After our busy day at the Taj Mahal, we decided we needed a more leisurely start today. An hour’s shopping allowed us to buy Indian clothes appropriate for our visits to women living in poor urban and rural situations. Aside from the pleasure of wearing colourful and comfortable clothes, we recognise the opportunity and value of showing respect for the culture of others in such a simple and yet tangible way.

A six-hour train journey to Dehradun began with much negotiation with porters over carrying our luggage. Then we could relax and chat building up relationships within the team that we knew would be vital in supporting us in the challenges ahead. As we discovered yesterday, travelling by train in India affords wonderful opportunities to observe life in all its variety. By 10pm we arrived at Dehradun, the ‘small’ city of one million people, capital of the hill state of Uttarakhand, ready for the next part of our Indian adventure.