So when I arrived in India, rather than get straight to work - don't tell the BBC! - my first task was to go for a Hindi lesson.

But my friends back home in Sierra Leone will be disappointed because my fascination with other things Indian has blunted my intent to learn Hindi.

Incidentally, I am already familiar with Indian people and their cultural practices having spent time visiting the camps of the Indian UN peacekeepers based in Sierra Leone, and sharing their food.

But this is different, I find in incredible! It is a vast country of extremes. Prosperity yes, but also poverty and during my stay I will be sharing some of the sights and highlights

Delhi on the move

For me, Delhi, the administrative and political capital, largely represents the latter.

They say necessity is the soul of invention. Therefore, India and its one billion odd people have had to use their heads, perhaps extraordinarily, to keep going.

The motorised rickshaw is a breath-taking machine. It's a converted motorbike that looks like a turtle and for me it is the symbol of India.

This is the ordinary man's Rolls Royce.

But in a city where the roads are choked with fast cars, trucks, buses, motorbikes, and trains, I am not sure of its safety.

But 300 million people living in abject poverty, can't always to have afford safety concerns.

Click here to see photographs of things that catch my eye on the trip

Namaste from Mumbai

Mumbai is very impressive - it is the city said to have the highest number of millionaires in the world!

It dwarfed Delhi with its skyscrapers and wealthy population. The city that does not sleep! Home to India's stock markets. Home to Bollywood.

There in my hotel room, I saw the limitless potential of India and her technology.

Over the weekend I went to Asia's largest slum in central Mumbai. It is home to Muslims and Hindus.

	Receiving Hindu blessings

The priest of the Hindu temple gave me some seeds and prayed for me. "You will know no trouble" he blessed me.

"Amen" I said, rubbing my palm to my face.

Later the same day, while researching for a story on HIV and Aids, I was put in touch with a gay activist.

He took me to a bar to do the interview and within minutes, two became seven with some of his staunchest fellow activists joining us.

Articulate, committed and determined, this was my first encounter with gay people, and I must confess that I was really thrilled, they are real crusaders ready to go to whatever length to defend their human rights.

In India as in Africa there is discrimination against gays and lesbians as I was told in the interview.

One last thing, if you are wondering if I am making progress learning Hindi?

Nahi! No! It's tough.

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