful (extra pushy) and a few got on most trains. But I have used metro before from there and usually same kind of time (after dining at Kwality) and never been that mad. Surprisingly good-natured pushing and shoving in general. Trains were rammed, and not many people getting on or off at Patel Chowk.

0138 Finally gone to bed. Packed ages ago, been surfing. Bit slack really but it's not as if I'd have got to sleep much earlier. Fingers crossed for getting up in morning but it should be fine.

Delhi, Thursday

0132 Incidentally, touch wood etc, the bloated feeling seems to have gone. Odd twinge or two this afternoon/evening but very little and nothing recently. Might still be a kick or two left as it completely goes but hope not. Who knows if calcium carbonate helped? Not sure I can blame food here for this; it has come on me intermittently back in the UK too.

1233 Been snoozing on alarm since 11. Bit tired but that's hardly unusual. V noisy in room now with traffic but tis OK. Flight seating looks OK still, will check again tonight. Flight to BA was originally 670 according to my notes, expedia has lost my saved flight but the sidebar says it was 680 when I searched 2 days ago and it is now 688.

Train up to Skegness for Christmas hasn't gone up since yesterday, will book that now before it's too late. Wifi here isn't great, it works in short bursts, sigh.

I think I'm going to book the BA flight too; it is irrationally tempting to leave it until I get back to the UK, but I don't want the price to soar and I've left it too late really anyway, it is kind of lucky I can still get a decent price. Also - and this is another reason I should have booked earlier - if a jury duty summons shows up I want the flight booked in advance so I can offer it as a reason when asking to be excused. Not likely, I admit, but possible.

It's going to be fun doing credit card transactions on this dodgy wifi. No, it was OK, I put the laptop on the table instead of in bed and that somehow helped.

Need to faff a little to check what money I have on hand and to put AA batteries on charge for headphones for flight but need to be heading out soonish. Will I handle Delhi better now? To be fair, I plan to practice the avoidance measures I put in place towards end of my initial visit so it should be OKish anyway.

1349 Finally heading out. I think Jantar Mantar (the Jantar Mantar?) here is not such a big deal as the one in Jaipur, guide book doesn't say much about it, but if I only spend ten minutes there no big deal.

1613 At Kwality. Did got to JM, quietly enjoyable if not spectacular. Spent some time just reading guide book on phone in the grounds. Probably not making the best of my time here in Delhi but I don't care, now is not the time for making excursions on city buses or whatever. Murgh bharta with peas pulao rice and a garlic naan and a bottle of black label.

1706 Ad on (silent) TV for "Havell's - wires that don't catch fire". An admirable quality, surely, but can the typical wire here be so poor that is a feature worth advertising? 'Smith's peas - the peas with no arsenic'.

Food not bad, had coffee, will get bill and go back to hotel via Reliance Fresh for water/snacks and probably pop out for a couple of beers at My Bar later. (Tomorrow night will almost certainly be a quiet night in; need to read up on it, but want to be up pretty early so I can get airport express metro line but allow for problems, also flight is approx 1230 so even if no risk of problems would need to be up 9ish anyway.)

1713 Bill 908, will make it 1100. Will use bog then go.

1949 At My Bar. Cos I'm here on my own they insist I share a table for two with some random bloke who is eating. Yay. Super-comfortable as you might imagine. If I knew any other tolerable (and the bar is not very high) bars I would obviously fuck off but there you go.

Noticed as I came out the packet of Latin American loperamide I have been carrying loose in one of the pockets of my combats have finally escaped. (They used to live in my wallet but I stopped carrying that on bulk grounds when I was in Delhi last time.) Fortunately I have some other UK-branded variant and obviously I am due to go home soon. I will buy some more either in the UK over Xmas or when I get to BA.

1953 Beer is 103. Which is not bad, though menu gives price (75) and VAT separately so when I paid with a 100 that wasn't enough. Fortunately I had three rupees in change. May tip on last beer (this just might be the last, but let's see, probably second will be last).

I wonder if I'd be allowed to move in the unlikely event another table for two became free.

Oh, on metro back to hotel at the intervening stop (Rajiv Chowk I think, aka Connaught Circus to me) there was a huge outsurge of people from the carriage (I had squashed into the third, letting first two go past, on the third no one got off but I was swept forward in a huge crowd surge and hence got on the train) and I was caught up in it. Got 'blown' right onto platform, struggled off to one side and managed to reboard at end of 'queue' to do so as so many had got off. It was a bit scary but also sort of exhilarating, a bit like I imagine white-water rafting might be.

2124 Back at hotel. No touts en route either way (as, indeed, was case when I went to My Bar my first time in Delhi). A few electric tuktuks on street here; other places I've been don't seem to have them.

Chap (young-ish Indian) eating at table left after not long. Just before I left an old-ish Indian chap got put at my table; he was more gracious than I was when foisted on someone else, sort of asking if it was OK. I didn't make any attempt to speak with either of them; sometimes I want to and wish I could, but tonight I didn't. Maybe it's because I'm in 'going home' mode, maybe it's that Delhi seems to invite me to thicken my protective shell more than usual. I would normally also hesitate to force my company on someone who had no choice by virtue of me/them being forced to share a table, though I've had people speak to me under such circumstances enough (Indians on trains, Tony on bus Chiang Mai-Bangkok, etc) and it go well that I would try to resist that hesitation. However, as I say, tonight despite feeling a bit of a sad fucker at seeing some other groups of tourists, I really really didn't want to scrape acquaintance with anyone.

When I came back to hotel earlier (after dinner) the doorman tried to make out I was at the wrong hotel or something. Tonight I got in OK but some chap started to sort of question me (despite my looking at staff on desk and perhaps uttering a word or two) as I approached the stairs in the lobby then changed his mind. I am hardly pissed now (2x650ml 5%) and even less so after dinner (1xditto, with food), so don't think that accounts for it. Meh.

Been wearing my moderately thick long-sleeved shirt and nothing else all day. At times during the day I felt it was sensible, but generally have been a smidge too hot and feel a bit so now.

2137 Oh, I didn't leave because that guy got put at my table. I wasn't really enjoying myself and didn't want to drink too much and had already decided to leave when I finished the second beer anyway.

I handed over 120 for the second beer and didn't get given any change. I kind of didn't want any, but it still feels just a tiny bit cheeky to keep it. Maybe that's the custom, if I had paid with 2x100 it might have been different (I'd certainly have been hacked off about that, whereas this was 'meh'.)

2145 FFS. I'd got mostly undressed and just got a knock on the door and a call from reception. Turned out they just wanted to know if I wanted dinner. FFS (again).

0157 FFS. I need to go to bed. Just been surfing etc.

Chandigarh, Wednesday and Chandigarh-Delhi

1144 Just checked out. Bill was about 45 rupees more than I expected but meh. Left my bag with them, may feel obliged to tip when pick it up. Tipped the chap who sits outside the door opening it 20, which isn't much but then the service is a stupid one.

Didn't get to sleep til gone 3 with intermittent 'bloated' pains in guts. Odd twinge this morning but much better. Not sure what to make of it. Probably going to eat now as if I don't I will be starving later, and if it must kick off again best to give it time to settle down before train.

Just about had enough cash to pay bill, hotel in Delhi is paid in advance via expedia so need to make a small withdrawal for just spending money (though two meals at Kwality will run about 2.5k-3k). Since I don't seem to be getting charged a fee I don't have to go too nuts on withdrawing a large sum.

My (free) prepay coupon for wifi at hotel ran out this morning so unable to search for a post office - modulo illness etc, my plan for today was just to send off the postcards for lack of anything else major to do.

1230 At Tehal Singh's waiting for food - murg Tehal Singh's special boneless with jeera rice and two tandoori roti (chap on train from Amritsar recommended tandoori roti, also saag something but not sure what, and I'm not ordering a random spinach dish just for the sake of it). Guts feel a bit intermittently gassy/churning but not much I can do. As I say, probably better to eat than not. Have written postcards, may ask chap here where the post office is (though he may not know). They're a bit crap as they don't say where there are of, just 'The palace water faal (sic)' not 'Rock garden, Chandigarh, India'. Wrote that in by hand. :-) Don't think I managed to get a great 'excitement' vibe onto the postcards but I guess the main thing is that I'm sending them.

Withdrew 3k (first tried 2900 and the machine just printed out a 'cannot dispense' slip instead of inviting me to enter another amount), damn thing gave me 3x1k notes. Not end of world, the meals at Kwality will be 1kish, probably over, and I do have a 500 and some 100s and will try to pay with a 1k note here.

1342 Bill 480ish, I suppose I did have a diet pepsi and tea as well and the special is a touch more expensive. Definitely OK to use a 1k then. Change is a 500+20 so had to dredge out dwindling supply of small bills to make tip 40. Guts still churning intermittently. Asked about post office/stamps, guy said no - not entirely sure he understood me. Oh well. Let's wander and maybe try a pharmacy. Not sure what exactly I want medically tho if in UK might try some calcium carbonate. Didn't finish food, seemed silly to force it given current state (nothing is coming out either end, I just have this internal discomfort) and I ate a reasonable amount.

1456 Found a pharmacy and bought some calcium carbonate tablets; not sure if they're helping but guess they won't hurt. Asked him where post office was and he sent me over to sector 17. Have finally found it (there is a map, but only on one street on corner of sector, no maps internally and loads of shops) and fingers crossed have sent them (INR15 each).

1504 At Cafe Coffee Day on first floor (UK style) near GPO. Moderately swish though access via a staircase which I mentally associate more with dodgy bars. Just getting a french press black coffee; I hope they have a bog (not that am desperate, but be good to 'have a go') but not asked yet. Train is 1820ish so will probably head back towards hotel after this and maybe have another coffee somewhere nearby.

In hindsight shouldn't have given that possibly rather poor tip to chap on door this morning, should have waited until I left for the last time. Oh well. I don't really see why I should have to tip for someone opening the door for me, I am more than capable of doing it myself.

1605 Just checked, it's 144 for the coffee which isn't exactly cheap IMO but is acceptable. Going to have a second, the timing is getting a bit stressful with the train but I won't loiter over this so much.

Got bill, it's 288 (gasp! how unexpected!), it seems to include a small service charge as well as a service tax so I will just make it 300. Actual made it 310 which I think comes to about 10% with the service charge on the bill. I'm not to 10 or 20 rupees on a purely financial basis, I'm mainly worried about not having any suitable small bills left to eg tip bag carriers at hotel in Delhi. But fingers crossed.

1820 On train. Got to station about 1740. Not sure I am in right carriage because they're not labelled clearly. Also, the seating is 3+2 and I get the window seat in a 3-set. Yay. Not as good as I expected based on the Shatabdi (sp) (this is also a Shatabdi) I took from IIRC Agra to Jaipur. It is better than the 3+3 chair car on the train into Chandigarh at least.

Picked up bag OK at hotel though felt a bit pushed walking over there; Chandigarh is pretty sprawly. Got there about 1h5 before train due. Didn't tip anyone. Got tuktuk in street; driver wouldn't (or couldn't due to language?) give me a price but I said 150? and he took it. Not sure if excessive but it is a fair old drive and not too bad.

Window blinds are all down for no obvious reason. Would all other things being equal prefer it open but not going to open it.

Chap to my right is one of those really sprawly elbow right over the armrest types. Meh.

Ah, woman in front asked me in good English if I minded if she opened the window shade. Somehow reminds me of chap I met on train to Jodhpur saying the men spoke Hindi at his university but it was 'cool' (my phrase) to speak to the women in English.

2258 Train massively late. Can see by GPS we're just outside New Delhi stn, we've been sat here for ages. Took my headphones out some time ago when we seemed to be at a station and somehow don't want to put them back in. Bit hacked off, though I do feel 90% healthy so it could be worse. Not looking forward to the walk to hotel but really it is fine. Also if the cunts have given my room away despite it being prepaid for three days ('cos apparently that sort of thing is OK when you're a hotel; it's like charging 1970s prices for phone calls, I guess), I don't seriously believe I can't apply the banker's solution and walk into any of the several billion hotels in Paharganj and get a room regardless of the time of day or night. I think it will probably be OK at my hotel anyway.

This is reminiscent of BR in my student days. There hasn't been an announcement in any language all the time I've had my headphones off.

Looking at GPS map I think I might go to Delhi's Jantar Mantar tomorrow. It's practically next door to Kwality so a good afternoon stop before dinner, and if there's time I might go somewhere else first. I'm not busting a gut to tourist it up these two days in Delhi. Friday will be mainly about checking in for the flight online and finding an internet cafe to print my boarding pass.

2339 In hotel room. I can't believe it but the chap at the desk wants my expedia booking printout. To be fair he isn't insisting on it tonight but tomorrow I can go to an internet cafe to print it out. Fucking hell. I will ask at the desk tomorrow if I can leave it until Friday as then it will be less inconvenient since I need to go to an internet cafe then anyway.

I carried my bag up in the lift, chap showed me the room, I wonder if he wanted a tip but I didn't give him one. They are going to bring me some towels. I will tip 50 for that and then I'm done with it.

This room is at the front which is a bit noisy but no big deal, I also by same token get a view.

2344 Wifi signal poor verging on nonexistent (I haven't managed to connect yet) on my phone but at least it's normal wifi without the wanky hotel system stuff so laptop probably be OK.

Oh, I was at Hotel Diamond Plaza in Chandigarh.

0130 Finally going to bed. Wifi not great on netbook but good enough for Skype voice (borderline), called parents, my new phone has arrived so fingers crossed I can get it working. Done booking.com reviews of last two hotels (as requested by staff), not tripadvisor yet. Anyway, bed.

Chandigarh, Tuesday

1248 At Tehal Singh's, taking a punt on the 'singara fish (amartsari)' - I don't know why, maybe cos I wonder if this is the amritsari fish with a typo.

Woke up about 1050ish, wifi was working so used netbook in bed. Managed to book same hotel in Delhi, lots of seats unreserved on flight at present so will keep an eye on it but not rushing in to pay 20 quid for a seat yet, Buenos Aires flight still available on expedia and have saved it in my itinerary prior to booking, also had bit of a look at trains to Skegness for Christmas though waiting to discuss with parents before book that. UK weather forecast suggests there shouldn't be anything too extreme to fuck up flights or trains while I am back.

Feels quite nice to have nearly everything sorted. Going to rock garden after this (it's on the way over from hotel) then tonight may go to the Nando's I noticed yesterday and perhaps a couple of beers after. Dunno if I can leave my bag at hotel tomorrow but fingers crossed.

Wearing short-sleeved shirt and jacket, as I was last night - I've washed the long-sleeved shirt. I don't exactly need the jacket today but it just seemed best to wear it. At least here in Tehal's it allows me to shrug off the a/c.

1311 Well that was pretty good, though the portion wasn't huge - individual boneless pieces of battered fish with some probably raw white vegetable I didn't recognise and a spicy green sauce which I did try and was OK. Fingers crossed I don't regret it... Getting bill and on a whim a tea (no coffee)

1329 Got bill, 267, will make it 300. Positively gorging on the aniseed things they've given me to finish up with. Anyway, off to the rock garden.

1516 In rock garden, which is quite cool though I suspect I have missed a huge chunk out. Was going to buy some postcards but the miserable cunt at the desk firstly wouldn't give me 10 rupees change for a 50 note, then when I decided I'd just buy an extra postcard said he wouldn't take the note as it was ripped. It has a couple of tears near the edges but nothing major. Well, fuck you then mate. I am pretty sure the 10 notes I used to pay for my entry were in equally poor condition and no one kicked up a fuss.

1520 Thought I should sort cash in my pockets out and found a pristine 50. Tempted to go back and get postcards, but I am not that desperate and I really don't want to give the surly jobsworth git any money now.

1601 Am in a second time. I thought I'd missed a bit and as the exit was just a tiny archway in a wall identical to dozens of others I found myself outside before I knew it. Security guard chap asked what I thought of it and I said I needed to go get another ticket and go in again. Woman at ticket desk wouldn't take my (ripped) 50 for change for the 20 entrance fee. (Not because it was ripped AFAICT.) Some helpful chap changed it so I got another ticket. Security guard asked me why I bought a new ticket; I said I didn't think I'd be allowed in again on the same one. It's only 20 rupees a go though, so no big deal; at least they don't charge foreigners 200 or 400. I will probably be weak and buy my four postcards from surly bloke this time round - then I can write them tonight and maybe it will increase the chances of getting them posted either tomorrow or from Delhi.

1646 OK, out for the second time. Was worth a second circuit though it turns out I hadn't missed anything, except a 'lobe' of the open courtyard area at the end which had some swings in alcoves round the edges. Mostly adults using them so I had a quick go, though I never did have the leg coordination to build up a swing down that well even when I was younger. Security guard chap not here any more, which is fine except he did seem to want to ask me what I thought of it so I feel I've cheated him slightly. Still, no big deal.

1800 Back at hotel. What a hike! Anyway, since needed bog thought would stop in here before going on to Nando's.

1843 Off out again.

1856 Nando's. Usual order (half chicken hot with chips and corn-on-the-cob) - oddly they asked a flavour for the corn-on-the-cob, this is one of their spiciness choices, so I said hot but never had that for corn-on-cob before. Place is mostly empty. Waiter service so I suspect the 'bottomless' diet coke will be one or if I'm luck two glasses in practice but meh. Quite warm, going to have to take jacket off and hope I don't forget it. Menu virtually same as in Singapore and as in London, as you might expect.

Trod in something slimy in the unlighted wilderness of trees and scrubby grass alongside road outside hotel while crossing. Gave it a good old wipe and maybe it wasn't dog shit but paranoid imagination of smells. I just realised, the diet coke isn't bottomless - they charge you 100 instead of 90 for it and it's on a different line of the menu. Yay, confusing and exploitative. One consolation about the place being so empty is if my shoe does have shit on the smell is more private.

1934 It is shit, or I'm imaginging a slightly smell. FFS. Anyway, bill 649 including a 7% service charge which I think is different from the n other taxes applies. Will probably make it 700ish. Kudos, I was coughing during meal (obviously minor flare up of cold) and they brought me a glass of water.

2005 At Peddlers. It's miles away, I actually missed it and had to double back.

I wanted a draught kingfisher but have ended up with two bottles for the price of one. I suspect this will still be super pricey.

I ticked 'average' as quality on the feedback card at Nando's and a chap came over to query it. It's only cos the first bit I cut seemed slightly tough. I only filled it in so I could write diet coke should be offered bottomless. Oh, as in SGP I ate with knife and fork as felt too self-conscious with n staff stood around watching.

Slight churning in guts. Nose is bunged up. No fucking idea. I don't really feel ill, I just don't feel quite 100%.

2149 Fuck a doodle do. Four beers gives a bill of 735. 4 draught beers would have been under 400 I think and probably more beer (ie I wouldn't have had 4). Cuntarama. No wonder they 'accidentally' brought me bottles (and this is with a theoretical 2-for-1) instead of draught beer.

I suspect - fuck it, I am not tipping, they've suckled heavily at my teat as is - and not just because of this extortion, I may actually have burnt through too much cash to have enough to pay bill on checkout. But maybe not, there is a cash machine near hotel anyway. Fuck me. Not happy. Tuesday offer thing right here on table says draught beer mug is 79. I would have argued but I just assumed that at 2-for-1 then bottled beer would be at least reasonably priced. (I note also the bill made no mention of 2-for-1, and that the 2-for-1 ad on the table makes no mention of price.) Can't help wondering if this is tourist extortion on the sly but probably not. There is a raucous laddish group at adjacent table and bars in the UK love to shaft you on bottles of beer and the place seems a bit up its own arse. Serves me right for not asking how much the (330ml, none of your 6xxml bottles here) bottles of beer were - and they are a bunch of deceptive fuckers for not showing it on the ad/menu card on bar.

Live band on doing some English language covers and some probably non-English. ("And nothing else matters", Led Zeppelin I think, can't remember exact name, now.) Band are OK if not amazing and I have been reading 'Learning Python' instead of watching. Had some gut churning feelings but not really clear why. Raucous group is leaving. No matter, I am obviously not staying out super late, which is why I asked for bill, so if they are closing no biggie, and band is still playing.

2225 Back at hotel. Had shit before left bar - *not* on floor despite temptation ;-) - which was bit loose but OK. Guts churning a bit but nothing too disturbing on walk back. While - kudos to someone - I felt safe all the way, the streetlighting is not exactly great once a lot of the shops shut, on top of the already-mentioned problems with darkness at the block intersections. (Still, the block structure plus fact each is divided into quadrants A-D is good for navigation.) Not exactly sure what to make of gut symptoms. Sigh.

Chandigarh, Monday

1204 Woke on alarm at 11. Been faffing around since. Going to go out for food soon but also need to pick a train out so I can book up and avoid problems. I will go to Delhi late on Wednesday - I know the area near the train station and will stay in Paharganj so late arrival not a big deal. Two full days there perhaps not ideal but maybe it will be less hellish with the experience so far under my belt.

OK, if I can get on it I want CC on train 12012 Kalka Shtbdi dep 1823 arr 2155 on 18 Dec. It probably costs 735 and shows availability for CC right now, so if I go to the bus terminal (where there is apparently a railway reservation office, and hopefully cash machines) after lunch (handily a place in guidebook is just round corner) that will probably be OK.

Let's go ask for key at reception...

1243 At Tehal Singh's Dhaba, not just round corner (that place freaked me out, the dining area was a room with all chairs up on tables, in the end a chap came out of kitchen - which has no access except via street - and said it was open but I went in again and doubled back out). Bit weird here too but it is in guide book and seems OK. Half chicken kadhai boneless (*meat*!!!) with jeera rice and a plain naan and a diet coke. Got some cash at machine near here. Need to pop back to hotel (which is more or less en route, but still annoying) before go to bus terminal as I forgot to bring my pen out to fill the form in for the ticket reservation.

City so far seems weird, the streets are v wide and buildings - "no, no mineral water, just the coke" so the guy gives me a mineral water, meh, can leave rest at hotel on way back so won't go to waste and price virtually same as in a shop - v low rise. It isn't mega clean but I suppose it is relatively so. I think the guide book did Amritsar a disservice saying iirc it was hopelessly noisy, dirty and overcrowded, it didn't seem any worse than anywhere else I've been.

I am wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt which is fine on street (weather forecast is 25Cish, though getting down to 15 or so at night) but the a/c in here is a touch fierce.

1538 At bus terminal, finally found well-hidden railway reservation office. Sign lower down says 'eve teasing' is a crime, must look that up. (A restaurant en route had sign saying "couples kitty party", ditto.)

1653 Back at hotel. Feeling slightly rumblings in guts but fingers crossed nothing too serious. Seen a few bars nearby, may go out for a beer later, we'll see.

2031 So help me God, I am at Peddlers "Under The Big Ben". Old British comedy album covers all over the menu (including bizarrely 'Monty Python Los Mejores Sketches'). Mambo No 5 playing. Not sure how well I am, guts feel a bit hollow and I had a second (if reasonably solid - yay for personal details) shit back at hotel. But fuck it. I guess I am also just recovering from this sore throat/cold and it is also a touch cool. Frankly I don't like the atmosphere much but apart from "Robin's bar" which was darkly intimidating down a side street, the other places I passed looked either a bit swanky or restauranty. I am not really feeling like a second meal, if anyone ever comes to take my order I will just have some hot & sour soup and a draught Kingfisher.

I got my train ticket OK by the way, been back at hotel, did a tiny bit of laundry and some minor purchases. Need to check seat availability on return flight and decide if I am going to spring for a reserved seat (assuming it isn't already too late to get an aisle seat) or wait til i can pick one for free 24h before flight. Also need to book my flight for Jan - have one in my eye from experimentation other night. Basically the only moderately cheap option is to fly to Buenos Aires. (Based on fiddling with return flights, this may not even be hugely affected by having left it so late, the return flights weren't cheap either though I did less exploation with them.) Since I need a return flight (ie just a flight back, not strictly a return back from the same place I fly into) booked as a condition of my travel insurance I am looking at a return flight (in the London to X then X to London sense, since this is way cheaper than two singles) to BA with Aerolineas Europa (Spanish airline) via Madrid for about £650 return with half-decent flight durations and departure times. Single was about 500-550 and a single to just about anywhere else was weighing in at 800-1000 or more. (There was one ultra cheap flight to New York via Manchester UK which could have been combined with an onward flight from there - superficially flying NY to elsewhere on continent is cheap as chips, eg 120 quid to El Salvador - but not sure how the return flight would have panned out, most NY flights not cheap so that deal was special, I would have to faff with visa waiver crap and also - especially when I would want to travel with clothes for the weather I expect in Latin America - a couple of days in New York in January don't massively appeal.)

That works quite well, insofar as I had any plan I was thinking of maybe visiting the southern reaches of the continent at local midsummer (so cool but not NY in January stuff), so I could head south from BA then back north up through Chile to call in at Santiago (must be visited, of course) and then northwards into the relatively unvisited parts (I haven't done much of Peru at all, and parts north are essentially untouched from my perspective). I would want to rough out a schedule before leaving but in terms of booking flights I am sure the BA option is reasonable. I'd probably want to 'end' with some time in Mexico but I don't anticipate big problems or expense getting a flight from Mexico down to BA to catch the return flight. BA isn't my favourite city but maybe one day I will actually crack it, and it's certainly pleasant enough to pass a few days in before flying home. I might take some 'internal' flights and at least one is mandatory if I want to visit Mexico/central America unless the Darien gap has been civilised since I last read anything about it. I have had the idea of travelling by cargo ship in my mind but haven't looked into it. I think for the transatlantic bit it's probably not a brilliant use of time even if it's possible. Just possibly Valparaiso to somewhere further up the same coastline might be an option.

E-mailed JR to check my proposed return date of 1st April is reasonable from a jobseeking perspective and he thinks it is.

Soup here now anyway.

Major confusion over drinks. Getting a glass (which may be tiny, but sod it) of Kingfisher draught. The options seem to be light or strong, and I don't want the strong. Attempts to determine what the light is like failed hugely, but sod it. It tastes OK anyway.

Oh, crossing the street outside hotel, traffic is OK but unless I accidentally cut through somewhere I shouldn't have, you end up walking under virtually unlit tree areas and tripping over piles of stones and climbing over small barriers to get back to the well-lit pavement outside the shops along the sides of the blocks proper. The city has a spacious and generally suburban feel but I'm not a huge fan so far.

Musically we have had EMF's Unbelievable, Everybody's Free (To Feel Good) and we now have Stereo MC's Connected, or we did, before it cut off for another play of Unbelievable. This is OK I guess. Maybe not very Indian but so be it. Feel a little better, it's not as if I was concretely ill before, just feeling a touch ropy. Music now skipping badly.

Also need to book hotel for Delhi tonight. Will probably stay where I did before if available, since at least it's a known quantity when I'm arriving fairly late at night. (I'd need to be sure you can check in that late, though.)

2124 Second beer. Feeling a bit funny. Think it's largely imagination but not pushing it. Got bill - 336 (soup was about 175 IIRC, so pricey, beer not too expensive), will try to make it 370ish. Was going to go to toilet but then I asked for bill as well and felt I couldn't then go (upstairs - this is in basement). Not too bad now. Honestly not sure there is anything wrong - I feel better now I know I can just leave. Left 50 tip due to way change panned out. OK, fuck it, feeling a bit edgy again now after drinking a bit more, I'm offski. It's 2128.

2146 Just got back to hotel. Except for slight 'twinge' once or twice I feel OK and as soon as I left I kind of regretted leaving that beer, also there was a chap with a guitar in one corner and while I probably wouldn't have stayed later might have been nice to hear some live music. But the place wasn't so fantastic by any stretch and as you can see it's a moderate walk from the hotel (I am not sure if I could get a tuktuk in a hurry, especially if I was feeling ill) and probably smart not to risk it. I was hoping to get through my time in Asia with no serious/food-related health issues. To be fair, maybe I have so far/will, I would be hard pushed to say there *is* anything seriously wrong at the moment, it's just natural caution, plus I am at the tail end of this cold/sore throat so perhaps feeling a little weak from that. (For example, I am fairly fine during the day, but nose a bit bunged up at times. Throad OK most of day but feels bit crap on waking and last night I was coughing quite a lot.) Anyway.

2246 Absolutely superb. The wifi now says 'invalid username or password' on the login screen. I note the shitty printout says it is valid for 24h. I went to reception who came back five minutes later with a new printout - this one valid for 2h, count 'em, two whole hours - and that gives exactly the same error. What a fucking crock of shit. Seriously not happy. I need to book my fucking hotel in Delhi, never mind looking into the flight seat reservation. I guess I can just hope it starts working - bwahahahaha - or failing that I can use my time tomorrow hunting for an internet cafe instead of going to the rock garden as I intended. Anything has to be better than the orgy of wifi use they'd have to put up with if they had a simple router and gave out the password. I for one would travel with at least 50 devices and set them all downloading continuously if I wasn't checked by the all-watchful power of iBerry Wifi Security, ensuring I get access via one device for as little time as possible and with maximum inconvenience. Since I also check in daily (if only via e-mail) with my parents back home lest some accident befall me, if this outage or just general incompetence continues I will be forced to pay extortionate roaming rates to send them a text. Total fucking shit.

2300 OK, I went to reception and got a third printout. This claims to be valid for 24h. Of course, IT STILL DOESN'T FUCKING WORK. I must say, I also just *love* interacting with these login web forms on a mobile phone browser. It's just so slick and convenient. (I am trying both the laptop and the phone, neither works.)

Amritsar-Chandigarh

1654 On platform. Don't have enough money for hotel. ATM next to Brothers just printed a 'transaction cancelled' slip. Of the four ATMs in station forecourt, one just says 'transaction completed' without giving me money or slip, one has crashed, one looks OK but has four men sat outside telling you you can't go in and should use the one which just prints 'transaction cancelled' slips and the fourth is apparently off. This is not a complete catastrophe as I believe my card still works, I have about 3k on me (hotel will be about 6.5k) and also have travellers cheques and credit cards and some GBP/USD cash. Still, not ideal.

2231 At hotel. Not been asked for any money yet so hoping it will be pay on checkout. '24h' prepay booth at stn was unmanned, so I had to deal with some random drivers. Quoted me 200, having 150+tiny bills+a 500 I said I couldn't pay that and walked off and he went dow to 150. Probably still a bit high but OTOH it was a longish ride. It's an odd place, the tuktuk was sort of curtained off with probably didn't help but the buildings are set back so far from the road it's like you're driving through the middle of nowhere not a city.

I got window seat of a group of 3 on train as my allocated seat, joy. Fortunately some chap asked me to swap so I got the window seat of the sole group of 2 in first row. Just as narrow a seat. As I was closing the window the woman next to me stopped me. So it was a bit nippy when the train was moving, fortunately just tolerable. She was all wrapped up in shawls and fuck knows what. Later on (at which point I was leaning forward to keep out of the draught as much as possible and secondarily to prevent myself from blocking it reaching her, she wants it open, let her feel it) she reached over to pull it down a bit more. I half wonder if she thought I was *opening* it, but really fuck knows. She got off maybe half an hour before terminus so I shut it then. We got in a bit early 2145 ish, station was heaving.

Indian chap who was standing spoke to me a bit during the journey, which was OK. Could have sworn he indicated the window-bitch was his wife, but she didn't get off with him.

Waiting for them to bring me the wifi password.

2306 OK, I have had an A4 printed page of super-detailed wifi instructions delivered. I suddenly realise I don't have a key to my room, but the door can be bolted on the inside and I am not going to ask for a key tonight as it may prompt a request for payment and all other things being equal I would rather quest for a cash machine tomorrow in daylight. (I could use credit card but the small risk of it being misused makes me reluctant. This assumes they take credit cards anyway.)

Have clipped my nails while waiting, apart from being horribly dirty they were also getting so long it impeded typing on phone.

While I remember, I was at hotel Darbar View in Amritsar.

Because this is a 'proper' hotel (though the room while clean varies from fairly smart (the ceiling) through borderline shabby (scuff marks on floor and most walls) to extremely shabby - the wall next to the bed has weird amoeba-like shapes in the plaster and peeling paint) of course it has an open wifi network (the name is not actually shown on the sheet) and you get to go through the "Iberry Hotspot Login" page and the (free, admittedly) 'hotspot prepaid coupon' can be used for one device only. (I can tether my netbook to my phone, so am setting phone up, plus I use that for e-mail most of the time so it's most important).

There does seem to be hot water, judging by my experiments with the taps while soaking nails prior to cutting.

0112 Hot shower was very nice. Appalling wifi (I am right opposite reception but my phone still struggles to get more than one bar - and I *am* blaming the hotel for this, since their wanky "one device" policy stops me trying my laptop) not so nice. Anyway, got what I needed to do done and bed. Just hope they don't cut up rough about the room key tomorrow and claim they gave it me and I lost it.

Amritsar, Sunday

1452 At Brothers. Got up absolute last minute, left bag at hotel and got cycle rickshaw to Durgiana Madir. This is a Hindu temple which I don't think is in my guide book but which Harpreet at hotel told me about. Did two circuits of the pool, didn't go into centre bit as not sure if allowed. Amazingly similar overall appearance to Golden Temple.

As leaving chap urged me to take photo of some newlyweds, so I did. Have a vague recollection this is supposed to be lucky.

Met French chap (lived all over world) when putting shoes on outside, he had two hrs to kill before his bus so we sat outside and had a chat. Interesting chap, on a two yr trip round Asia filming an independent documentary. Didn't get his name or contact details, but if I do ever find out about this film later be interesting. He recommended I read Travel until the end of the day by Louis Ferdinand Celine.

1543 Getting coffee and bill.

1555 Went for second shit (also went when came in) and no coffee or bill on my return. Getting bill now.

1556 And now the coffee arrives. Tis OK, I am not really short of time but still.

Bill 365, will make it 400.

1607 Nearly finished coffee. Will send this now then it might escape via hotel wifi as I collect my bag. Need to wd some cash en route too.

Amritsar, Saturday

1229 Finally dragging myself out of bed. Woke about 7 feeling crap. Seems like loads of shit to do today - go buy train ticket, then go to border, then see temple at night - and all slightly difficult and leaving little convenient time for food. Anyway, got to get on.

1354 At Brothers. Just ordered. Not sure if going to make the border and trying to contain a sense of urgency; if I don't make it it's not the end of the world. Chap yesterday told me to be in that place 230-3 for taxi IIRC, assuming I can find it that will probably work. Wikitravel makes it sound nightmarish, but WTF. Definitely want food first as I suspect if I do get there I could be hanging around a lot.

Massive queue at reservation office. No availability in CC - chap said I should go by bus, which would have thrown my already hurried itinerary for today right out - but after slight confusion managed to get reservation in non-AC. It's OK, weather isn't hot and if it's cold I can wear my jacket. (I have been wearing long-sleeved shirt a lot here, esp at night, it is relatively cool.) At least it only cost INR110.

1422 Food good though bit stuffed. Bill 345, will make it 400. Prob be back here tonight anyway.

1433 Sat in back of tuktuk somewhere down a back street waiting to go to Wagah border. Not paid yet. Guy says we will leave at 3pm. May be too late but if so can't be helped, I have tried. I could have paid 600 (not sure if one way or not) to go solo but am paying 100 each way to share. I might guess it would be 600 both ways on the assumption there will be three of us in the back. I feel a bit safer going with a group somehow. I hope they get some more people soon. I was milling about in street outside Jwhatsit Bthing (massacre place) and a chap asked 'Wagah border?', which was more or less what I expected to happen. Slightly worried is going to be a bit cold esp on way back but I have a T-shirt on under my long sleeved shirt so it should be OK and being cold for maybe half an hour isn't going to kill me. Wikitravel rather confusing about exa

1444 Got moved over to front left seat of a white tuktuk (this one has a steering wheel, which is unusual, and three car-like pedals and a car-ish gear stick on the dashboard, which is probably unusual but obviously I don't normally have the same view when I'm in the back - dashboard says 'Mahindra') which took me round corner where we picked up some people who are sitting in back. I hope we are not going to squish an extra person in front. I am not quite sure why we haven't gone yet, though from awkward glances over shoulder I might be wrong in thinking we have three people in back, though it looks like it.

I went and bought a bottle of water aftering say yes to the chap in street - some difficulty making him understand why I wanted to pop off - but as per wikitravel do not have a bag since apparently they are not permitted. There is apparently a tourist area at the border which I hope I can get into to avoid worst of crush. 1448 and we seem to be off.

2017 Back at hotel after being present at (but not really seeing) the border ceremony and a circuit of the pool at the Golden Temple after dark. Have booked a hotel in Chandigarh and going to leave laptop uploading some photos while I go gorge a second time at Brothers. Was tempted not to go out for food but sod it. It's vegetarian at least. May try to get over to Crystal for lunch tomorrow.

2031 At Brothers, ordered veg hot & sour soup, jeera rice, mushroom mutter, plain naan (Brothers, dinner).

The ceremony. Incidentally it was a 4 wheel vehicle, though only noticed on return. I got shoved in between driver and his mate both ways, so I had my arse a bit on each of their cushions and basically by the end of each journey it was quite painful.

We basically got there too late; so much for my assumption being with a group of Indians would avoid this. Not my fault given I was there at 230ish and we didn't leave til 3ish and then we kept touting for business as we went and stopped a couple of places.

A young man who I assumed to be an adult at first and his brother sort of started talking to me once we disembarked and were walking to the border. I gather most of the group (oh, it was really pile em high in the vehicle, people sat immediately behind me facing backwards, etc) was this boy's family - turns out he is in year 10, dunno what that equates to but once I stopped assuming he was a small adult I'd guess he was about 12. His English was very bare bones but we could communicate a little and he and his brother to a lesser extent shepherded me through the crush of checkpoints. However, when we got to the border the general seating area was already full. I did see a sign for the foreign tourist bit but it would have felt shabby to ditch them at that point. Plus I did see one European-looking woman with us in the crowd at ground level so maybe it would have been full anyway. As far as I could tell the ceremony had started already when we got to border.

2121 Bill 370. Waiter chappie said "This bill very clear. Indian man cheat, very unclear bill. This bill clear." (or words to that effect) The bill has always been clear here before, why he would feel the need to slag Indians off I don't know. Pretty sure this is not a ploy to get bigger tip. Anyway, will make it 450. Stuffed, didn't quite finish the rice.

Meh, change was 'fixed' (to be fair, it's a natual way to pay) - got 100+3x10 from my 500, so left the 100. Not a problem, still cheap and place has been pretty good etc.

2153 B

2257 Been having chat with reception guy (Harpreet), the aborted entry was when I got back to my room after initial chat and he called me as he was having trouble finding me on facebook. Slightly odd chat and I don't know if he was trying to get rid of me at the end (but of course I didn't want to be seen to be wanting to get away from him) but still, quite interesting. He is a Sikh so I found out a) you don't have to wear a turban if you're a Sikh (he doesn't, which is why I asked when he said he was - I don't know *exactly* how this works or if all Sikhs agree with that, but still) b) most of the people in Amritsar are Sikhs, despite my assuming it was about 50% based on turban-wearing c) it is true that all Sikh temples are equally holy d) the wikitravel claim that all Sikhs are required/expected to volunteer for a week at the temple here is not true. All of course subject to him being right (he probably is) and me not having misunderstood. His English was pretty good but by no means flawless, though since the problems were mainly on him understanding me my accent may be partly to blame (tho my general theory on such things is that listening in a foreign language to a native speaker is much harder than talking to one). Won't attempt to note down everything we said but he did say his mother tongue is Punjabi but the first n years of school are done in Hindi (so he is fluent in it) and apparently no one finds that objectionable (on regional pride type grounds).

Anyway, just re the border ceremony, the son who was helping me got on his brother's shoulders and took some photos for me. I also did get to see the two country's flags being lowered in parallel. It was a bit not-quite-scary-level push-and-shove-y up by the gate/steps to the seats, but after a while we stepped back and five or ten metres away it's busy but not crazy.

0041 Fuck me it's cold in this room. Weather forecast says 10C out, it showed 16C on sign in street earlier. There is a draught from the door to the balcony. Maybe I'm just ill but I think it is a tad nippy.

Amritsar, Friday

1236 Woke up about 1030 feeling bit shit but not too bad. Snoozed on alarm from 11 to 12, now up and going to go out for lunch then try to find Golden Temple afterwards. It is very near hotel but guide book naturally doesn't bother to say where the entrance is and the complex is quite large.

As last night, hotel room feels a touch chilly. Popped out onto balcony and I think it's OK out. Bit uncertain about onward travel, need to book trains, getting into the temple (you have to cover your head, free bandannas are provided, how the fuck am I supposed to actually tie the thing?), whether I should stay an extra night (which interacts unpleasantly with the need to book train tickets).

Fuck it. Going to go to same place as last night for food, don't want to waste time hunting round for ages (though the temple is apparently open until 2am and you 'should' visit both during day and at night - still, for now at least I want to wander streets trying to find entrance in daylight) There is a huge 'leave your shoes here' sign just down street from hotel which *may* be the temple entrance but which may also be a scam or something, since guide book makes no mention of the huge signs by way of a landmark. Fuck it again. Food.

1306 Here at restaurant. Slightly tempted to try virtually identical looking place next door, but decided if food the same - that didn't superficially do non-veg, so couldn't try Amritsari fish there - why not stick with this place given I am fairly sure it's hygienic (guide book, my own experience yesterday).

1316 Aloo matar with jeera rice and a plain naan, and a diet coke. Never sure if I am supposed to have rice with potato dishes but sod it. I sort of asked the waiter's advice but I am not quite sure what to make of his attitude. It's all nutrition anyway.

I notice it really is 'Diet Coke' here, not 'Coke Light' as I believe it's branded in the UK and IIRC Latin America.

1349 That was quite good, slightly spicy but OK (though beer would have been nice). Feel slightly full/sick but better than yesterday. Chap has just sat down at my table opposite me (I am waiting for the bill), not sure if this is cos there are no free tables or what. I am studiously ignoring him. Do wonder if the food is a touch oily (ghee?) for my tastes, but not by any means sure. Chap left. No, he's back. Still, I am getting the bill for sure, waiter turned up again and asked what I wanted so he must have missed it first time.

1353 Bill only 27x, will make it 350 then leave chappie to his table. :-)

1729 Back at hotel. Want to see about organising Spanish lesson so waffle more later.

2030 Had lesson, looked into flights for Latin America, going out for food though not quite sure where. Crystal tempting but it's a tuktuk ride away and it's Friday night and not sure I'd get in. Maybe end up back at usual place, could do worse, let's see. May ask at desk.

2057 At Brother's, one of two places recommended by hotel. Their first rec was Shudh, which I went into. Says self-service outside (and hotel told me they did an unlimited deal, not that I was enormously interested). Not very busy inside. I ask if I serve myself after they seat me. They bring me a menu with prices. I order. Chap says it is self-service here. I ask if I should move. He says something about him serving me for cash. I ask how much. Deadlock, no comprehension. Earlier on he seemed to interpret my order as a request for details on the menu items. Semi fair enough. Then I asked if I should get rice with it. He read all 12 or so items off the breads list. Anyway, after the deadlock I said I was sorry I didn't understand and I'd better leave, and I did.

No trouble here and it's quite busy. One v slightly pushy tout en route here from Shudh but OK. I am fractionally tempted to head up to a 'beer bar and restaurant' I saw between here and bus stand on my walk to hotel when I arrived, but the road I think it was up looked slightly dead and the tout was there and I don't crave a beer and two consecutive days off would probably be a good thing. (I haven't been drinking a lot lately, but I had one bottle most days.)

Anyway, Golden Temple. The west entrance is the place near the 'leave shoes here' sign v near hotel. Left shoes, took socks off unprompted (kept in pocket) as guide book had mentioned washing feet on way in. As I headed off to the pool washy area I suddenly remembered (there were no signs) I hadn't covered my head so went back and got a bandanna. It was pre-tied so I fiddled with it and half got another pre-tied one on. I asked one of the army of guys behind the desk if that was acceptable and he tied one on for me, which was nice. (Wikitravel - not the most reliable source I admit - says all Sikhs are required/encouraged (don't remember which) to volunteer at the temple for a week. That to my mind would explain the massive overstaffing of the free shoe storage counter. But some random near the top of the Google results page on Sikhism I looked at the other day made out that no one Sikh temple was more holy than another and didn't mention this volunteering requirement. I suppose the two aren't strictly contradictory so could both be true, but seems odd.)

It is very impressive inside. I did a circuit of the pool, then queued up to go into the centre bit (don't have right names handy), then did another circuit of pool before leaving. On top floor of temple some chap in a turban sort of waved me into the central enclosed bit - I had avoided going in these places generally, on grounds of possibly upsetting people - and he seemed slightly insistent. So I knelt down awkwardly and then he waved me off to one side and seemed to insist I stayed. Other people were coming in and just kneeling and going out. I felt a bit awkward sitting there while some priest chap was reading. Anyway, he asked me my name and outside when we (IIRC) left he asked if I was Jewish so I told him I was Christian. It didn't exactly feel threatening but I am never happy on religious territory when not sure how to behave. Food here.

2122 Veg hot & sour soup v good. I didn't pay anything at the temple. Would have been happy to donate 100-200 but it would I think have been rude to tip the shoe desk chap (plus that would have been personal) and apart from some money on a tray in that room where the chap made me kneel down the only other place I could see taking money was the window related to the free kitchen which (as did some other windows about taking robes or holy offerings) said something about 'take your receipt' and I wasn't sure what to do - why would I want a receipt, why is it so important? If there'd just been a box marked donations somewhere I would have put something in.

Anyway afterwards went to the little park where there was the British massacre of unarmed group just after WW1. Moderately touching and interesting, though I felt some of the surrounding text esp in the museum just a touch overblown. Yes, it sounds like a terrible act, but to say (paraphrasing from memory) shooting on an unarmed crowd was 'unparalleled in history as an atrocity' strikes me as hyperbole. I also couldn't sympathise with the portrayal of Udai Singh (not right, from memory) who shot and killed the *son* of the guy who ordered the troops to fire in London some time after as a hero.

2156 Food pretty good, though rice turned up a lot later than other stuff. Am stuffed, struggled a bit to finish. But I figured best to eat something. I am probably going to Chandigarh (sp) next, looked into a bit earlier and will look out exact train details tonight and try to book tomorrow - there is (wikitravel, not rough guide, tho I spotted it myself after reading wikitravel) a reservation office by the temple which will be convenient if it's open. I might want to try to squish in another place after Chandigarh as it seems to have one main attraction and be a bit expensive and I don't want to end up in Delhi too early. I think two nights there (ie one full day then fly after second night) is an ample buffer against transport problems. Bill 346, was going to make it 400 but felt a bit stingy so made it 450. Perhaps over generous but sod it, will probably be back here as slightly nearer hotel than other place I've eaten and food roughly comparable.

2212 Back at hotel. Chap on desk asked if I'd had food. I said I'd been to Brothers. When he expressed mild surprise I didn't go to Shuhd I gave him a potted version of the trouble there, which I am not sure he understood but WTF.

Saw people at the shoe depository at Golden Temple on way back. Wondered if I should go in but I had a bag of bananas I'd purchased on the way back and it also felt just a smidge late. I might try to go in tomorrow night after dark when I get back from the border ceremony, perhaps more like 8-9ish. Oh, I asked at a tour place about that between temple and the massacre place. Super nice old Sikh chap with one jaggy front tooth told me to go round to (I think; directions were sort of clear) the street by the entrance to Jsomething which I think was the massacre place about 2-3pm tomorrow (he said I was too late for today, which I knew) and there'd be loads of people touting for business and they'd take me. Wikitravel has an article on this which I shall skim tonight as well; I think its main page says something about not paying until the vehicle is about to leave as they may try to wait for a full load and you get there too late. I doubt I will be strong enough to avoid paying up front but you never know.

Got a bunch of bananas for 30; the guy may have given me shit ones but who cares at that price as long as one is edible. Bought a couple of oranges and a carton of guava juice (no orange juice) and bottle of water at shop in street somewhere near massacre place, that was 130 but I think litre juice cartons are relatively pricey so not a massively unreasonable charge.

2224 Just popped out and checked at desk; I can store my luggage here after I check out (the train I want goes about 6pm IIRC, it's that or 6am). They made a big fuss about which day it was; maybe this is contingent on having a room free, maybe not. Anyway.

2227 OK, it looks like I want train 12412 ASR-CDG INTERCITY EXP (type SUPERFAST), leaving Amritsar Jn 1730 arriving Chandigarh 2155. A bit late but can't be helped. That is a terminus-terminus run (and only 250km).

Took a bit of faffing but looks like the seat options on that train are CC (chair car) and 2S (non air-con 2-tier sleeper??). CC would be great. And it shows seat availability, so if I get down to the reservation office not too late tomorrow I should be laughing.

0058 Had sluice down with hot tap in bathroom, surfed a bit, finally going to bed. Bit lax all round but meh. Sore throat/cold continues to mutate symptoms but never seems to actually go. FFS.

Amritsar, Thursday

1731 OK, I guzzled my other packet of biscuits and had a sort of upright bath from the hot tap at waist height in bathroom (shower only runs cold, as usual). Going out to see if I can find food, then back for quiet night in and maybe tomorrow morning will get up early to see Golden Temple.

1751 At canteen-esque Bharawan da Dhaba as listed in guide book. Having malai kofta, veg pulao rice (I slightly fear this bit of order has got lost) and a butter naan with a diet coke. Probably no beer here and anyway this is an easy opportunity to have an alcohol free day.

Is a tour agency in street near hotel mentioning the border ceremony so I may approach them tomorrow or possibly but not probably tonight.

1822 That was pretty good, though despite the portion not being gigantic (though a fair size) I feel full without finishing it and a little sick. Butter naan was very buttery and left half of it; didn't see plain naan on menu as was bit hurried to order, also elsewhere butter naan has not been that rich.

Will get bill and go back to hotel. Hope am not ill, probably just full.

Oh, they didn't give me a knife and fork, but a bit-bigger-than-teaspoon spoon. Twas OK.

Bill 346, will make it 400. Feeling better already, so probably just overeating and maybe a touch of excessive oiliness (I blame the butter naan.)

1830 Back to hotel. Not talking to tour company in case I am ill, no point making commitments unnecessarily if there's any doubt. Can see them tomorrow early afternoon and maybe still do it tomorrow. Anyway, let's go.

1844 Back at hotel. Street lights seem oddly orange; then I thought 'isn't this just the normal sodium orange?' then I thought that probably most street lights have been white for years. Who knows?

Oh, if I forgot to say I walked over to hotel from bus stand. This is one reason I was so keen not to lose my bearings by having bus pull off street with me still on it.

2139 Oh, there was a pub opposite Jalandhar bus station called Glassy Junction, which reminded me of the one in Southall/Hanwell. Didn't take a photo though.

2219 Uploading some photos of the camel research centre (as they like to call it), I am reminded they were keen to stress that all the camel bone crafts were made from camels which died naturally. Not sure if that is true, might be. Guide did say camels were not eaten as they are 'like' cattle as far as Hinduism is concerned. Did I say I had a cup of chai supposedly made with camel milk? Not sure it tasted any different. Oh, and the guide said they sell the babies off after a few years to mature and they go for 40-50k rupees at auction. He also said the locals can bring female camels to breed with a high quality male for free, which surprised me (it being free).

2353 Going to bed. *Not* going to try to be up at dawn tomorrow; feel slightly crap with this sore throat and last night's sleep obviously not fantastic if better than expected. Will set an alarm for 11ish and see what happens. Can see temple middayish and if I want can get up at dawn next day to go a second time.

While I remember, talking to Toffi about the place being on multiple booking sites and how was this coordinated, he said they had (say) 20 rooms and told booking.com they had 10, agoda they had 5, somewhere else they had 5. So each site works independently, and therefore one could show availability when the others didn't. Assuming this is typical, that shows it is worth trying other sites if availability is poor on one.

Anyway, bed.

Bikaner-Amritsar

0146 On train. Chap brought me over on motorbike, streets deserted except for cows and dogs but station moderately busy in a quiet calm way. He was super helpful, going to excessive and ultimately unhelpful lengths to find where my carriage would be. Turned up on time 0135 and now leaving on time 0145. Ticket checked OK.

1153 OK, I am up and sitting on a lower bunk just down corridor as my compartment is about the only one still in 'night mode' and the chap in the bunk under mine is still lying in it. Had trouble getting to sleep, acid sort of feeling in throat. Initially had no sheets on, then felt cold later and put a thin sheet on, then later - possibly much later - felt even colder and threw a blanket on top. Didn't look at watch/phone while drowsing until my alarm went of at 11 (I was drowsing when it did, not properly asleep). Probably didn't get to sleep til 3 or 4 though; cold as much to blame as train. Didn't feel too bad on waking; definitely better than when have slept on bus. Went for slash about twenty mins ago, in my socks (shoes a bit awkward under lower bunk) and naturally toilet floor was damp, I am going to assume with water. Recovered back (unlocked chain I secured it with) and shoes and as I say now waiting sitting on this other lower bunk.

Maybe 1115 conductor type chap came round and asked us our numbers. Turned out he meant seat numbers. Can he not read? Presumably this is in case we have informally swapped round. Maybe he will come to get us off at our stop. I should be OK anyway now I am sat up etc.

Kees said yesterday he wasn't sure if upper or lower berth was better; did make valid point in the upper, once you are up there it's yours, whereas lower is in demand for seating during the day.

Had packet of biscuits not long after 11. I wouldn't say I'm 100% even ignoring the cold but not too bad at all. Will be good to get to hotel in Amritsar, I am not looking forward to the bus much, but I do feel pretty much able to cope with getting there.

1202 Quick attempt at GPS claims I am near Chhattisgarh (correct spelling). It does this intermittently, always at the same location while I've been in India; it's one thing if it can't get a lock, but don't fucking *lie* to me. I hope the replacement keyboard phone (Samsung Stratosphere II) I've ordered second hand from the US can be persuaded to work.

1229 GPS suggests we are at Kappurthala station, about 10-15 miles from Jalandhar. No signs on platform of course.

1246 GPS shows we will be at Jalandhar very shortly.

1340 Bus terminal confusing as fuck but managed to get on a bus to Amritsar, INR76.

Tuktuk driver at stn wanted 150 to go to bus terminal, turned him down on principle as wanted to see what second offer was like. Since I doubled back rather than go past 150 bloke I struggled to find someone. Cycle rickshaw chap not speaking great English offered to do it for 100, or so I though. En route I decided I'd tip another 100 as I do feel being a cycle rickshaw driver must be a shit job. But then when we got there he said 200. I was tempted to argue - it's one thing to give it voluntarily, another to have this kind of scam - but decided I just wanted to get on with finding a bus. In future I may start using finger gestures to confirm 1 vs 2 hundred if any doubt, depends how pressured I feel.

I *hope* this is going to Amritsar but GPS direction is reassuring.

1548 At hotel. They put me in a standard room to start with despite me having paid an extra ten quid for a 'super deluxe'. As I was cursing and fighting with the wifi to see if I could confirm this and go argue they came and moved me. I don't know if they overheard me cursing.

As the bus pulled into the terminal nearly everyone got off. When I got to door it was still moving slowly and there was a light bit of traffic. I hesisated and then got off when it seemed to be turning off as I didn't want to lose my bearings. I fell over in the middle of the road, ripping my left trouser (the combats) below the knee but fortunately not harming myself otherwise or damaging glasses/phone (not tested camera but probably OK). No idea if this was due to me being less skilled than the locals, the fact I was carrying my 10kg bag, the fact I delayed and maybe it speeded up or what. Not examined leg under rip yet, I suspect it's just a childhood-style scrape.

1554 Yes, it's not too bad looking. The wifi appears to not work; phone struggles to connect, laptop connects but no data flows although I can ping the gateway. Supoib. I can connect to the router admin website and see that the primary DNS server shows as a fail on the diagnostics. I can't ping the primary or secondary but I can ping the one IP address I have memorised, which is a box at my university. Sadly I don't have any public DNS servers mentioned so this is totally useless.

Aha, using their *other* wifi network it works.

Bikaner, Wednesday

0955 In bed (awake, bit grotty) about 940 when knock on door said tuktuk driver was here. Said I'd be ten minutes. FFS.

1017 OK, we left hotel maybe 5-10 mins ago and are now at a chai stand at the station (which does have a sign for a reservation office). The driver is having some tea. I have declined. I wouldn't mind except YOU TURNED UP FIFTY MINUTES EARLY, WE WEREN'T DUE TO LEAVE THE HOTEL FOR ANOTHER FIFTEEN AND *NOW* YOU MAKE ME SIT HERE WHILE YOU HAVE TEA. Why the fuck couldn't you drink yourself sick instead of turning up at the hotel earlier?

Wrt train ticket, since the attention at the hotel has been so effusive/persistent, unless I could have known there was a definite chance of being pressured into them helping me by my ticket and going was absolutely desperately urgent, I wouldn't have had a chance to pop in casually until after the old town tour yesterday morning and by then we had already agreed I would discuss it with T later that day. Also I was genuinely unsure exactly where I was going (web advice on getting from Bikaner to Amritsar was unclear, different from what I am doing and I had no decent wifi to investigate at previous hotel). So in hindsight there is little I could have done. I can only think in future I will say I'd prefer to go and try at the station personally, and if pressed will say that 'on one occasion' I got charged a huge extra fee when someone else booked for me and so I prefer to do it myself.

Oh, I am in an upper berth, joy. So I can be scrabbling around trying to chain my bag up underneath the lower berth someone is sleeping in at 0130.

1024 OK, driver has come back with a mate and they are now having a bit of a chat. I mean, I really don't mind too much, but I'm going to be compelled to tip regardless, and this kind of shit goes better in my mind with "cheap 'n cheerful" than "tiptastic".

I hope the hotel will offer me a lift to the station; it isn't far but with the train going at 0125 I suspect the dogs in the street just might be a problem.

1047 FFS. We waited about five minutes somewhere else for the driver's mate. He is still with us. He keeps turning round to stare at me. A minute ago he pointed at the side of the road and - maybe, the engine is loud, said "donkeys". I said something to him and he couldn't heard me. I have a sore throat and I can't talk that well and the engine is loud and just fuck off and leave me alone. I have a horrible feeling, probably paranoia, he is going to insist on being my guide once we get there. I feel the web of obligations and commitments and so forth the hotel has enmeshmed me in both dissolving and strangling me. What if I cut up rough about this (if it happens; the guy's presence is a touch weird but I can deal with it), will T get arsey with me while we're out at the camel farm? I just don't want any shit. The fact I need to get to the station at 1am also makes me feel vulnerable.

I am starting to feel I might just not leave a review of the hotel at all, which feels a bit spineless but as a compromise between saying factual nice stuff but omitting not-completely-factual stuff which has pissed me off. Normally I wouldn't make such a big fuss about it, but they are so obviously desperate for good reviews (it's even been mentioned explicitly) as they are new and so it counts for a lot.

1405 Back at hotel. Gave driver 550. He (not going by bike, prob for best) is taking me to camel farm at 1515 and I think I am having a vegetable kofta with chapatis first. Jeff is going to call later and take me to the NGO volunteer craft place (which is apparently a walk/bike ride away), I didn't say *again* I am not going to buy anything but I damn well better not get pushed. I don't mind making a small donation of 100-200 but that's it.

Rat temple interesting, if slightly depressing. Despite presumably living in a close approximation to an earthly paradise, a lot of the rats look surprisingly tatty with gaps in fur and cuts and scabby tails. There was a dead one lying in a gutter and one which was dragging itself about on three legs and which I felt sure was going to end up getting trodden on expired while I was there; I stupidly kept going back to check on it. Still, putting that to one side, it was quite cool to see it. I didn't get one to run over my foot, which is supposed to be lucky, but some did sniff at my feet. I also managed not to tread on any, which apparently requires donation of a gold model of a rat to the temple to rectify. (So the guide book says. I might have expected to see a little display of gold rats were that really the case.) They didn't explicitly ask for any donations so I was slightly accidentally super stingy - they only charge 20 to enter with a camera and lacking small notes (I should have given him a 50, maybe) I only tipped the guy at the bowling-alley-esque shoe store 10.

1452 Food might be on way judging from noises in corridor. Good job I have a tendency to just inhale my food anyway, given I need to leave in 20 mins.

1508 Food was pretty good actually. Trying to quiet sense of discomfort about this visit to the volunteer place with Jeff tonight. Still, probably be OK and camel farm shouldn't be too hassley. Will be glad to get to Amritsar I must say.

1647 Back at hotel. Not great but worth seeing I guess, though bit steep. Tuktuk 200(+50 tip), 100 entry, 50 camera permit, 150 for guided tour(+50 tip). Guided tour not pushed on me but took it on recommendation of guide book. V short and poor value but OTOH probably wouldn't have felt comfortable walking round on own. Saw a camel's waters break, though apparently there was no baby (a natural abortion).

1816 Back at hotel after factory shop visit. Usual deal, except I said I wasn't going to buy anything and I didn't. At end chap showed me a scarf and offered it to me for two quid, but although slightly tempted I felt a) it was almost by definition not worth that b) I said I wasn't going to buy anything and I didn't want to go back on that c) I really don't want to encourage this sort of thing.

Went out before to get money, since only had about enough to pay here without having any on hand for hotel in Amritsar.

Jeff took me to/from shop on back of bike, which was OK I guess. He also took my order for dinner, which seemed a bit odd if he is just a friend but still. Be about an hour so lurking in room. Having tandoori chicken (half, dry) with a plain naan. Jeff just came back to room and double checked I wanted it dry. I just thought that was how tandoori chicken came. Obviously I don't want it dry, I want it moist and tender, but I assume we are all using the word to mean no sauce. I have no objection to sauce in this context but I sort of fancied some 'dry' chicken. Fuck knows. I got tuktuk to pull up at tiny shop (I miss browsing, these tiny shops are far too Open All Hours for my taste) and got some water and biscuits for train so if the food is foul I won't be starving. Not packed yet, think I will do it after dinner in case I need an excuse to get away. T keeps telling me about new guests arriving (from England, Spain, Holland) but (not that I'm going out of my way to) I never actually meet any of them.

T said earlier he would give me a discount as I never have the included breakfast. Let's see how shocking the bill is. Will worry about if/what to write in review tomorrow.

1826 T just turned up to triple confirm the order and offer me beer. He says there are some other tourists up on the roof if I want to chat. Cynically I wonder if he wants to show me how popular the place is, but maybe he's just being helpful. I sort of sidestepped this; especially with my cough I don't really feel it would be fair to horn in on them (especially if it's a group of two - I don't know - regardless of gender). I suspect I will end up sitting with them over dinner anyway.

1828 Oh, he said he or his brother would give me a lift to the station, so that's nice. I said I would go down and settle up after dinner to avoid any rush later on. I am not going to quibble over details of the bill but if (I doubt it) it is insane (I estimate about 4k) I want to have time to argue.

2209 OK, that was nice, had good chat with 38 yr old Dutch chap (Kees) up at the restaurant, intermittently with the staff. Down in reception to pay bill, then back to room to pack. Was going to have a second beer but they ran out of non-strong Kingfisher so I didn't. They made me a cup of black tea with ginger for my cough, which was nice. Unless they fuck me over on bill my inclination is to give them the benefit of the doubt with the train ticket and give them a good review (rather than no review). Oh, in that context I asked T how to spell his name and it is Toffi. He said he was the owner, though it is not his name on the hotel cards, maybe that is his brother.

2226 Got bill, is itemised and seems about right. 1800 for room as expected and 3360 with everything, then they took 160 off for breakfast making it 3200. I did some approximate mental arithmetic and figured 3500 would be a reasonable tip on the non-room part of the bill. I think we're all happy. They said they'd give me some mineral water for the train but I said I'd already bought some. T asked me to do a tripadvisor review as well. I probably will. Apart from the mystery 950 on the train ticket, which may be genuine, I don't have any concrete complaints, and since everything else has been OK I probably shouldn't assume bad faith.

2356 OK, mostly packed, had (cold) shower, uploading some photos while I wait to it to be time to head out. Going to send this now while I remember.

Bikaner, Tuesday

1445 Back at hotel. Been to old town (including Jain temple which had nice views from upstairs), fort and fort-adjacent museum so far. Got some bananas and going to eat them and then go for dinner at hotel restaurant at 6. Sore throat persists but not as annoying as last night. Struggled to get up in time for old town with Tofy at 10 but did more or less make it and I waited around for him maybe 15-30 mins anyway.

Not writing more now, food.

1610 Toffi and his brother been helping me sort out onward train, I think he is going to get me the ticket rather than me going to station. Going to Jalandhar and it's about an hour by bus from there. Overnight train but I have kind of been thinking I should try that. They asked for my help fixing the hotel location on booking.com which I half managed and I also helped them (not that I've ever done it before) add the hotel location to Google Maps.

1758 Joy. Netbook is refusing to charge. Since the little LED on the power lead stopped lighting up a few weeks ago, I am hoping this is just further progress in the mains adaptor breaking, rather than a fault with the netbook itself. I just might see if I can buy a power supply here or in Amritsar, or I might just have to do without it for the remaining 10 days or so and then try one of my parents laptop power supplies at Christmas and order a replacement then, though delivery might be a little tight and if the netbook itself is faulty then it would be nice to have more time to order a replacement. I am reluctant to mention it to staff here as Toffi already came in (to ask me if I wanted to book trains) and I mentioned it wasn't working and he half offered to buy it off me and I don't want to get into that at all again.

Have ordered dinner (T knocked on door) but it will take an hour to cook. Seems a bit pricey, there are three unlabelled columns on some items and I appear to be ordering out of the most expensive without explicitly asking or knowing what it means. But this is only relatively expensive; the main dish is weighing in about 300-400 so it's OK.

I got slightly pressured into paying 150 for a teensy jar of saffron at the old town with T, but a) it is at least tiny hence easy to lug round b) it just might not be a rip off c) if it is I am regarding this as a kind of tip, while it is a little overwhelming he is being super helpful and it would have cost me at least that to get a tuktuk there and back, he took me on his bike. (No helmets, naturally...)

He has arranged for a tuktuk to come and pick me up at 1030 tomorrow to go to the rat temple, then he is going to take me to the camel farm on his bike (!), then I will get a train at 0145 to Jwhatsit. So tomorrow night's hotel room is half wasted but it is cheap here and worth having to loiter in til train time. T seemed quite keen to sell me 3A not 2A ticket and I did have to agree if there was no availability for 2A 3A would be OK. He seems to regard the 300ish difference as a lot, which it is as a percentage but not in absolute terms. I guess 3A will be OK, it's just that I've never been on an overnight train ever anywhere so want to minimise discomfort as much as possible the first time. Still, I have at least been in 2-tier AC and 3-tier not-even AC sleepers during the day so it is not totally unfamiliar territory.

1941 OK, got my train ticket. It cost 1350ish as printed on the ticket, plus a mysterious extra 950 which I have no fucking idea where it comes from or why I have been charged it but T asked for it. He may have mentioned this earlier but even then it was totally unclear what the fuck it was for, I felt battered by the storms of booking confusion (whether natural or whipped up by the hotel) and like I had no choice in the matter. No point making a fuss about it, I will offset it against other services rendered.

They can arrange for hot water here but it comes out of the 'lower' tap not the shower so I said not to bother. As we discussed, and my experience of the hotels I've been at confirms, this is just not an 'Indian thing' (except presumably at the top end where I'm sure they do).

The 950 is annoying but it may be genuine. All the same, I do wonder if it would be different had I gone to the station myself, but I don't know if they have tourist facilities here (OTOH, since they seem to like to separate off reservation, it only requires designating a window). I have booked a day or two in advance until now without any mysterious 'not printed on the ticket' fees. Since no one seems to have expressed interest in my passport details and that has always been key to booking maybe that (crappily) accounts for it. No point getting worked up about it, nothing to be done about it now. I will however make a point of buying my ticket in Amritsar myself.

Joined by Tofi's mate Jeff over dinner, which was OK although I would kind of have preferred to eat privately. I might go to see him camel wool textile thing he volunteers at tomorrow; I'm kind of just going with the flow. Toffi joined us afterwards and we discussed going to camel farm; he said it would be about 200 by rickshaw but then he said he'd take me on his bike which would be more comfortable if I paid for the fuel, and I kind of didn't like to object. Fuck it, will be a change from worrying about dying of cancer to worry about dying of a motorcycle crash while not wearing a helmet.

Need to book a hotel in Amritsar. This is doable with my phone - I hope - but would be much nicer with netbook. I am slightly tempted to stay a night or two in Jwhatsit given I have quite a bit of time left and don't want to spend more than a day or so in Delhi, and it would avoid seeking a bus to Amritsar after a night on the train (I am assuming my ticket is at least valid), but it is completely not mentioned in my guide and it will be 11amish when train gets in barring delays so plenty of time to fart around and I should sleep a bit on the train and blah blah so I think I will just book for Amritsar. No point wasting time, I have way too much time for just Amritsar (even if I do an excursion to watch the ceremonies at the Pakistan border) but maybe I will find an intermediate point between Amritsar and Delhi. As I say I really don't want to be in Delhi any longer than is necessary to allow a safety margin for transport to get me to Delhi.

Am feeling a little harried here I must admit, no doubt that train ticket has slightly shaken my faith and I hope if I do end up at the camel wool shop I am not pressured to buy - Jeff asked me if I might be able to go as I came into my room, and although he said earlier no pressure to buy I have heard that story before.

I guess I am still going to give the positive review T is clearly so keen on on booking.com (he says tripadvisor has fake reviews, BTW, I had never had that percepion) and I won't mention my non-confirmable dubiousness about the train ticket but I now feel a bit of a shill for writing the totally positive review I am going to write. T did say something vaguely about this as if he feels it looks suspicious; this may of course be to cover up the fact it is.

I think I am going to avoid mentioning the name of the hotel on the blog so I don't have to worry about these notes ever being read by anyone at the hotel.

I probably am a paranoid git but trust is so easily lost and that train ticket business just smells bad to me.

2029 Just tried netbook again and it is charging now. F knows. But if it's an intermittent problem best to wait for it to go permanently wrong. Make hay while the sun shines and if I am forced to buy a replacement power supply (a largely commodity item, at least) or a whole replacement when it breaks for good my first night in Latin America so be it.

0033 Uploading some photos. Booked hotel in Amritsar and spent ages writing tripadvisor reviews. Sore throat evidently has a tendency to flare up at night, it isn't that bad but still. Didn't buy any water today, last night and tonight have filled a litre bottle from tap and used a water purification tablet. (I used last night's to make some cold green tea with my last teabag, tonight's is a reserve - it takes 30 mins for tablet to work so need to do it before run out of safe water - but will use it to clean teeth etc to conserve non-chlorine-tasting water for drinking. The green tea masked the taste great, incidentally. If only shops where I might buy such things as teabags weren't like hen's teeth in India.)

Should move towards bed but not being picked up til 1030 and I won't sleep easily with this sore throat so no rush yet, wait til I feel more tired.

0149 FFS, should go to bed. But not mega tired. Been rather pointlessly filling in all the 'missing' (because I never reviewed anything there) places I've been on tripadvisor. This increases their '% of the world travelled' figure for me from 5% to 13%. It also means I can see a nice map of the world with pins where I've been; man, if I didn't already realise it, this would show how little of India I've seen. Also inevitably reminds me of Mitch Hedberg: I'd like to get a map of the world and stick pins in it to show where I've been. But first I'd have to travel to the two top corners of the map to stop it falling off the wall.

0200 FFS, better go to bed and hope I fall asleep, it is probably more likely once I am in bed. Need to remember to notice how nice it is not to have a sore throat once this is over.

Bikaner, Monday

1744 On rooftop of hotel, the almost-too-helpful chap (whose name might sound something like Toffy but I am not going to use it) said the sunset is very impressive. He came to my room to get me to fill in the registration book earlier, he is going to copy my passport later. I went out for a brief walk and bought a bottle of water.

He says there is a deluxe bus - but no toilet - to Amritsar which leaves here about 5pm and gets in about 5am. In terms of trains he mentioned somewhere I can't remember which is near Amritsar which has a direct train from here and 'lots' of transport from that place to Amritsar.

Restaurant supposedly opens at 6. For the number of rooms/floors there are only three tables, I hope this isn't going to be too communal. They have told me a couple of times there is an English couple who arrived from Jodhpur a couple of hours before me (and who were sleeping) and a pair of English/British girls. Meh. No idea if any staff - this seems a family operation, it was Toffy's brother who fetched me from station - will turn up at 6 but no rush, I guzzled some more biscuits in my room.

Am sure the staff will be only too keen to help with transport to rat temple, tho there is also a tour office round corner. Wrists hurting typing so no more, not that have much more to say anyway.

1829 Had chat with Toffy, he - and I explicitly checked he didn't want to take me to shops, apologising first - is going to show me old city for 2-3h tomorrow morning - he wants to practice his English - then I will go to the fort in the afternoon and do rat temple the day after (it's 400 return by tuktuk). Meeting him at 10am.

1958 Food took forever to come - chap told me several times it was prepared to order - but it was pretty good, although the chicken was on the bone and I got a bit nauseated at continually finding bits of bone where I'd hacked the meat off too badly. The beer is Kingfisher Strong which is 'alcohol content below 8%' and isn't very nice, but I will probably finish it. I thought the chap was going to watch me eat but fortunately he didn't.

Have a mild sore throat, keep coughing, nose slightly bunged up. Fingers crossed it will go in a day or so and it's not that bad. Alcohol may, based on previous experiences, ameliorate the symptoms or at least stop me paying attention. I think the food will go on my bill so I don't need to pay now.

0041 In bed, been surfing, sore throat is annoying me.