The temperature continued to rise as we returned to Rajasthan and the lush green fields of the Punjab gave way to desert. It seems incredible that in the past four days we have seen such extremes of both weather and culture, from westernised Shimla and the headquarters of the Tibetan Buddhists, to the Sikhs' capital and the desert people of Rajasthan. We've only been on the road for just over two weeks, but it feels like several months, we're all having difficulty relating to our lives back in England.
Every day is relentless, usually starting at dawn and going right through to the late evening.
We sometimes feel like American tourists on amphetamines because we are on the move so much, but we are getting a real feel of India and its extraordinary variety and complexity. The frustration of the long drives has abated over the past few days as the distances have shortened and we've been able to spend more time out of the cars. In any event, the extreme difficulties we encountered the first few days have really helped the contestants to bond, and there is now a great camaraderie. As we get together each evening, everyone has a tale to tell from their day's adventure - for that is what the trip has become. It is certainly not a holiday in the ordinary sense of the word.