Arrival in Delhi

Photo opportunity before passport control

A quick note to let you know that I've arrived safely in India! The last 24 hours have been surreal, with random snippets of sleep and meals at strange times depending on whether I'd turned my watch forward or not.

I only have good things to say about Turkish Airlines - delicious food and a vast selection of films! The only bad point was their insistence on serving aubergine with every meal, but the Turkish delight made up for it.

My baggage arrived in one piece (a big fear) and so did I. A representative from TLM was waiting to pick me up and drove me to my present location - a guest house run by the charity for visitors to relax before their onward journey, in a very elegant part of town near the foreign embassies and prime minister's 'white house'. I'm being fed extremely well: lunch was a selection of five different home cooked dishes resulting in a surprisingly mild-ish curry #1. I'm trying to stay awake in order to adjust to the 5.5 hour time difference so have been plodding through my Hindi translation guide and watching some Bollywood.

I haven't seen much of India yet, but would like to mention one event on our journey from the airport. At the first main set of traffic lights we were greeted by children selling lemons, teenagers selling toy aeroplanes, and a mother with a baby, all knocking on the windows of the car - just like in films or documentaries. It's quite different to be in the movie scene rather than watching it, but I found myself automatically shaking my head and turning away, just like the actors do.

Next stop is a train to my hospital. See you there! And happy Easter eve!