Incredible India

Whether you spend a few days or a month and a half in India, you will come away mouthing that. Nowhere in the world have I seen such squalor co-exist with the most decadent luxury. But leaving that aside, India was lovely, yes I can say that, still lovely even after three years away from it. My Hindi returned haltingly at first, but with Bollywood coming to the rescue, I managed to carry out confident conversations with taxi drivers and shopkeepers. It was like my Norsk teacher had said, ‘They’re all there at the back of your head somewhere, all the languages you have learnt, and when you press the right button, it comes back.’

Bright blues, Reds and Oranges - colours even in the midst of the overwhelming grey fog that is so typical of Delhi winters, colourful pashmina shawls and silk bags and woollen, neo-persian carpets at the Delhi Haat market. We stopped our shopping and watched an impromptu dance by street performers, a young boy and an older man who donned a horse costume and swayed appropriately to the compelling beat of drums.

Nan, paneer, butter chicken and real yoghurt…nothing tastes like Indian food in India…