I have been writing for Gonomad for quite sometime now and my blog is also hosted by them. This is a relationship that grew out of a speculative article submission to them a long time ago. I really consider my self fortunate because I am quite a boiler plate kind of a writer. For me if the wind is blowing then the wind is blowing, it would rarely murmur anything to me. At the best it could be a gentle wind or a storm or whatever, but no whispering to me and all, you get the drift? And yet I have always found encouragement from the Gonomad team for my stories.
Anyway, Max might visit India and he asked me in an email what should he particularly be looking for when he was packing. Of course I told him about all sundry things but what to pack. Then I offered him that I would try to do a blog post on this and you can’t keep the editor waiting!
1. My first thought is that if I had to talk about India to someone I would say, remember it is a big big country. Your experience may vary quite a lot depending on the place you are going to visit. I mean we have the Himalayas, the beaches, the desert, the Taj Mahal, the backwaters, the national parks and almost everything else in between. So if you went to Rajasthan then it is not comparable to Goa.
2. I was talking to a person who was from the US and was backpacking through India. He had seen more of India than me. He said, “When you come to India, you want everything to happen to the plan. But India teaches you patience. I do not easily get upset now if things don’t go according to the plan.” I think there is virtue in this advice. Plan minimally but after that let things take shape.
3. It is not a calamity in India when the power goes off. A good flash light may give you some peace of mind at those times.
4. Finding a pot hole on the road is almost normal, so don’t get scared when the car hits one. Freeway or highway is not the same in India.
5. There are a lot of people in India and depending on where are you going you will see a lot of them. After all out of that 7 billion people, India and China have a little more than one billion each. Rest of the 5 billion gets divided in the other 190 + odd nations of the world. Keep this in your mind.
But before I sign off, the picture above is also India. I think I can make a series of these observations, 5 is too little. If you have a tip to share do join the party.
Wonderful post, Mridula!!!! great way to put things!
Good tips. Loved the last pic too.
I guess we hv to thank GoNomad for the pleasure then 🙂
My tip
Don’t get too enthusiastic whilst planning the trip, it all looks easy on maps and travel guides..And the tendency is to overplan.
Most of the miserable people I meet in India (I’ve spent 6 years travelling the country) are people who have bitten off more than they can chew.
Travel in India can be very tiring, weaving bouncing buses, roads that never really allow you to totally relax, dusty trains that don’t always run on time….This, coupled with the barrage of sensory input and encroachment on your normal day to day bubble, make India a challenging destination for many.
My tendency is to linger when I travel in India, I’m lucky I have a lot of spare time to travel. Others approach a trip with trying to fill every day/hour with a tourist site or taxi/bus/train journey…Somewhere in between these two extremes is where you should aim for. Much of what is magic in India is on offer on streets throughout India. Sure the Taj, Mandu, Orchha are wonderful places to visit. But the colourful frenetic lifestyle of ordinary Indians, is for me a big part of the rich Indian canvas and hence my trip…So slow down, savor and really experience the places you visit.
Be invigorated by this great country, don’t let your travel plans lead you to tiredness and inevitable irritability.
Take time to notice the smiles all around you and be enchanted.
If you are looking for some more general tips then you can always look at my webbie page for some practical tips.
Beautiful photo Mridula!!!!!!
Absolutely fantastic post…loved it Mridula. Must be quite an experience for these blokes coming down from elsewhere LOL
Julia
Thanks Anu.
Thanks Chitra.
Meena 😀
Derek many many thanks for your input, I can of course not view India from the other perspective. That sensory input is routine for me!
I wonder how did I miss you Julia, many thanks for your encouragement. And it was great meeting you the other day.
Our trip has been postponed by our Indian Tourism hosts, who said they have already filled up their press trips for the year. Mridula you made me the most nervous when you alluded to the scary driving up in the mountains since we were going to visit the Kaziranga National Park. Nothing makes me more nervous than winding blind mountain roads. So for now I appreciate the advice and don’t know when I’ll use it.
Happy to have Mridula among our regulars…she adds her own unique flavor to our international stew of world travelers!
“This is also India” is a beautiful shot! And you gave a renewed caption.
It has a captivating look 🙂