Episode 3 The Real Marigold Hotel

SITAR MUSIC PLAYS

India - a country bursting with colour and beauty.

I don't have words for that.

With year-round warm weather and a low cost of living,

could it be the perfect place to retire?

I would love a different way of life, where money might last longer.

And a wonderful climate.

I want to have a comfortable old age.

-Let's go somewhere and live like kings.

-Thank you, Majesty.

Inspired by the film, eight well-known pensioners

are enjoying a real-life adventure in the city of Jaipur.

-Ah!

-He stole it!

They've been living together for two weeks in a townhouse

-in the heart of the old city.

-Is this the way to the market, though?

I don't know! We'll give it a go. Hello!

-They're starting to settle into life out here...

-Oh! Sorry.

India has grown on me completely. I feel totally at home here.

..and are beginning to make friends with the locals.

I think it could be much nicer to retire here than somewhere in Eastbourne!

With one week left of their Indian adventure...

-Oh! Hit by a bull!

-Madness!

-HORNS BEEP

..will they find a place where they can feel at home on the other side of the world?

You can't avoid loving this place. Magical!

MUSIC: Thom Karuvil Irunthom by Shankar Mahadevan

BIRDS CHIRP

SITAR MUSIC PLAYS

It's 5:45am and Jaipur is starting to stir.

BIRDS CHIRP

It's like getting up in the middle of the night!

Dear, oh, dear! I must be crazy!

Good moaning!

Not very early!

I've never done exercises at this time in the morning ever!

With only a week to go before they leave India, Wayne, Bobby

and Jan are making the most of the time they have left.

-It's a bit early, isn't it?

-Yes, it's very early, it's fresh now!

Their guide, Raju, is taking them to the city's Central Park.

-This is one of the biggest park of Jaipur...

-Aha.

..which opens at 5.30 in the morning

and the old people come here for jogging, walking, do yoga...

The park is popular with the older generation, with many making use

of the cooler morning temperatures for their daily exercise regime.

You don't see any of them with sticks. None of them look ill.

They look fit, they look young.

They're amazing.

Oh, it's great! It's so active!

'I'm getting stiffer as I get older.'

Because at this age, you start to atrophy.

Your muscles start to...dissolve.

So, I've got to get them back in gear.

THEY ALL LAUGH

Laughing yoga is thought to have started in Jaipur in the 1970s,

using self-induced laughter to improve wellbeing.

How weird! It makes me laugh just watching them.

Oh, ha-ha-ha! So...

THEY ALL LAUGH TOGETHER

Are you laughing genuinely? Or are you just making the noise of laughing?

Ha-ha, ha-ha, ha-ha! But then you're not finding things funny?

-Yes.

-It's not funny.

-No, not funny. It is...

-It's just a process.

-Process.

-It's an exercise for the body.

-It's an exercise for the body.

You begin to laugh in a very mechanical way but then you

end up sometimes laughing in a very genuine way, looking at each other.

-This lady hasn't stopped laughing since we arrived!

-SHE LAUGHS

THEY ALL LAUGH

Ah-ha-ha! Ha-ha! Ha-ha!

THEY LAUGH TOGETHER

They are all exercises, believe it or not, for the body.

For the lungs, for the stomach, for the legs,

for the head, for the mouth. I mean, it's yoga.

It's a yoga but they do it through laughter.

Prolonged laughter is thought to promote wellbeing,

reducing symptoms of both stress and depression.

THEY LAUGH AND CLAP

I enjoy a good laugh and sometimes I laugh so much I cry.

If I came to live here, I'd join the laughing club.

I mean, what is it? A laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and you're on your own.

HE LAUGHS

But there is one member of the group not finding it quite so amusing.

-Come on, Bobby!

-No, you carry on.

-I laugh when something is funny.

-Yeah, exactly.

WAYNE LAUGHS

If I went over my local park and sat doing that, they'd think I'm a nutcase!

I'd be locked up in the afternoon!

THEY LAUGH

I'm relaxing much more into Indian society than I thought I ever would.

When we came back from Agra, I came back to the city

and I thought, "Oh, we're back home again!"

And I knew some of the streets. And I knew the walls, the pink walls.

And I'd been to that bazaar. And I like this city.

HORN BEEPS

-Morning!

-Good morning! How is everyone?

-Morning!

-Morning!

-Did you sleep well?

-Yes.

-I did because I took a pill.

SHE LAUGHS

-We went to laughter yoga. Laughing yoga.

-What was Bobby like?

-Bobby said he only came to look.

-THEY LAUGH

It makes me feel great and of course, I've oxygenated my body.

No, it was great! It really was great.

And again, all the friendliness.

It's the gentleness, the love that you feel.

Even from the people in the street.

How beautiful! How beautiful!

'This may sound very strange.

'I am feeling more of an integration with the Indians than anyone else.'

Thank you.

I can speak two words of Hindi. But I feel very much at home.

At home in the UK, Jan has lived on her own for the last 12 years.

I am alone. My mother and my father died last year.

My son is in Australia. And, just sometimes I feel that aloneness.

Since meeting Emma, a Brit who lives here as a single woman,

Jan has been exploring the possibilities of a move to India.

Now, there's another part to the equation.

I had never thought about India. But maybe.

A lot of people do it here, they have homestays...

With five days of her trip left, Jan has been invited to see Emma's home.

Because you're kind of living with the family

but within your own self-contained space.

Emma lives in a flat within a haveli, alongside her landlady,

-Sangeeta, and her extended family.

-This is Sangeeta.

-Oh, hello!

-Namaste!

-Namaste! It's lovely to meet you.

-Come, please come.

-Really wonderful.

Now, for someone of my age,

I would not want to be in an apartment by myself.

-And you're fully self contained.

-I'm completely self contained.

I have an apartment there.

So, I'm completely self contained within the building.

But I think, what I said to you, it's really lovely to be in a building like this as part

of an Indian family, particularly if you're living here as

a woman on your own, is that you feel very protected.

I can always go to Sangeeta for advice.

You know, if I ever have any problems, she is always there.

They become a family to you because you get up in the morning and you're

sitting across having a cup of tea and you join them and you talk.

You know, an awful lot of this is going in the UK.

Because people are sort of living behind closed doors. They don't...

I live in a big house divided into eight flats.

I really could die and nobody would know.

I could fall down the stairs and break my neck.

At least here, you'd know I'd died and you could arrange something!

I would be barging in your apartment, in and out.

You would be fed up of seeing me, without knocking!

Emma's monthly rent for her one-bed apartment is £300.

With another £35 for a maid and cook.

-This is absolutely...

-Yeah...

-It's lovely!

So, this is almost like a traditional kind of Indian haveli style.

I thought that would be quite good fun.

And then the other thing that I've got, which is quite nice,

-is a huge roof terrace.

-Oh!

-It's like having a whole other apartment.

-Oh!

-Yeah.

-And do you share it with anyone else?

-No, no. This is my roof terrace.

-This is your roof terrace?

-Yes.

If we go over here, we'll have to be a bit careful of this monkey,

make sure he doesn't follow us or anything.

But what's quite nice is that you can see

-the forts on the hill from here. See? Up there.

-Oh, yes!

I am thinking very genuinely,

I could do three or four months in India.

'If I were to seriously come here,

'I would like to do it the way Emma has done it.'

I don't know, we'd have to start looking for you if you wanted something.

Well, I would like a Sangeeta.

-I would like a roof terrace.

-Right...

Meeting people here, who want to embrace me and take me

into their family circle, that to me is, "Wow, this is a new experience!" It's wonderful.

Lovely. That's nice.

-I'm not wearing a bra, so...

-Oh, sorry about that!

Namaste!

India has started to cast its spell on the group.

Fascinating, you know? You can walk down a busy road

and you come across these great big animals. Very placid.

Not frightened of humans, not frightened of cars. Amazing.

For Bobby, the idea of retiring here has become a real possibility.

We're going to do a bit of roaming today and see

if we can see some property.

That's an old building, that.

And when you get a bit old and you got to go up stairs like that, you...

-I'd be in intensive care if I went up and down there all day!

-HE LAUGHS

All right, mate? How are you? How are you, little one? You all right?

Eh? What's your name? Oh, you don't like me!

BUZZ OF TRAFFIC

Bobby has made an afternoon appointment to meet a local

estate agent and is rounding up some of the others to come along.

Now, I'm going to join in on your property expedition.

Well, if you're going to live over here,

you want to see what the prices are. What they look like.

-I don't like anything that looks modern, you know.

-No.

I like Georgian style, that sort of thing, you know?

-Oh, that's wonderful.

-That's what I like.

Erm, I'll have a tea, can I, please?

-With sugar.

-Sugar in tea.

-Stirred to the left. James Bond, see? I'm a cheap James Bond.

-You're a one, you are!

-HE LAUGHS

Oh, dear! Am I talking better now, do you think?

-I think your diction's improved.

-HE LAUGHS

With the average price of a three-bed home in Jaipur around £90,000,

the prospect of buying a property seems worth exploring.

-Help Miriam out, would you?

-I'm so relieved there's a lift!

Bobby, Miriam, Patti and Wayne have come to see a luxurious

-gated development eight miles west of the city centre.

-Fifth floor.

Look, here we go.

'I would like to find out how much property is over there.'

What's the standard of buildings like?

See how they do their bricklaying and their floor laying.

-I'd like to see that.

-Oh, here we are! Fifth floor. Hello!

There isn't a week goes by where I'm not looking at the price of houses.

And, you know, living somewhere cheap would help me enormously.

-All right, son?

-Lovely to meet you, sir.

-Lovely jubbly.

So, I'm going to show you the flat, a three-bedroom flat.

And I hope you like it. Please.

If my partner would follow me to India,

if she would be prepared to try it, then it's a very possible thing.

-This is the kitchen?

-Yeah.

-OK.

-That's the kitchen.

Actually it comes raw.

-Then you have to furnish it how you want.

-We'd buy the shell?

-Yes. You'd buy the shell.

-And then you'd do whatever you like with it.

-You do whatever you like with it.

-I see.

-OK.

-Nice pool.

-It's good to see the blue of the pool, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-That's a big selling point.

-Yes.

-For us!

That would be a big selling point.

-What is that building over there?

-Ah, that is the clubhouse.

-Oh, that's the clubhouse.

The complex also has tennis courts, a games room, a pool hall and a cafe.

What does this cost, as it is, as a shell?

-Wow!

-A-ha! Yes, we went to laughing school. Ha-ha.

THEY LAUGH

The government, says, it's for our people.

-OK.

-How much is it to rent?

Right.

I could quite easily manage that and maybe that would be the best

thing to do, because then, if you got fed up with it,

you could go to another part of India.

But Bobby is less impressed.

The tap's on the piss, look.

Know what I mean?

See, the tap isn't even straight. Oh, dear, oh, dear, oh, dear.

The thing that's disappointing is you can't buy a place here.

You have to have an Indian on the deeds with you

and I wouldn't like that. No way.

But you could live quite comfortable,

if you find the right place to rent.

Wayne has settled into the rhythm of Indian life

and now enjoys navigating the streets of downtown Jaipur.

Havoc on the roads, cows everywhere.

And everybody with just a bright smile on their face.

Hello.

I'm learning, yet again, via the local people,

the feeling of happiness, serenity, relaxation.

It's all part of a spiritual awakening.

Before he came to India, Wayne underwent surgery for cancer.

I did have a bit of a scare earlier in the year

and when you've had a bit of a scare, it makes you reflect more.

Hi, how are you?

I've always felt the spiritual feeling inside of me,

but I've never nurtured it and I don't want it to be gone

and it be too late for me to realise, if it's there.

Wayne isn't the only one who's discovered their spiritual side.

Meditation, I think, has now been my big thing.

This is a wonderful feeling.

This feeling of, almost like serenity,

and this I have to transfer to when I go home.

Rosemary has taken up meditation at a local ashram

and Wayne has decided to join her.

He's never done meditation.

I don't know about meditation. I don't know if I can meditate.

-Just be here and now.

-Thank you.

-Nothing else.

-Thank you.

CHANTING

-Hari om.

-Hari om, meaning?

-Meaning the God is the om.

Hare Krishna.

No, Hari means om. Om is the first sound in the universe.

From the sound, coming everything.

The popularity of meditation is growing rapidly in the UK

and is believed to significantly help high blood pressure,

as well as boost the immune system.

You chant one mantra.

SHE CHANTS

Inner calmness is reached through the repetition of a mantra,

a sound or simply regular breathing.

Wrap your palms.

Massage your eyes and face.

Thank you so much. That's relaxed... That's relaxed me.

-This is why I'm in India.

-Yeah.

-To find something.

-Yes.

The meditation was the most significant point, for me.

It relaxed me so much.

When you receive something as holy as that, like meditation

and seeing their complete dedication to it, it makes you humbled.

Look! One, two, three, four, five, six...

Seven, eight. Look at this.

-Where did that one come from?

-Look at that one, there.

-That's beautiful.

-It's just come up.

-Look at those purple ones.

-I know.

-Don't you think this is wonderful?

-Look at that.

Look how big the sun is. You can see the bottom part as it goes down.

Here we go.

-Oh, I like this.

-Allow me to take you to your carriage.

The group have settled into local life, but before they go,

there's a side to India the artists of the group are keen to explore.

I don't know enough about the culture. I just don't know about it.

Their hosts have arranged for a local tut-tut driver, Dinesh,

to show the group the traditional cultural heart of Jaipur.

Right.

One of the things that would delight me,

is to be taught about the music and the dance of India.

I don't know what we're going to be looking at.

-I don't see much culture here, at the moment.

-We follow you?

-Yeah.

Kotputli slums, south of the city centre, is home

to around 5,000 people.

Look at the houses up there, Miriam. Right above.

How close they are set together.

You're like the Pied Piper.

I've never been with so many children.

I'm not great with children.

I'm taller than a couple of them.

They've got their own streets and everything.

-It's like a village, isn't it?

-It is.

Behind every doorway is a family.

A community of acrobats, musicians, snake charmers

and puppeteers, have lived here for generations,

-including 23-year-old Dinesh and his family.

-You live here?

-Yes.

-He lives here.

-It's a slum and is the most artistic place in Jaipur.

People in Jaipur, if they need any concert, they come here.

-Are you a puppeteer?

-Yes. I am a puppeteer.

-I'd like to see it.

-I'd like that.

-Wonderful.

Small shops, we have. Where we get flour, sugar.

-We go in here?

-Yes.

-Thank you.

Like many of the slum community, Dinesh and his family

survive by making and selling puppet souvenirs for tourists.

-They are very beautiful, aren't they?

-Aren't they lovely.

-They are the kings of India.

-The kings of India?

-Yes.

-Who carves them?

-Me, my father.

Really? You carved all these? Wow.

Then my sister painted, like this.

-How many people live in this house?

-13.

-13?

-Yes.

-They must all get on very well.

-Or not.

-Or not!

-May I try with that one, please?

-OK?

Put it back, this string and keep this, like this.

Keep it tight like this.

It's not easy. It's not easy.

MUSIC PLAYS

Wow!

Bravo. It makes you want to dance.

India has got thousands and thousands of years of culture.

The art, the music, the theatre, so much expression.

MUSIC PLAYS

How do you feel about living here? Do you want to get out or...?

-I love this place.

-You love this place? This is home.

-Yeah.

So, you don't envy people who have money?

Do you think, oh, I wish I could have that?

Sometimes if there is trouble, problems with families,

money and stuff, yes.

But, mostly, we are happy with our life.

Fantastic.

Would you like a pen? Yes? There we are. Isn't that nice?

-You want a pen?

-Thank you.

Those people were just great. I've fallen in love with them.

No, don't help me, don't help me, I'm going to do this.

Despite having a house full of staff, chef, Rosemary,

has been keen to get involved in the kitchen during their stay.

-Have I got it?

-More or less.

My problem is, I can't afford to slow down. I have to keep going.

I can never see me giving up work completely, whether I just write

or whatever I do, I'll always work until the day I die, I will work.

-You're supposed to keep it like this.

-Oh, sorry.

If Rosemary was to spend her golden years here,

India would have to offer her more than just sunshine and cheap living.

If I was to ever consider to retire here, I would definitely get

some sort of a job or start a cafe or do something like that.

I'm learning, I have to come here,

I have to come and learn how to cook.

I have to start my career all over again.

Well, to learn new things, you have to.

That's what it's all about, isn't it?

After my retirement, I'm learning how to run this place.

So, say if I was to retire here, I could easily open up a little cafe.

-You could, you could.

-Because there are people doing it already.

There are people doing it already.

Now, you see all around Jaipur, people of our age,

after retirement, have opened up places like this

because children are not with us, the house is there

so there is never an end to getting business.

People are doing it.

And that, to me, is what it should be like.

-Age comes, but, you know, it's acceptable.

-I don't think...

I'm not old. As long as you've got your health.

You have no medical problems, I think everybody is young.

Yes, I'll see you later. Thank you for helping me.

-Thank you for letting me practice.

-Bye-bye.

-That was brilliant.

They don't look at old people in the same way here.

When you get to 65, you've got to retire.

Well, it doesn't work like that here.

And I think that's a good thing.

With around 100 rupees to the pound, the group have found

that their money goes a lot further here than in the UK.

Something Miriam wants to take advantage of before she leaves.

Ah, here we are.

I've come to an optician to order some glasses,

because I believe that they will be of good quality...

Hello, good afternoon.

..and they'll be cheaper than I can get at the optician that

I use in England.

Can I have your prescription, previous prescription,

so I can get an idea?

You know, things like finances are very important.

How much money does it cost?

I want to have a comfortable old age and the fact that India is much

cheaper to live in than England is a big factor in retiring here.

I've got a fat face, so I need big glasses.

I am also fat.

No, you're not, not like me.

What price are these?

-These of for only 800 rupees.

-And how much is that?

Er, £8.

£8.

Movie star, Miriam, has attracted the attention of the manager.

-I have seen you somewhere.

-I'm an actress.

Yes, I've seen you in Harry Potter.

That's right. I'm very impressed.

-Every customer is important for me.

-Exactly.

He's keen to show her his flagship range.

This is the finest quality of titanium.

This is Z-titanium.

At the moment, it is 100% unbreakable.

Even if you sit on them, the lens will not break.

-If I sit on them?

-No problem.

Wow! That's got to be strong.

-And how much is that one?

-That is expensive.

-£215.

-No, I'm not having that.

You see, I know quickly what I like and what I don't like.

Yes, definitely.

Maybe they like Harry Potter. It's OK, no charge.

-Can I do it on a card?

-I don't have a machine, right now.

-My machine has been spoiled by rats.

-By rats?

-Yeah.

-OK.

I've spent a lot more money than I expected,

but I've got a lot for it, which is excellent.

Across town, Jan has come with Emma and her landlady, Sangeeta,

to see an apartment for rent.

-So it's a huge haveli?

-Yes, huge compartment.

So, you are renovating the whole place at the moment? Yes.

Hidden behind the central bazaar, the apartment is

part of a large haveli owned by Sangeeta's brother.

Emma is delightful and Sangeeta was so willing to help

and when I said, "Well, it's all right, you've helped Emma,"

who lives in this wonderful situation with her own

apartment in the haveli, which is the family home,

but they are there when she wants to open her door.

-This is all part of the apartment?

-Yes.

I'm showing you the old city, haveli apartments,

which families have created for the foreigners to stay

and get the feel of the old city.

I couldn't believe it when we walked in and suddenly,

-this whole, sort of...

-Hustle, bustle.

-From here, it's like an oasis.

-It's amazing.

-Oh! Oh!

-All yours.

-Grandfather, grandmother and my great-grandfather.

-Oh!

It's absolutely lovely.

It's wonderful.

I came here and walked into this, sort of, palace

and the beauty of this place, is the family run it.

If I were here for four months every year, I haven't got

the slightest doubt that I would be swept up and part of the family.

It is lovely.

Jan could rent this luxury apartment for part of the year,

for £500 a month, for a short-term let.

I always wanted an extended family.

I always wanted more than one child.

None of my wishes were granted.

My son now lives in Australia and I just don't have an extended family,

so why shouldn't I have an Indian one?

It would suit them because they'd have a long let.

It would suit me because I'd only have to pay rent for four months

and I'd be like a maharani.

Ah, Notting Hill, it's Notting Hill Carnival.

The group are out to celebrate one of the biggest

nights in the year in Jaipur.

-Which way?

-Er, that way.

-Any way,

-any way. Any way.

-This is all for you today.

It's the Festival of Ganesh Chaturthi,

one of the most important dates in the Hindu calendar, which

celebrates the elephant-headed god's birthday.

I love all the colour, culture, noise... Er...

and vibrancy.

-Elephant!

-Elephant!

The group's guide, Raju, has taken Jan, Sylvester

and Roy into the thick of the procession.

-An elephant is walking on the street like this, openly.

-It's beautiful.

-One by one, you can look here.

-There we are.

It's not very often you can take a selfie with an elephant, nowadays.

It's just amazing.

Anyone who'd be bored here, there's something wrong with them.

A mile ahead of the procession,

locals are acting out the story of Ganesh through dance.

Rosemary and Wayne have been invited to join in.

I've been dancing with all the guys on the stage, there.

They gave me this lovely scarf. I think it must represent Ganesh.

These colours mean something quite different in London.

I think it's more like the gay flag, but never mind all that.

Yes. Yes, OK.

I've never ridden a horse in my life and, suddenly, I got up.

Oh, there she is! Brilliant.

And it was incredible.

Where are they? Come up the stairs.

Oh, look at the elephants.

-Look at you!

-It was absolutely...

She was on the most gorgeous horse.

Sounds amazing.

Wow!

It's 6am and peace has returned to the city.

Well, this is what I usually do when I wake up here in India,

almost every morning.

I wake up about 5:30am.

The sun comes up about 6.30,

but what's great is just to see a city content.

Simple life.

This is the best moment to contemplate life, death...

..being well in yourself.

And this is what India offers me,

which I can't get anywhere else, which is spirituality.

-Rosemary! All aboard.

-Thank you.

After nearly a month soaking up all Jaipur has to offer, today,

the group are making a pilgrimage to the spiritual heart of India.

We're going to Varanasi.

We're going to see some exceptional sights,

because that's the spiritual capital.

-That is the burial ground, isn't it?

-It is.

I'm very keen to find my spiritual side.

I'm quite a spiritual person, really. I've got a lot there.

Anybody who goes to India and isn't interested in Indian religions

is a muffin.

I'm fascinated by Indian religion,

so, I will not flinch from a spiritual adventure.

The group are travelling 500 miles east to one of the holiest

cities in the Hindu world, Varanasi.

The city is situated on the banks of the vast River Ganges, which

runs from the foothills of the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal.

Over five million people visit the city each year,

which attracts religious pilgrims and tourists alike.

I'll give you a piggy back down next time, if you want.

-That would be good, wouldn't it?

-It would.

Many flock to Varanasi to spend their final days,

as it's believed that by dying here,

they will break the cycle of reincarnation and achieve salvation.

But the city is very different to Jaipur.

Its narrow streets are packed with people

and the humidity is much higher.

So hot!

It's the dust.

It's getting to me and I don't really want to breathe in

the smoke or smell.

Coming through.

Wayne, Jan, Patti and Roy have booked a local guide to

show them around the city on foot.

Hello, come. What's your name?

-Nomi.

-Nomi, nice to meet you.

-Oh, hit by a bull!

-Right, they have the right of way.

-Yes, they do.

So, what is this area, anyway?

Around 30,000 Hindus have their bodies cremated on the banks

of the Ganges every year, in the hope their soul will reach nirvana.

But it's a shock for one of the group.

JAN SNIFFS

A lot of her family have departed, very recently, and who wants to

be reminded of it by seeing dead bodies pass by you in the street.

-Take her somewhere else.

-Let's go up this way, then.

No, I don't think we can go... Can we go that way?

-Yes, we're going this way.

-OK, let's go. Thank you.

It gave me the shivers, actually,

to think there was a dead person going by me in the street.

Just with a cloth over the top of it.

It was about to be burnt, which we do traditionally in our country,

but it's never so familiar as that.

There's always a box that they're in or something,

and their ashes are put in the Ganges here and will go to

nirvana, because this is the place where heaven meets Earth.

The Ganges is the lifeblood of Varanasi.

With steps down to the water known as ghats,

running the length of the city.

As well as cremations, the sacred river is used for drinking

and bathing by pilgrims who believe it will wash away their sins.

Miriam, Rosemary, Sylvester

and Bobby, are taking a closer look with their guide, Papu.

So, now we are burning.

On the ground, they are putting some wood already

and they put the body inside.

You can see the white colour, is like a leg is going out.

-Is that one being burnt already?

-Yeah.

-Is that flames?

-It is the second burning.

-That's another burning?

-Yeah.

Now, you know when you get burnt, the bodies get burnt?

I know it sounds really bad, but how long does it take,

a body, to completely burn?

An hour, two hours?

Somebody, like, it is taking three hour to four hour

and is dependent on wind also and the quality of wood

is much dry or not.

I mean, I'm going to be cremated and for us,

we're just put into a box and we're just put into a thing

and gas and cremated.

Would you be 180 degrees or...

Which is your favourite kind of cooking?

Shut up!

I'm just going to go like that.

You know, you have a heart attack or something, I just want to go.

I'd love to go on the job, you know,

when I'm doing my cooking or something. Love to just go.

Or just say, I'm going for a nap and just go.

I think there's something rather peaceful, being cremated on a river.

-Yeah.

-I really do.

-I don't want to be burnt.

I don't want to die, as it happens.

Are you scared of dying?

No, I ain't, because I'm not going to.

My dad, when he died, he was watching Ken Dodd.

Laughing his head off and he died. What a way to go.

But you don't really die, your genes carry on, so you're always there.

My boys have got my genes in, my grandson

and so you don't really die, you just carry it on.

Will you be cremated here?

I don't think about that, because I can see to other.

I'm not going to see to me and I just want to be alive.

-I feel the same way.

-Very good.

-I feel the same way.

-You stay alive, young man.

Death is something that you have to face and as I approach it,

as I get older, of course, it's nearer and nearer.

Am I frightened of it?

Yes, I'm terrified of it and there's no point

in pretending that it isn't going to happen, but I hope to go towards it,

bravely and elegantly, even.

I've never been elegant. Maybe I can die elegantly.

That would be something to hope for.

The Hindu religion views death not as an end, but as a transformation.

100 metres from the Ganges, hidden behind a busy street, there's

a special ashram, where pilgrims can stay during their final days.

Families stay with their loved ones until their final moment with

prayers and music performed to comfort them.

There is no disease. There is no problem.

He is the son, OK?

And then wife. They are all family together.

They came here to leave his body here.

You've given up the life and you're waiting to go on?

Thank you.

Would it be normal, first of all, to go to hospital, to try

-and have medication or no?

-Yes.

-Do that first.

-Yes, that you are doing.

There is pain.

You have pain, we have the things but if somebody just want to die...

-I see. It's their choice.

-This choice.

If you've got your family around you, you're lying on the bed

and you have chosen to die, it's your choice and your family

are there to support you in it. I would like that.

I never thought I could face somebody dying like that.

But all the family were around them.

They were even smiling, as if this is their way and it is their way.

This is part of their culture and part of their way

and it's a very peaceful situation

and the whole family will stay with them right to the end.

And, in a way, that's wonderful for them

to feel surrounded by the people who love them.

The group have come to a Hindu ceremony called an aarti,

which takes place each morning

and evening on the river bank, to pay respects to the sacred Ganges.

Hindus believe that the river is personified by a goddess known

as Ganga, with the aarti ceremony making her an offering of fire.

We have to put a candle on the river over there.

Oh, they're going down to the river.

Mind the gap.

It is said mother Ganga will purify your loved one's soul,

if you place a lit candle in the water in their memory

and say a prayer.

MUSIC PLAYS

Roy has been a widower for 26 years.

I always light a candle for my late wife,

no matter what country I'm in, no matter what church I'm in.

She's always in my thoughts, you know, my childhood sweetheart.

She never goes far away and a ceremony like this,

sort of, brings that all to the fore.

I felt uplifted by Varanasi.

Spiritually, health-wise, in myself, but I feel better

for having witnessed a very personal thing and a very grieving thing.

They don't see it as that.

They see it as the beginning of their spiritual life

and, of course, there will be mourning,

but they treat it like an everyday occurrence.

Well, it is. Life, then death.

-Home sweet home.

-Oh! I keep thinking there's more steps.

Back in Jaipur, the group only have a few days left

of their Indian adventure.

-Look at that bird, look.

-Oh, that's beautiful, isn't it?

Wow! All the wildlife is fantastic.

That would be another reason to stay.

I've been here three weeks, near enough, and I could live here.

My wife is coming out to have a look, see what India is like,

see properties, so, I'm going to stay for an extra ten days

and if we find the right place and she's agreeable,

we probably would live here for our retirement.

Before Bobby's wife arrives in India, he's keen to find

an impressive house to show her.

So, we start at the top, here and go down and then we go downhill,

like me. All right?

He's come 20 minutes from the old city to the fast-growing area of

New Jaipur, where the average rent of a three-bed house,

is £120 a month.

Well, look at the scaffolding.

It's bamboo and it's in a bag of dirt, with rope...

It's tied together with rope.

A health and safety officer would have a field day, here.

He'd have a field day.

Right. All right, young man, nice to meet you.

He owns the house.

You've done it very neat. Not bodged, it's done properly.

The top-end five bedroom, five bathroom house, also comes

-with a cinema, gym, Jacuzzi and roof garden.

-The terrace area.

-This is the kitchen.

-Very good.

And it even has its own lift, perfect for Bobby's arthritis.

First floor.

That's unusual. You've got a glass door on a loo. What happened there?

Marvellous house. Built...absolutely perfect.

The floors, the bathrooms, you got loads of bathrooms,

you've got lifts.

It's unbelievable.

It's a lot of house. It's very good.

It's done very well. It's very good. It's done neat and tidy.

-It's the best building I've seen.

-Thank you so much.

It is the best one. How much would it cost to rent a house like this?

-Rent? 1,000.

-1,000?

-1,000? A month?

That's not too bad, really.

Bobby and his wife could rent this house for £650 a month.

Mate, thank you.

It's not finally up to me, it's up to my wife, the governor.

Let's go and live like kings where it's sunny and lovely weather.

She always said she wanted to retire to somewhere like this

and she may do it, she may do it.

With their time in India drawing to a close,

the hosts at the haveli have organised an elephant ride

for the group on a family estate three miles outside Jaipur.

When I was a little boy, I used to come down from the Highlands of Scotland

to London and go to London Zoo and in those days,

you used to be able to ride an elephant and a camel.

Loved to go on an elephant. Look at that! That's great.

Set up as a nature reserve to protect the local wildlife,

it's also a space to house elephants that have been

mistreated by their owners.

-She must love it, I should think.

-Absolutely loves it.

I hope the elephant can take my weight.

-Now, get comfortable, darling.

-Is the elephant all right?

It's very all right. Is taking a pee. And a pooh-pooh!

No!

I can't believe I'm on an elephant!

I can't believe this.

This is lovely. Oh, it's wonderful.

You get closer to nature this way.

The eight former strangers have now spent three weeks living

alongside each other, road testing retirement in India.

I have connected with people here.

I suppose part of it is the joy of meeting new people.

Watch the snakes don't jump off that tree, you know.

There's some really lovely people here,

but I wouldn't like to go for the rest of my life

with a load of people.

God help me, I hope I'm out of it if I ever have to do it.

-Jan, you and Sylvester look this way.

-Which way is that way?

When I met my fellow travellers, my initial thought was,

what have I let myself in for?

And yet, I actually got on very well.

They're lovely, every single one of them.

Thank you. Wow!

That was fantastic. Never been so high in my life.

I didn't think it was going to be so relaxing.

It's like, I can't remember that far back, maybe 70 years,

when I was in my cot and my mum was rocking me.

I'm actually feeling incredibly calm

and I know it's the end of the trip and we've been through some rigorous

times over here, but this is the icing on the cake, I think.

Being allowed to come out into nature

and sit on an elephant's back.

Bobby's wife, Marie,

has arrived to explore the possibilities of a home in India.

-All right, doll?

-Funny seeing you here.

-Mad, isn't it?

-Have you been all right?

-Yeah.

You see the cows? Did you see the cows?

-Yes, I've seen the cows and goats.

-Amazing.

How have you been coping without me? Have you been taking your tablets?

-Yes, taking my tablets.

-I can see you are not very...

-I'm not too bad.

-..tidy.

-You look like you've lost a bit of weight.

-I don't know.

-Oh, hello.

-Lovely to see you in the flesh. How was your trip?

-Yeah, lovely, thanks, yeah.

-What a mess he is, isn't he? Love him.

-We've really bonded, haven't we?

-Well, not quite.

-Not quite.

Bobby and Marie are staying on in India, to look at local property.

I can't believe I'm here.

-Are you going to miss it?

-Yeah, I will a bit, yeah.

To say thank you to all the people that have helped them

feel at home here, the group are throwing a farewell party.

I seem to have been the first one ready.

Everybody else is still titifying. Do I mean titifying? I do.

In India, you've got to bling out.

-Hello.

-You look gorgeous.

-Thank you.

I feel all right.

I know that if I were to come back and spend time here,

these friendships would grow.

No doubt about that.

-This is a gift.

-This is my wife, here.

-Hello.

-It's lovely to see you.

-And you.

-Absolutely. Heard a lot about you.

It has been a journey of a lifetime, for us.

This has been a real inspiration, so, tonight,

this is what we're trying to give you, to say thank you.

I'm going to miss India. I'm really going to miss it.

-I probably won't miss the loos.

-My yoga boy. How are you?

This whole adventure is absolutely brilliant.

There will be tears when we leave.

-I will happily see you in London.

-Yes.

You're only as good as the people in your country. That's the Indians.

If you come here as a tourist, you just see the tourist thing,

but if you come here to live, as we have, then,

you're given the privilege of really getting down into the community.

-I want to really knead the top now.

-Yeah. I don't think so somehow.

Home, they say, is where your heart is.

India really does feel like home.

I don't feel sad, because I know I'm coming back.

There is no doubt I'm back.

Give the old girl a hug.

Rosemary? Come along, dear.

Thank you so much.

India has done something that I never thought would

happen in a million years.

I started to calm down and I'm coming back.

Thank you so much for all you've done for us.

I love this country and I would love to come back.

I have no final words.

This is an ongoing relationship.