Day 2- 24/08/13

And other day has passed in new and exciting India. Today was eventful and gave us more of a taste of how India actually lives and breathes.

When we arrived at the YMCA we were greeted by some very friendly receptionists and somehow managed to finish our check in just before 5 AM, although the bus journey took a little under 2 hours, and then settled in our rooms. I did not want to sleep as I thought that if I keep going until the evening my sleep pattern will adjust itself but how wrong was I. During breakfast we planned to go out exploring and that is exactly what we did, in the heat of the morning we set out to see New Delhi for the first time and we were greeted by a noisy, fast-paced and wonderful city.

We all were on the same flight and made friends really fast and that is what I love about having a diverse group, you get to meet people that will inspire you and support you just because you are thrown in life's challenges together.

One of our friends, managed to be led by various street merchants to different places while one of us spoke hindi and managed to save us from going to emporiums to buy expensive merchandise. It was both a beautiful and heartbreaking experiece as India's streets show you the inventivity but also the absolute poverty that people here have to face.

The experience can seem almost surreal, it is just as you step back in time and witness a country struggling to emerge from poverty but you also have to confront it every step of your journey.

Once we got back, group A arrived and now all 200 of us are here! That's all for today and tomorrow we are visiting Old Delhi and, hopefully, I will be able to buy myself a sari!

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