And here we go!

I am so honored and pleased to be taking 10 Yogis to India! I'm all ready and waiting for the minibus to collect me, I get a bit of deja-vu as the dustbin lorry arrives to collect our rubbish, just like last year. Mo the driver from Anytime Travel arrives and we then set off to collect everyone else (except Loretta who is meeting us in Delhi). Our first pick up is Lidl for Zoe, Shelley, Ann, Sharon and Janet. Then over to Xscape for Chrissie, Anne and Nick, then lastly Linda in Notton. We are all so EXCITED!! Fairly smooth journey to Manchester Airport, get our bags checked in and before we know it we’re all in our various seats taking off, heading for Dubai. Some interesting moments, one being a chap next to Janet squats in his seat for the whole flight, although as compensation she has a lady next to her with whom she has so much in common it’s uncanny. Also Ann and Sharon are entertained by the most interesting man they’ve ever met for the entire flight, he never stops talking but is riveting! Lastly I think I drew the short straw as the guy in the seat between me and Linda disappears to the toilet, I take this as an opportunity to have a stroll and visit the loo too. I come across the first free toilet and open the door only to discover our fellow passenger in the middle of a wee during turbulence!

We try to sleep on the Dubai to Delhi leg with a limited amount of success, arriving to a hazy Delhi on Saturday morning. After we are through security, which was more efficient and speedy, but quirky as ever! It seems that if you’re over 60 they don’t need your fingerprints, very respectful!
We are met and transferred to our minibus, where we are garlanded in delicious smelling Jasmine. Off we go to our curiously named hotel ‘Home@F37’, as with a lot of Hotels in Delhi it doesn’t look much from the outside, but once in it’s rather nice. We are thirsty and once we’ve handed over our passports and begun checking in one of the staff circulates with a tray of ‘Lemonade’. Just what we needed! I take a pic of Janet and Ann looking delighted in their stylish chairs and as I move away from the reception desk I catch a whiff of a ‘drainy’ sort of smell. I sit down ready to take a swig of the lemonade, and begin to notice a few strange expressions around me. I knock a good gulp back and nearly choke, the lemonade smells and tastes of sulphur, a really bad egg vibe to it! We all begin to chuckle a little as I say ‘ooh I don’t think I can drink any more of this’. Very conscious that we don’t want to offend the staff but reeling from the unusual drink lots of us skulk off leaving it behind, except the lovely and super polite Shelley who in a genius move takes hers to her room! Then the staff help us change our Stirling to Rupees and off we go to do a bit of sightseeing!