Namaste!

I had my day with the communists - and what an experience it was. I arrived at the headquarters and was introduced to lots of people. I was greeted with 'comrade' and a salute. I didn't want to insult them, so I saluted back (with a secret grin, of course). There were lots of posters of Stalin and Lenin and plenty of Russian flags on display. I sat down with Waquar (the MP I'd met at the demo) and we drank chai and chatted for about three hours about the country's past and the Indian caste system - a great history lesson.

After a tour of the headquarters, we headed off to the slums of Jaipur. It was a strange experience for me. I felt odd, a bit like those pictures of Princess Diana, walking about the poor, sewage-ridden streets with my nice, clean clothes (although they're not so clean or nice anymore!) and money in my wallet. Waquar knew the people and he kept pointing things out to me, such as the sewage problems.

Hundreds of people crowded round wherever we went and everybody wanted to know who I was. It was all a bit embarrassing. They thought I was from the World Health Organisation, or the UN - somebody important. But no, it was just me. They kept throwing questions at me and asking what I was going to do about their problems. I really wasn't sure what my role was or my purpose in being there, and it felt all felt a bit voyeuristic, to tell the truth. There's obviously a role for observers in the world, but what was I to do with what I had observed? Waquar asked me to write about it and let the world know, but I was fairly sure that the world already knew about the slums of India and hadn't bothered to do anything about them.

The kids were very sweet; I tried to talk to some of them with the help of Waquar to get an understanding of their lives. Most don't go to school and the government provides them with no social services. How lucky we are that our rubbish is collected, sewage dealt with, water purified, streets cleaned, schools provided. All these things we take for granted: we really have no grounds to moan about taxes.

We visited three different slums, one Moslem, one Hindu and one where the communists have done some work. There was a proper road built through it and the sewage system looked a little better. There was a school, and a doctor too. The communist leader in that slum seemed to have a very nice house with a brand new TV. Very suspicious. Can't trust these politicians one bit.

We left Jaipur the next day and drove to Delhi. It was dusty, dirty, stormy, hot and rainy, with an orange-grey sky. Sure enough, the legendary Delhi-belly struck me down. Within a day I was bed-ridden and delirious (again!). I was feverish, sick and felt like dying (this is becoming an all too familiar feeling). Why is being ill in India so much worse than being ill anywhere else? I recovered slowly and eventually managed to crawl out of my room after two days to face the world.

I took a city tour and saw the main sights - the parliament, the prime minister's house, the Gandhi memorial, India Gate, the Indira Gandhi museum, the Old Red Fort and the main mosque and Hindu temple. I also visited a Gurdwara (Sikh temple) and had an interesting chat with a man in the information office there. He showed me around and I was amazed to find out that every Gurdwara in the world has a free kitchen for anyone who wants food, with meals three times a day for the community, rich or poor. What a lovely idea.

We left Delhi and headed for the Himalayas. It was a long, beautiful drive through Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, past desert, green fields, hills, pine forests, rivers and snow-capped mountains. It took about 16 hours and we arrived late at night in Manali. I awoke to the strains of "The hills are alive with the sound of music" - well, not really, but I did feel like I was in Austria or Switzerland. The scenery was stunning, and it was so good to get some clean mountain air into my lungs.

I feel very relaxed here and spend my days walking in the pine forests, exploring the villages and hiking up the mountains. I did a three-day trek in the mountains, which was fantastic, and I went skiing for a day (my first time - didn't expect it to be in India!). It was lovely to touch snow again and feel the coolness against my skin. I miss the cold.

There are many Tibetan settlements here, and the Dalai Lama lives fairly nearby. He is in the US at the moment, unfortunately, otherwise you can have a meeting with him. All the travellers are very disappointed. The Tibetans and Himalayan villagers are very nice and I have been invited in for chai on many occasions.

There are many Indian tourists and honeymooners in the area. They keep stopping me and asking for my photo - I have had this all over India. In the beginning I used to refuse, but I have given up arguing and now I don't care, especially if it's for a family and there are women around. Pappan says I should charge them - I would have made a fortune by now. I really don't understand why they want my photo. How odd to think my face is in hundreds of random Indian family holiday snaps.

I have to go now because I have an important situation to deal with. Unfortunately, I had some money stolen and I stupidly thought I would be legal about it and report it to the police (as the insurance says you should do immediately). Big mistake. I have truly experienced Indian bureaucracy and corruption at its worst. I won't bore you with the details, but a lot of time has been wasted in the police station and poor Pappan has been interrogated and threatened with imprisonment! This country is mad and I am sadly glad to be leaving it in a week. What a horrible way to end my time in India.

A frustrated and disgruntled Donna
xxx