| In my capacity as the UK Director of Operations for | | | | certain time (apart from us of course!) so many people |
| One World Tours Limited, I am often asked about the | | | | tolerating one another it was incredible. |
| destinations I have been to and how it all began in the | | | | I had recovered a little after having something to drink |
| first place. 10 years ago I embarked on my second trip | | | | and was as excited to see eagles flying around in the |
| around the world and I suppose you could say that this | | | | sky. I watched as people threw bananas to the wild |
| is where it truly all began. Here is my first experience | | | | monkeys in the same way as we feed the ducks |
| of India. | | | | back home. |
| I thought that visiting the Seven Wonders of the world | | | | Everywhere you looked people were making good |
| in eight days would be a fun and challenging thing to | | | | use of all the resources around them. Once we had |
| do. Having decided with my sponsors the airlines and a | | | | broken free from the towns I had a chance to take |
| chain of leading world-wide hotels it was decided that | | | | notice of the countryside. It was fascinating to see the |
| the Seven Wonders of the World were the Taj Mahal, | | | | Indian ladies with huge loads balanced on their heads |
| the Great Wall of China, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, | | | | whilst carrying their babies in their arms. It was a |
| the Golden Gate Bridge, The Empire State Building, | | | | wonderful thing to experience and would have been |
| Sydney Opera House and the Pyramids of Egypt. This | | | | perfect if only it wasn't so difficult to breathe. Seeing |
| would notch up a staggering 42,000 miles in 8 just | | | | the way that life was lived in India made me realise |
| days. | | | | what a bunch of whingers we are in the west! |
| The first of my many flights was on schedule and I left | | | | We were only 11 kilometres from reaching the Taj |
| Heathrow at around 10.25pm on the 17th of February. I | | | | Mahal when we experienced a huge traffic jam that |
| was handed my overnight package by the | | | | even the psychopathic driver could not get me |
| stewardess and given a meal. It didn't take long before | | | | through! He had a few frantic words with one of the |
| I drifted off to sleep; I had deliberately got myself up | | | | locals and informed me that the road was blocked due |
| early that morning to ensure that I would be able to | | | | to the fact that two ministers were visiting the area. |
| sleep on the first flight. I awoke half way through the | | | | Ashok did a sharp U- turn and tried to find an |
| flight feeling incredibly nauseous but that was down to | | | | alternative route. Unfortunately there wasn't one and |
| the anti- malaria tablets more than anything else. | | | | we had to wait patiently in the queue like everyone |
| It wasn't long before I arrived at Delhi airport and in | | | | else. The driver had driven his socks off to get me to |
| order to continue on to the next stage of the journey I | | | | within an 11-kilometre radius of the Taj with time to |
| had to find out how much a taxi would cost to take | | | | spare, and for one horrible moment it looked as if I |
| me to Agra and back. There were plenty of transport | | | | was not going to get any closer. It was an awful |
| kiosks whose occupants frantically beckoned to me in | | | | shame because he had risked our lives along with |
| order to persuade me to use their services. The first | | | | those of the others we passed along the way, |
| one that caught my attention offered me his "top of | | | | including the animals! He must have felt the same but |
| the range car", which included air- conditioning. I gladly | | | | wasn't that easily defeated. Not long after I finally |
| accepted this as it worked out at half the price I had | | | | arrived at the first major landmark of the trip! Ashok |
| expected to pay. I was then told apologetically that this | | | | dropped me off and said that he would find |
| car was not available and was offered the next best | | | | somewhere to park and allowed just 15 minutes to |
| thing at a cheaper rate, still with air conditioning. | | | | take photos etc. I paid the entrance fee; the equivalent |
| Apparently this car was not available either and this | | | | of 75 pence, received a free key ring and made my |
| went on until I was finally offered their cheapest car of | | | | way to the Taj, ande had my bags searched by the |
| all, which by this time I would have agreed to anything. | | | | guards. |
| The driver of this particular vehicle was summoned | | | | I was very impressed by the stunning creation of love |
| and flatly refused to take me saying that it would not | | | | that stood before me, definitely the stuff that fairytales |
| be possible to get to Agra and back in time to get me | | | | are made of! I was aware that I did not have too |
| to my next flight. It was beginning to look like I was not | | | | much time so quickly set about taking photographs of |
| going to get to visit the very first Wonder on the list! | | | | the beauty before me in order to satisfy the publicity |
| The taxi drivers of this particular kiosk told me that I | | | | requirements for my sponsors. |
| should try a different kiosk, which is exactly what | | | | I had designed a banner, which was to be |
| ended up doing. I was told that there was a driver | | | | photographed at each of the locations. When I |
| willing to attempt to take me the 300 miles in about 8 | | | | unfolded it in the grounds of the Taj Mahal I was told |
| ½ hours for the price of £130 (GBP). I did not | | | | very abruptly that banners were not acceptable and |
| really have choice and was still £70 better off | | | | that the guards at the front gate should have taken it |
| than I thought. We were whisked off to meet our | | | | away from me. Someone did show me somewhere |
| driver for the day and the man that would hopefully | | | | that I could hold the banner up in order to take a quick |
| make it possible for us to reach our first Wonder of | | | | photograph but I declined agreeing that I should respect |
| the trip. | | | | their wishes, as I was a visitor of their country. The |
| It soon became very apparent that if anyone was | | | | banner gave a brief outline of the trip and advertised |
| going to get me there and back in time it would most | | | | the sponsor's names but they weren't to know that it |
| certainly be Ashok, the driver. I was barely three | | | | could have been a political statement for all they knew. |
| minutes from the airport when he started honking his | | | | I also couldn't risk getting into trouble so early on in the |
| horn like crazy. At first I thought this was a sign of | | | | trip! |
| aggression as is customary in our native country. I truly | | | | I took enough photographs to prove that we had been |
| believed at one point that I was going to die in this | | | | there, along with a duplicate set in case the first ones |
| foreign country due to manic way that Ashok handled | | | | did not come out and then one more lot for luck! The |
| the car. Where ever possible he drove like a man | | | | sun was beginning to set and it gave everything |
| possessed reaching speeds of up to 120mph in some | | | | around that wonderful orange glow, a fitting end to a |
| cases. This of course made me very apprehensive | | | | brief but memorable experience. |
| for the first hour or so of the journey, my underpants | | | | As promised Ashok was waiting for me and guided |
| taking the full impact of my lack of faith! | | | | me back to the cab. A throng of brown -faced |
| There did not appear to be any rules and regulations | | | | children begged me to purchase their wares. They |
| where driving in India was concerned, Ashok seemed | | | | surrounded me, I found it a little overwhelming to say |
| to make up his own rules as he went along. Hitting | | | | the least. I was not sure if we had enough money to |
| bumps in the road at speed saw me bashing my head | | | | complete the trip at this moment in time so I couldn't |
| on the roof on more than one occasion. I remember | | | | afford to give away one penny of what I did have so I |
| commenting aloud on the effects this was having on | | | | kept having to refuse them. Their prices dropped with |
| my backside and Ashok laughed saying that it was | | | | every step that took me closer to the car until I was |
| good exercise. | | | | being offered beautifully printed T-shirts for around 70p |
| Well it soon became apparent that honking on the horn | | | | each. They flocked around the car hoping for a few |
| was a way of life and a way of getting people to pull | | | | pence that I really didn't have, until Ashok drove off. It |
| out of your way. It didn't seem to matter if a road | | | | was very humbling. |
| similar to our own dual carriageways were full we | | | | Did I mention that the journey to Agra was an |
| merely pulled over to drive at speed toward the | | | | experience never to be forgotten? Well it was nothing |
| oncoming traffic, cars, bicycles camels etc, it was | | | | compared to the journey back! We did the whole thing |
| awesome and will always be the most memorable car | | | | over but in the dark. It appears that you then use your |
| drive that I have ever experienced. Most of the lorries | | | | headlights to get people out of the way instead of the |
| had "horn please" painted on the back of them. Ashok | | | | car horn! So we were driving at speed in the dark with |
| weaved in and out of the traffic, his hand never far | | | | no headlights for 150 miles. Pedestrians and animals still |
| from the hooter. It was like having a police escort only | | | | littered the roads and I didn't see them until we had |
| without the police. | | | | passed them, so I can't imagine how Ashok avoided |
| After the initial excitement of the taxi ride of a lifetime | | | | them! |
| had subsided, I took time to absorb the scenery from | | | | It was wonderful to see the culture by night. Little |
| the window of the cab. There was poverty in | | | | street fires lit the faces of their owners with a yellow |
| abundance wherever you looked. Hundreds of people | | | | hue. The moon which was also yellow was lit from |
| lined the streets. Cattle wandered about like | | | | underneath. |
| jaywalkers and now and again you would come | | | | On a few occasions I saw hundreds of white lights |
| across a dead, half- eaten dog, infested with flies lying | | | | adorning trees and buildings, pulsing music |
| in the road. Victims of Ashok's previous drives one | | | | accompanied these scenes; Ashok told me that this |
| assumes! I have never seen so many people | | | | represented "better off," people getting married. |
| crammed into windowless buses, lorries or trailers | | | | Fireworks announced the success of the weddings. |
| being pulled by tractors. Donkeys pulled or carried | | | | About half a dozen ceremonies were happening that I |
| loads that took up one entire side of the road, while | | | | had witnessed that evening so goodness knows how |
| camels took even bigger ones. Everywhere that you | | | | many more were going on! We also saw a less grand |
| looked there were hundreds of people not doing | | | | wedding happening on the roadside; the grandest thing |
| anything in particular. | | | | about this one was the flower garland around the |
| The fume filled air was brutal on your lungs. Diesel | | | | young bride's head! It was truly breath taking to |
| fumes choked out of vehicles in big black puffs. The | | | | observe the way of life for these people by night. |
| humidity and the fumes made your eyes, throat and | | | | Ashok got me back to Delhi in good time. We even |
| nose sting. I am surprised that I managed to remain | | | | had a chance to stop at the roadside cafe for a cup |
| conscious! I was not fairing very well at all. Apart from | | | | of tea on the way. Well it wasn't a café, as we |
| suffering from the effects mentioned above I was | | | | know it back home; it was more like a large marquee |
| also dehydrating, sweating out more liquid than I could | | | | at a craft fair. I was more than a little dubious about |
| replace. I am sure there are people out there who | | | | drinking anything that I hadn't prepared myself. |
| would find the whole thing rather amusing as I being an | | | | I had grown quite used to Ashok during the course of |
| intrepid professional world traveller (I had actually | | | | the day and was sorry to have to say goodbye to |
| visited 108 countries on my previous trip!) who was | | | | him. He had looked after me incredibly well and I tipped |
| feeling sick. I asked Ashok to pull over so that I could | | | | him accordingly. |
| get a drink of water, he agreed but it was a good 30 | | | | It was 10.10pm (Indian time) when we arrived at Delhi. |
| or 40 miles before he actually did. The reason he had | | | | The flight to Bombay was delayed for an hour. I have |
| waited so long was so that we could purchase sealed | | | | to say that of all the planes that we used throughout |
| water from a reputable source rather than risk drinking | | | | the trip, air India was the only one I felt really nervous |
| something that might make me suffer later. | | | | about. There was quite a lot of turbulence during the |
| I was surprised to see raw meat being displayed on | | | | whole flight. I remember forcing myself to try and |
| the roadside, uncovered, soaking up the dirt and fumes | | | | sleep, reckoning that if I was going to die I would rather |
| of the surroundings. | | | | be asleep when it happened! I forgot to look and see if |
| What I noticed more than anything else was the | | | | Ashok was the pilot when we departed from the |
| overall calmness of everyone around us. There were | | | | plane. Thank you Ashok for making it happen. |
| no signs of stress or urgency to be somewhere at a | | | | |