LAST DAY IN DELHI - milkshakes, whisky and full moon levitating, 1977

[Day 13 in Delhi and lucky for some - my ticket home finally comes through.  I celebrate with ice cream milkshakes on John's bus and have deep spiritual conversations with a levitating French Canadian (though my euphoria might have more to do with Bill and Shirley's Indian whisky).  And there's a final trip to my local - the Imperial Hotel - for my last evening in India.]

TUESDAY 11TH JANUARY, 1977

"P.T.A came!  Bob, Margaret and Arthur on bus.  Had big ice cream milk shakes from Ramble (open-air) Restaurant again.  At 1.0 got ticket in my possession!  Flight for 7.0 next morning.  Went and found out bus times but John offered to drive me.

Ceylonese passenger came and plagued them again - always discovering he needs some other visa - gave them bag of Ceylonese tea (obviously backsheesh because he asked for a reduced fare!)  All street sellers came round bus - especially little orange seller - she's a real actress and businesswoman - looking much better off and charging more than when we came through Delhi the first time!  Someone tried to polish my shoes (as usual!)

Shirl and Bill appeared.  Went to their hotel - Indian whisky this time!  Chatted with French Canadian - really fascinating about Tibetan people in Ladakh-Kashmir and the Lamaist religion.  He was present at the Dalai Lama's performance of enlightenment and he communicated his thoughts to the lamas and 100 visitors chosen around him. (At the same time Mao died!  'He extinguished the almost exhausted candle' as the Canadian put it.  Great nationalist desire of Tibetans to regain their country.  He said it was easier to meditate in the mountains - eg concentrate on a full moon till eyes are filled with the light of the moon, then feel self lighter and think of many things.  Lamas achieve levitation - sit in bricked in rooms etc.  Lamas are chosen from birth - as babes on the 49th day).

They walked me back.  Went for a quick drink with John at the Imperial."

ALL ALONE IN DELHI - CHEERED BY OVERLAND DRIVERS & ROSY PELICAN BEER,1977

[With Nikki gone I was feeling very bereft until I met John, an overland driver, at the YMCA.  He showed great kindness taking the stranded Swaggie under his wing and introducing me to the camaraderie of overland drivers in Connaught Place.  Rosy Pelican beer helped keep up morale in the wait for a ticket and fruitless attempts to get phone calls home.]

SUNDAY 9TH JANUARY, 1977

"Nikki got up at 5.30 - had breakfast in room before left - said a sleepy goodbye.  Muggins on her own now!  Went down to breakfast.  Bali beckoned me to his table.  Introduced me to John - an overland driver, 29.  Chatted on about [Asian] Greyhound.  He's got 2 buses - been doing Overland trips for 6 years - when things were really primitive.  Invited me to drop in at bus if wanted.

Called at B.A to see if P.T.A come.  No.  Sikh asked me to come for a beer, but I didn't go.  Went and sat on John's bus in Connaught Circus (after changing rooms [in YMCA] for a single).  All Overland buses park here and all visit each other and chat.  Met some nice drivers - Margaret and Arthur (Sunshine Bus), a boozy Aussie - Dennis, who had a mini bus; Barry hash smoker, Ernie - cockney given to exaggeration.

Went back to see if any message.  Called Durham - but all away at funeral - student wouldn't accept charges, but gathered brother there this evening.  John took me out for a drink at the Imperial Hotel after supper - had Rosy Pelican beer - quiet strong and sweet.  Very pleasant.  Booked call to England for 11.45. 

Got back - couldn't get through - waited till 3.30 in morning.  Slimy attendant waited with me - offered to pay my fare home !! plus any of my expenses - warned me off John - said might leave me high and dry, wanted to know if he was my boyfriend - so I used him as excuse to refuse his attentions.  He pursued me [down corridors saying had keys to all rooms] but I was too quick for him!"

19th BIRTHDAY IN DELHI - no money, no ticket, just Spike Milligan and brother Rory to cheer me up! 1977

[It was day 10 in Delhi with the last of our money running out, a ticket for Nikki but none for me  - just another useless telex from Asian Greyhound telling me to go to the post office for the non-existent ticket (we had gone to the post office so often they had tea and chapattis waiting for us) - and it was my birthday!  The thought of Nikki flying away the next day and being left alone with no way home, brought me to the lowest ebb - so I booked an international phone call home.  It must seem extraordinary to those brought up in the age of mobiles and Internet to wonder how this could be such a major event, but this was the era when telex was the eighth wonder of the world.  My parents (coping with the aftermath of Granny's death) were not at home, but luckily I got brother Rory, who was trying to finish an essay before returning to college, and a little surprised to get a hysterical outpouring from his sister in India.  He was the hero of the hour.]

Rory piping with his daughter Lorna on Skye, 2009

SATURDAY 8TH JANUARY, 1977 - MY 19TH BIRTHDAY!

"My birthday!  Nikki got call from the Embassy saying £100 available in rupees because of irate telex from the Foreign Office, but must draw all at once and not convertible to dollars or pounds again! [So we never made trip out to Embassy]

Went to Ariana [Afghan Airways] - Nikki's P.T.A for new ticket come!  Flight Sunday morning 7.30!  No ticket for me.

Nikki went a bought me a card and I bought Spike Milligan book.  Decided to collect cases from airport.  Very upsetting to go there and not fly!  Felt miserable.

Back in afternoon to B.A - yet another telex saying Mrs Flynn [of Asian Greyhound] says go to Post Office [for ticket]!  Burst into tears!  Couldn't stop or be cheered up.  Decided to ring home.  Booked a call through - got [brother] Rory - asked him to get Dad to buy ticket in London today - urgent, no money etc - felt better for call."

BRITISH EMBASSY WASHES ITS MANICURED HANDS OF DIRTY TRAVELLERS, 1977

[Having been euphoric the day before with promises of tickets home, it turned out to be false in my case and complicated in Nikki's.  The British Embassy were as helpful as a chocolate fire-guard.  We spent precious money travelling out to the luxurious area of New Delhi where our diplomats lived to be told by a brusque officer that he would be out of sight and out of mind over the weekend, so not to bother him.  It was a day of hassle - and my last one as an eighteen year old!]

FRIDAY 7TH JANUARY, 1977

"New telegram for Nikki - she must go to Ariana [Afghan Airways] for ticket!  Went and saw a very unhelpful young bloke - ticket has to be blacklisted in Kabul before a new one issued!  My ticket not here.  Nikki decided to ring home that evening - felt better for it.

Also went to British Embassy to collect Nikki's money that father had arranged - very unhelpful - would give nothing, no money for travellers.  They would only fly people home if destitute - if there was no one at home to pay; they would disown then repatriate! [This meant having your passport revoked]  Any money leant had to be repaid before left the country!

Taxi took us to the wrong post office, so nearly had stand up fight with driver because we refused to pay full fair.  No tickets again."