Thar Desert near Jaisalmer
Disclaimer: I am going to express what I felt in India, my impressions during the trip and about the people I crossed with. Those opinions are framed within the circumstances I lived. I don't want to hurt nor offend anyone.
In simple terms I summarize my trip to India like this:
* India is horrible, but the trip to India is a life-experience.
* One two three: NOTHING FREE, four five six: NOTHING FIXED: seven eight nine: INDIA SUPER FINE.
In India there are unique sights, just that the operative cost to get there is quite high (infinite noise, infinite dirt, cheating all the time, lies everywhere). Therefore you must have the right mindset in order to enjoy the trip.
The first 10 days of my trip were very tough, mentally I was not well prepared for India nor for the kind of people I met (mainly cheaters and liars who destroyed my trip). I got a breaking point in Delhi, where I changed my attitude and my plan, which was quite ambitious at the beginning. Those changes helped me to enjoy the trip better and to learn many things about myself that I didnt know before:
- I am very strict
- I can be aggressive while negotiating (at least with Indians that you know they are cheating you all the time)
- Although I am a loner, I am not as loner as I though I was.
In India your mind boundaries move forward, your tolerance increases to unexpected levels. All that makes you know yourself better and that is why I feel the trip to India is a life-experience.
My tips for those going to India
- Carry toilet paper with you all the time
- Get a SIM card as soon as you get there and register yourself into a web platform to book the trains yourself
- DO NOT TRUST travel agents (yea yea, not all of them are bad. but the majority of those I crossed with were.)
- book the trains yourself, either through the web platform (for which you need an Indian number to log on), or on the train stations (the main stations have an office for foreigners)
- Eat in the places locals eat
- Don't let your self believe people are nice because they smile to you, or because they ask you where are you from or what is your name. Usually they want something out of you (to ask you for money, to buy them something, to drag you into their shop, etc), it's not just that they want to be nice with you. Believe me!, you are not the first nor the last tourist for them, you are not special for them!
- Carry a sheet for the bed and for some trains, or a thin sleeping bag
- Learn how to shake the head as they do, it is very useful during negotiations.
I recommend people to go to India, just go there expecting the worst and your shock might not be that hard. Dont expect anything to work smooth, most probably it wont. Still the trip is worthwhile to be done, you might meet good people, you'll see great places and interact with a culture of thousands of years.
It's interesting how some people love India and others hate it..
ReplyDeleteI'll just let Oscar Wild comment on that: "Diversity of opinion about a work of art [for our purpose let's say about a place or a trip] shows that the work [place, trip] is new, complex, and vital"
Deletewhen u have the chance to go there, dont hesitate, just prepare yourself for the worst ;-)
Good or bad India is definitely a huge experience! You can get a lot out of a trip like this, it's definitely an eye opener and it can change you.
ReplyDeleteI was glad to read on your trip reflections - especially about the self-awareness part! Important accomplishment!:)
The tips you gave are very good! let me add that for me the most important of all is to travel in a group. It's much much safer and much more fun.
I think this is what made my trip to India so great, the fact that I was with a group of people, which made me feel secure and allowed me to enjoy the country.
It takes a lot of tolerance, being open minded, and being chilled to enjoy India.But if you have that and a nice group of people, India is amazing! For me it's a magical land and I'd go back in an instance! :)