After an overnight uneventful flight, Tina and I arrived in Delhi along with 4 other members of the WA Masters cricket team. Having landed in Delhi we sat in the airplane for another 30 unplanned minutes as we waited for a disabled plane to be moved from our taxi path to the terminal. Welcome to India!

First impressions were good, a large very modern airport, a comfortable coach, wide traffic free roads and only two beggars approached the coach on the way to the Hotel .

The Royal Plaza Hotel is located in a leafy part of Delhi on the edge of the Connaught Place district. The building is an odd shaped tower 30 to 40 years old. The lobby is an Indian version of opulent luxury, the rooms not so. Smallish and odd-shaped but ours is clean and freshly painted. Fellow WAMs Simon and Morrie's room stinks of smoke so they get to move and decide to separate immediately. Relationship tension already and we haven’t played a game yet.

The all you can eat buffet breakfast is good. There appears to a permanent shortage of cutlery, waiters take missing pieces from other tables to ensure is never a table fully set. The brewed coffee is excellent. Morrie’s request for cappuccino resulted in an offer of chai (tea).

After breakfast we retired to the room to try and catch up on some sleep. By lunchtime we gave up the dozing and headed downstairs. We caught up with Larry and Denise and Wayne . Advice from Larry was that main road into Connaught Circle was closed and that locals were offering directions to everywhere else.

With Wayne in tow we set off on to streets of Dehli. It was cool and damp, there had been some heavy unseasonal rain overnight and in the morning. We walked down Janpath and as predicted by Larry advised by many locals of the closed road. The barriers tended to support the road being closed. The issue was who to believe on which alternative route to take. Everyone was telling us that the shops in Connaught Circle were closed (Sunday) and that we should go elsewhere (I will show you!), but we push on regardless getting lots of unsolicited help at every corner. Of course most shops were open, the banks were closed, but there were people everywhere.

We allowed ourselves to be taken to CIE shop after two recommendations as a good fixed price shop for Indian handicrafts. It was nice, not pushy but not what we were interest in, so off we went .

We headed up to the August Kranti Maiden a big park that is home of the India Gate war memorial. The park is popular. There were numerous informal games of cricket taking place in very close proximity of each other. One game the batsmen wore pads and gloves as did the wicket-keeper, but the rest had only a ball and a bat or two.

The ground was very muddy but people were picnicking. Photos in front of the India Gate were very popular.

Crossing the wide roads was always a challenge, something Tina does not enjoy. Running, fast, helps.

Back to Hotel we joined fellow WAMs for drinks at the bar while watching the Women’s World Cup Cricket final on TV.

Dinner was set for 7pm at the QBA restaurant back in Connaught Circle. Tina went to sleep and stayed that way so I went off alone. I caught an autorickshaw there. Cheap and fun. Earlier in the day one autorickshaw offererd to help us cross the road (roundabout) for 20 rupees (40 cents), I think Tina thought that was a good idea!

A team dinner was held at the QBA restaurant, a fancy, trendy roof top bar and restaurant on Connaught Circle. Forbsey ensured that we took advantage of the 2-for-1 drinks deal that saw us order 40 beers in the first twenty minutes. The food was tasty the service slow.

A trip back to the Royal Plaza in Sikh driven Ambassador Taxi finished the day.