The trip was planned very well. Almost everything went without a hitch. None of us fell sick, even though we were eating outside 3 times a day for a month.
Transport Between Cities: The Indrail pass really helped a lot, although making reservations at every railway station was a chore, but still it really made the trip a lot easier. The AC in the trains was always a welcoming relief from all the heat outside. A lot of the journeys were made at night, so it was good, we could just sleep and be at our destination in the morning. Most times there was food available in the trains. Chai was almost always there. The only issue I have is with the Indian Railway stations not having good waiting rooms with clean wash rooms. If they had those, then traveling by trains would even be better. They should charge for the bathrooms but at least have them - and have them clean. The cloak rooms in the train stations were fantastic. We did not have to haul our luggage everywhere. Just take out a few number of clothes and leave the rest in the station. Railway stations for me are really interesting places: there are so many people coming and going that it is just fun to sit and watch. The book stalls always have a good read available. And then there is the station food - bad but good!
The bad part about train stations - no clean toilets and the awful smell everywhere because people go to the toilet everywhere. It just stinks. Most stations are not clean, even though they try, I think there are just too many people with no civic sense.
For shorter distances the bus system works really works well. The more you spent the better you get - AC vs non AC. And the best option is a taxi for the shorter distances. We had more control over time and stops, and of course AC, which in summer time is a good thing to have. By the way, bus stations are not any cleaner than railway stations, in some cases they are even dirtier.
Transport Within the City: This is also one good thing in India. There are rickshaws, three wheelers, buses and taxis easily available and usually quite affordable. There is a loss of time sometimes while waiting for the buses, and sometimes there was no other option but to take the bus.
Food: This was probably the best part of traveling in India. There were very few places where we could not find good food to eat, but otherwise food is generally good and available and highly affordable. We are vegetarians, and so are most people in India, so it was quite easy to find vegetarian food. If nothing then simple rice and daal was available. We were just careful not to eat raw vegetables/fruits until after a few weeks of acclimating the body. And water - always drink bottled water - there is no other kind.
Shopping: One lesson learned, not the hard way, but still learned: shop freely wherever I am. Don't wait to find a better deal somewhere else. Sometimes I never saw the same item anywhere else. So I just kept buying wherever I found stuff. If I found the same item elsewhere, and it was cheaper, then I just cut my loses. Bargaining is essential. But there is no quality control. It is very likely that things will last but it is also possible that it has a short life span. The biggest problem is clothes. Those have to be bought at a good store and then there are more chances of good material. Roadside materials may not be good quality, colors may run or stitching may came undone.
Health: I will be remiss if I don't say something about having one's own first aid kit: pain pills, antibiotic ointment, band aids, stomach drugs (antacid, anti diarrhea, gas) and other pertinent drugs. And these should be carried at all times. So make one large pack and one small one to carry in purse. Its totally worth it.
Laundry: I am sure there are excellent hotels that have laundry services, but we did not stay in those kinds. Which means we were doing our own laundry. The other thing is we were so transient that it was hard for us to find such services in each city. It was just easier to wash clothes during the morning. Depending on how one is traveling, and one's idea of cleanliness, I made sure I had enough. I cannot wear the same clothes two days in a row, so I was doing laundry a lot...but it becomes a second nature. But it also important to have all the soaps etc.
Attitude: It is a must to have a positive attitude when traveling. So many things can go wrong that are completely out of our control, so good attitude really helps. This trip was a long one - one month is long! Anything can happen, and one moment can bring one down, but if one keeps an open mind then things are a lot easier to handle.
Travel Companion: Company should be good, even family can get on your nerves, so forget about friends. Whoever your travel companion, make sure they are tolerable! One should have similar thoughts otherwise one can have major issues. I have traveled a lot with family, as we have similar travel habits, but even then I have had trouble. Again, positive attitude helps.
Documentation: For me this is an important part of travel; I like to document what I have seen, where I have been, hence these blogs, and all the pictures. I always had enough film in my camera. Every day I would take some to write my journal. When I read these later, it brings back so many memories and for me it is enjoyable.
No comments:
Post a Comment