Chandigharh's claim to fame is that its urban design was planned by Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier, the very same man whose lamp design inspired egotistical maximalist Kanye West, to become an egotistical minimalist.

Of all the cities we've visited in India thus far, it is one of the most organised and therefore least interesting, with none of the country's trademark chaos in evidence. Traffic here is orderly; roads have demarcated lanes and cement islands, lampposts delineate the streets and the distinct lack of honking is notable by its absence. What's more, motorists here actually adhere to the rules of the road which is jarring to see after dozens on tuktuk rides through scenes of sheer pandemonium. It's the only place in India where a Westerner stands a decent chance of getting behind the wheel and surviving the experience.

With the city's only interesting attraction, Typewriter's Lane, closed on account of it being Sunday, we spend the day here wishing we didn't have to, waiting for time to pass so we can catch tomorrow's 5h train ride to Delhi. Nothing much left to say about this place except that it too has an Indian Coffee House, but regrettably, without any of the charm of its Shimla branch.

Vignette

A long-time subscriber to the belief that food tastes better with one's hands, I have resorted to eating all of my Indian meals without relying on the usual implements. It's been hard going so far as I'm terrible at it. Chapattis, naans and puris come away as shreds rather than useful chunks with which to scoop up curries, rice ends up all over the table, and sauce down the forearms. My ratios are all wrong too and I end up using twice the amount of Indian bread than necessary (a surefire way to get fat).

In an attempt to perfect my technique, I observe a police officer having his lunchtime meal at an adjacent table and almost get arrested for being a staring weirdo. But I think I'm going to keep at it. Aside from the improved taste and cultural immersion, eating Indian food with one's hands is just plain fun! That is, if you can get over the feelings of ridicule and looks of pity from local patrons. Now I know how my round-eye friends feel when trying to use chopsticks.

A lady transports rubble on a construction site and looks absolutely fabulous while doing it

India Coffee House! Probably the most interesting thing about Chandigarh

A lot of people here take daytime naps in these "body bags" which are actually just a plain white sheet. I saw a man in Shimla sleep at the very edge of a 3 storey drop in one of these

The shoeless cobbler

Finally, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you! I hope you're spending it with good friends and loved ones wherever you are. All the very best from India and please, please, have some turkey, stuffing and even some brussels sprouts on my behalf. The food here is lovely but no substitute for a stuffed bird and all the trimmings!