After my Gran’s funeral on 4 June in Dorchester Abbey and what was, in the end, a wonderful week at home, we jetted back to India on 11 June to finish what we’d started. Rather Groundhog Day-like, we took the same Virgin Atlantic flight VS300 to Delhi via the No 1 lounge at Heathrow Terminal 3. We did get the backpack wrapped this time for £14.
The packing list remained fairly unaltered from before but I left a few key things at home namely our travel towel (just never used it as we were always given towels) and a whole stuff sack of washable nappies. After weeks of washing the darned things in a bucket in Surf Excel (which is an excellent washing powder but destroys your hands!) for over a month, I’d eventually swopped to Pampers when I realised that really life is too short and also that Pampers are almost the exact same price in India as they are in Tesco in the UK. Clearly this makes it expensive for Indians living in the Indian economy, but no difference for me. Whilst of course there’s an environmental impact, and I will of course us the washable nappies at home – where I have a washing machine! – but in India, Pampers is the way forwards for me. We also brought a new wardrobe of clothes for Tiger!
As before, Tiger slept like a dream on the flight in her bassinet and we checked into the Treebo Natraj Yes Please Hotel in Pahar Ganj, Delhi, where as we were now esteemed loyal guests got given the Taj Mahal themed suite! As it was 43 degrees Celsius we literally transferred from the airport to the hotel by AC taxi. We both fell asleep at 4pm. At 7pm I woke up (but she didn't) and I re-packed the bags. At midnight I breast fed her before we got up at 05.45 to get the 07.40 train to Kalka (en route to Shimla) the next day.