VanillaSkyGirl 6 #1 January 28, 2005 Has anyone been to India, and what kind of travel advice can you give to me? I am going at the end of March to Delhi, Jaipur, Agra. What can I expect? What should I not miss? Any help would be appreciated. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites sunshine 2 #2 January 28, 2005 Can you pick up some belly dance items for me and val? ___________________________________________ meow I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites VanillaSkyGirl 6 #3 January 28, 2005 QuoteCan you pick up some belly dance items for me and val? Yes, but I know nothing about it, so you will have to PM me. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites soulshine 0 #4 January 28, 2005 Pack me in your suitcase, please? I'm really small and I don't eat too much. Please?! Oh, and I'm house broken and potty trained! Bombing for peace is like fucking for virginity! ~DEVIOUS BEEF~~FGF #69~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Kid_Icarus 0 #5 January 28, 2005 Don't eat Indian food while your there....order chinese..... ________________________________________ "What What..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Girlfalldown 0 #6 January 28, 2005 I have some advise. DON'T let your guide sell you for camels. My roommate was in India with a group and somehow managed to get herself sold for something like 20 camels by someone acting like he was her guide/chaperone. The real guides finally found her and told her to run while they fought off the purchaser. She was later robbed by monkeys. Don't let that scare ya away though. She said it was one of the most fantastic trips of her life. -------------- (Do not, I repeat DO NOT, take my posts seriously.) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites sunshine 2 #7 January 28, 2005 QuoteShe said it was one of the most fantastic trips of her life. Ro is actually taking a trip to india, unlike your friend that apparently took an acid trip. ___________________________________________ meow I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites SpeedRacer 1 #8 January 28, 2005 My sister-in-law nearly died of dysentery there. have fun. Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites mailin 0 #9 January 28, 2005 OMG - that was good JenArianna Frances Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites VanillaSkyGirl 6 #10 January 28, 2005 Lol. Sounds like the title of a book of memoirs. I'm not scared when I travel, GFD, even when I get "accidentally" electrocuted. Thanks for the advice. Soulshine ~ Sorry, girl, but I may get into a tiny-bit of trouble for smuggling in a small girl. Of course, if I could sell you for camels... Kid_Icarus ~ I will probably eat the Indian AND the chinese food... Speedracer ~ Glad that your friend lived! . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites jjiimmyyt 0 #11 January 28, 2005 I spent 6 months there 6 years back. Saw everything from Kashmir to Trivandrum and lots in between. In Delhi check out the Para Ganj, loads of shops selling silks etc, backpacker hotels, cows general street life. Jantar Mantar observatory is amazing, built in the 18th century with massive instruments, truly amazing. Check out India Gate aswell. In Agra the Taj Mahal obvioulsy. Try and get there for sunrise or sunset, pretty amazing. One of my best memories of India is watching the sunset over the Taj Mahal from a restaurant rooftop after induling in a bhang lassi. Never made it to Jaipur but I here the silver shopping is good. India is an amzing country, the locals are very friendly, the food is great. Best trip I've ever done. "This isn't an iron lung, people. You can actually disconnect and not die." -Dave Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites jjiimmyyt 0 #12 January 28, 2005 She was later robbed by monkeys. Saw this on Elephanta Island near Bombay, monkeys droppping out of the trees to steal peoples lunches. Hilarious. "This isn't an iron lung, people. You can actually disconnect and not die." -Dave Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites SpeedRacer 1 #13 January 29, 2005 yes. the monkeys are BAD!!! Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites freeflir29 0 #14 January 29, 2005 I haven't been there but A BUNCH of people I used to work with were doing trips there. It's a DIRTY NASTY SMELLY place. The hotels are very nice but only inside their walls. If I was paying for it........I would cancel the trip! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites marcandalysse 0 #15 January 29, 2005 We were there for 3 weeks in May last year 2004. A terrible time of year to be there. Very hot and very dusty. Best time for India weather wise is now....between nov and march. It is extremely rough travel, and I have been in the back roads in jungles in sumatra and peru and thought those were tough rides until going to India....and alysse and I went first class airconditioned everything (train, bus, taxi, and plane rides for anything longer than a 3 hour road trip!). We almost never travel so expensively like that. But it was needed there. We hoped to see more places, but once there realized that even with 3 weeks we had to limit our travel to only a few places. Even by plane it was too time consuming to get to final destinations. I warned off some friends who went a couple months ago and they went anyway (also have traveled very widely) and they wrote back wishing they had listened to me on that warning.... We went for a friends wedding. The ten days we spent with him and his family and friends were excellent. But once we were on our own, it went downhill. India has little infrastructure for tourism, even in the most touristy spot Taj Mahal. You'd think they would have a govt bus or tram take everyone from the train directly to the Taj and back...instead we had to deal with guides and touts who took us to places (stores) we didn't want to see. Food was NOT so bad! I was expecting firehot spicy but it was spicy in the sense of many tastes. Had no stomach probs. Traffic is deadly. No regard for keeping in lanes or even on the road...I got hit by a motorcycle, even though I was on the SIDE of the Road! Thankfully, I instinctively PLF'ed as I flew through the air, rolled 3 times and bounced off a wall. We were in Mumbai/Bombay (wedding ceremonies) and Goa (wedding parties and temple visits), Ajanta and Ellora Caves, Taj Mahal/Agra, Bodhgaya. I guess India is a place many people should go to, have a compulsion to go there.....Alysse the architect wanted to see Taj, Marc the pilgrim wanted to walk in Buddhas footsteps... I am glad I went, but even more glad to return...and will never go again... If you have friends to stay with and take you around, it will be a great time. Those three places you mention are relatively close to each other and that will make it somewhat easier depending on how you travel between those places.... but if you are on your own....take my advice....if you want to see Asia, go to vietnam, laos, thailand, bali... If you end up in New Delhi, in south end of the city is a fantastic Bahai Temple...An excellent book to travel with is City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi -- by William Dalrymple Anyway, PM me for more info.... marc Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites flyangel2 2 #16 January 29, 2005 Wow! Lucky you.May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Zep 0 #17 January 29, 2005 One bit of advice, If you plan to leave the normal tourist route Take a good supply of Pens (example BIC) and buy boiled sweets. Reason: away from the citys the children instead of asking the tourists for money they ask for school pens and sweets (candy to you) If money an time allows catch a flight over to Sri Lanka accomadation is cheap an the people are so nice if you eat where the locals eat (recomended) be prepared to eat with your fingers Oh....one other thing if you see young couples sitting on benches with a black umbrella covering thier heads dont disturb them they're necking (its not polite to to let other people see you kissing in public) how cute! have a great time an dont forgett your injections Gone fishing Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites linny 1 #18 January 29, 2005 Don't give them the pens or chocolate. Give hungry mothers any left over food from dinner, but don't bring treats specially for the kids. What do you think started the intense begging for those items in the first place? And never ever dish out money. Begging is a full fledged industry in India. If you want to help, give them a blanket or volunteer in one of Mother Theresa's clinics for the Dying and Destitude. Hey Rosa, I spent some time in all the places you're going, and absolutely LOVED every moment of it. I traveled bare bones budget. No luxury whatsoever. Some of the most beautiful and exhilerating moments of my life. You'll love it over there if you have an open mind If you have ANY questions please PM me, I'd love to share advice and experience. Oh and Sunny, not likely to find great belly dancing stuff there, just fabric (the most beautiful in the world albeit) and maybe some tribal type skirts and stuff in Rajasthan. Delhi has some fabulous jewelry actually. Now that I think of it, you could outfit yourself pretty well out of Indian gear. Nevermind. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites skykittykat 0 #19 January 29, 2005 Hey Rosa - you are going to have a blast there. Unforuntately I haven't been, although I was offered a job in Bombay years ago, but never made it there. Check out this website: www.lonelyplanet.com It is the website of the Lonely Planet guidebooks and there is a forum on there so you can get all the info/travel advice from travellers past and present! It is a wicked resource. Liz Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites marcandalysse 0 #20 January 29, 2005 Quotedont forgett your injections Very True! And start them now, because some need boosters a month later. Hep A and B Tetanus etc your local health dept will know that you'll need. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites freeflir29 0 #21 January 29, 2005 QuoteHep A and B No doubt...........Hep B is a three shot series. I think it's at least 30 days in between shots. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites gmanpilot 0 #22 January 29, 2005 You can expect to get sick if you are not careful. My lil sis spent a year or so over there during her doctorate studies and got very sick, it took her a full year to recover. When I go somewhere like that I bring good meds for bacteria, infection and nausea. Other than that, have fun._________________________________________ -There's always free cheese in a mouse trap. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites adamUK 3 #23 January 29, 2005 Hi, I spent just over 2 months going from Mumbai to Dhaka in Bangladesh (via Sri Lanka) I would defintely recommend Sri Lanka, it's great fun and the people are really friendly. Vegetatian food is much safer than meat dishes (I had 6 days when I didn't know which end to stick down the bog after some dodgy chicken), and since the food is so good wihout meat, I would recommend it. If you are travelling alone then it might be good to hook up with another travelling partner (there are many backpackers around india). Single women do get hassled though it's nowhere as bad as Indonesia. Don't take too many things, like clothes. A tailor can knock together anything you like really quickly and a fraction of the cost that is available at home - in fact I met someone who took all his favourite clothes to india and got a guy to copy them all! Try to get some small denomination notes when you get there for tips - 100 rupees is a lot of money out there. Also, since you will be untanned and western, you will be paying 2-3 times the local cost so be prepeared to haggle. And enjoy... don't be in a hurry because no one else is - just slip into the indian way of doing things. The sights, sounds and smells are sometimes overpowering but that's all part of the experience. Take care and let us all know how it went. Adam. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites happythoughts 0 #24 January 29, 2005 elephants in the news Go ahead...click on the link to the pic, you know you want to. QuoteBANGKOK (AFP) - Having taught Thailand's elephants to paint, dance and play musical instruments, their Thai handlers are now toilet-training the beasts, media reported. Handlers -- known as mahouts -- have installed giant human-style toilets at a camp in the northern city of Chiang Mai to try to rid the tourist attraction of unsightly droppings, according to the Nation newspaper. Some seven elephants at the privately run camp beside Chiang Mai Zoo are being trained to sit like a human on the giant white toilets, which can be flushed by pulling on a rope with a gentle tug of the trunk, said the daily. It showed a picture of a five-year-old elephant named Diew testing out one of the oversized concrete toilets, which has been fitted with equally jumbo-sized plumbing. The elephants were reportedly rescued from the streets of Bangkok where people were using them to collect money from tourists. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites QuickDraw 0 #25 January 30, 2005 Expect to see poverty, beauty and prepare for a culture-shock too, get your shots & anti-malarial drugs before you go. I went to Goa (a tourist trap) on the west coast in 1997 and had the best holiday of my life there, travel is cheap as your usually 'adopted' by a taxi driver. Don't drink the water & stay clear of salads and products made or prepared using water. Don't carry anything too valuable & only enough money for what you think you may need, and maybe a few disposable cameras But the post by adamUK is pretty accurate, so try and buddy-up with someone and things should be cool. Btw. Sangiro still has a few photos here form his trip. http://dropzone.com/temp/india/index.htm Have fun. -- Hope you don't die. -- I'm fucking winning Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Join the conversation You can post now and register later. 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sunshine 2 #2 January 28, 2005 Can you pick up some belly dance items for me and val? ___________________________________________ meow I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VanillaSkyGirl 6 #3 January 28, 2005 QuoteCan you pick up some belly dance items for me and val? Yes, but I know nothing about it, so you will have to PM me. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites soulshine 0 #4 January 28, 2005 Pack me in your suitcase, please? I'm really small and I don't eat too much. Please?! Oh, and I'm house broken and potty trained! Bombing for peace is like fucking for virginity! ~DEVIOUS BEEF~~FGF #69~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Kid_Icarus 0 #5 January 28, 2005 Don't eat Indian food while your there....order chinese..... ________________________________________ "What What..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Girlfalldown 0 #6 January 28, 2005 I have some advise. DON'T let your guide sell you for camels. My roommate was in India with a group and somehow managed to get herself sold for something like 20 camels by someone acting like he was her guide/chaperone. The real guides finally found her and told her to run while they fought off the purchaser. She was later robbed by monkeys. Don't let that scare ya away though. She said it was one of the most fantastic trips of her life. -------------- (Do not, I repeat DO NOT, take my posts seriously.) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites sunshine 2 #7 January 28, 2005 QuoteShe said it was one of the most fantastic trips of her life. Ro is actually taking a trip to india, unlike your friend that apparently took an acid trip. ___________________________________________ meow I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites SpeedRacer 1 #8 January 28, 2005 My sister-in-law nearly died of dysentery there. have fun. Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites mailin 0 #9 January 28, 2005 OMG - that was good JenArianna Frances Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites VanillaSkyGirl 6 #10 January 28, 2005 Lol. Sounds like the title of a book of memoirs. I'm not scared when I travel, GFD, even when I get "accidentally" electrocuted. Thanks for the advice. Soulshine ~ Sorry, girl, but I may get into a tiny-bit of trouble for smuggling in a small girl. Of course, if I could sell you for camels... Kid_Icarus ~ I will probably eat the Indian AND the chinese food... Speedracer ~ Glad that your friend lived! . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites jjiimmyyt 0 #11 January 28, 2005 I spent 6 months there 6 years back. Saw everything from Kashmir to Trivandrum and lots in between. In Delhi check out the Para Ganj, loads of shops selling silks etc, backpacker hotels, cows general street life. Jantar Mantar observatory is amazing, built in the 18th century with massive instruments, truly amazing. Check out India Gate aswell. In Agra the Taj Mahal obvioulsy. Try and get there for sunrise or sunset, pretty amazing. One of my best memories of India is watching the sunset over the Taj Mahal from a restaurant rooftop after induling in a bhang lassi. Never made it to Jaipur but I here the silver shopping is good. India is an amzing country, the locals are very friendly, the food is great. Best trip I've ever done. "This isn't an iron lung, people. You can actually disconnect and not die." -Dave Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites jjiimmyyt 0 #12 January 28, 2005 She was later robbed by monkeys. Saw this on Elephanta Island near Bombay, monkeys droppping out of the trees to steal peoples lunches. Hilarious. "This isn't an iron lung, people. You can actually disconnect and not die." -Dave Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites SpeedRacer 1 #13 January 29, 2005 yes. the monkeys are BAD!!! Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites freeflir29 0 #14 January 29, 2005 I haven't been there but A BUNCH of people I used to work with were doing trips there. It's a DIRTY NASTY SMELLY place. The hotels are very nice but only inside their walls. If I was paying for it........I would cancel the trip! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites marcandalysse 0 #15 January 29, 2005 We were there for 3 weeks in May last year 2004. A terrible time of year to be there. Very hot and very dusty. Best time for India weather wise is now....between nov and march. It is extremely rough travel, and I have been in the back roads in jungles in sumatra and peru and thought those were tough rides until going to India....and alysse and I went first class airconditioned everything (train, bus, taxi, and plane rides for anything longer than a 3 hour road trip!). We almost never travel so expensively like that. But it was needed there. We hoped to see more places, but once there realized that even with 3 weeks we had to limit our travel to only a few places. Even by plane it was too time consuming to get to final destinations. I warned off some friends who went a couple months ago and they went anyway (also have traveled very widely) and they wrote back wishing they had listened to me on that warning.... We went for a friends wedding. The ten days we spent with him and his family and friends were excellent. But once we were on our own, it went downhill. India has little infrastructure for tourism, even in the most touristy spot Taj Mahal. You'd think they would have a govt bus or tram take everyone from the train directly to the Taj and back...instead we had to deal with guides and touts who took us to places (stores) we didn't want to see. Food was NOT so bad! I was expecting firehot spicy but it was spicy in the sense of many tastes. Had no stomach probs. Traffic is deadly. No regard for keeping in lanes or even on the road...I got hit by a motorcycle, even though I was on the SIDE of the Road! Thankfully, I instinctively PLF'ed as I flew through the air, rolled 3 times and bounced off a wall. We were in Mumbai/Bombay (wedding ceremonies) and Goa (wedding parties and temple visits), Ajanta and Ellora Caves, Taj Mahal/Agra, Bodhgaya. I guess India is a place many people should go to, have a compulsion to go there.....Alysse the architect wanted to see Taj, Marc the pilgrim wanted to walk in Buddhas footsteps... I am glad I went, but even more glad to return...and will never go again... If you have friends to stay with and take you around, it will be a great time. Those three places you mention are relatively close to each other and that will make it somewhat easier depending on how you travel between those places.... but if you are on your own....take my advice....if you want to see Asia, go to vietnam, laos, thailand, bali... If you end up in New Delhi, in south end of the city is a fantastic Bahai Temple...An excellent book to travel with is City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi -- by William Dalrymple Anyway, PM me for more info.... marc Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites flyangel2 2 #16 January 29, 2005 Wow! Lucky you.May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Zep 0 #17 January 29, 2005 One bit of advice, If you plan to leave the normal tourist route Take a good supply of Pens (example BIC) and buy boiled sweets. Reason: away from the citys the children instead of asking the tourists for money they ask for school pens and sweets (candy to you) If money an time allows catch a flight over to Sri Lanka accomadation is cheap an the people are so nice if you eat where the locals eat (recomended) be prepared to eat with your fingers Oh....one other thing if you see young couples sitting on benches with a black umbrella covering thier heads dont disturb them they're necking (its not polite to to let other people see you kissing in public) how cute! have a great time an dont forgett your injections Gone fishing Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites linny 1 #18 January 29, 2005 Don't give them the pens or chocolate. Give hungry mothers any left over food from dinner, but don't bring treats specially for the kids. What do you think started the intense begging for those items in the first place? And never ever dish out money. Begging is a full fledged industry in India. If you want to help, give them a blanket or volunteer in one of Mother Theresa's clinics for the Dying and Destitude. Hey Rosa, I spent some time in all the places you're going, and absolutely LOVED every moment of it. I traveled bare bones budget. No luxury whatsoever. Some of the most beautiful and exhilerating moments of my life. You'll love it over there if you have an open mind If you have ANY questions please PM me, I'd love to share advice and experience. Oh and Sunny, not likely to find great belly dancing stuff there, just fabric (the most beautiful in the world albeit) and maybe some tribal type skirts and stuff in Rajasthan. Delhi has some fabulous jewelry actually. Now that I think of it, you could outfit yourself pretty well out of Indian gear. Nevermind. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites skykittykat 0 #19 January 29, 2005 Hey Rosa - you are going to have a blast there. Unforuntately I haven't been, although I was offered a job in Bombay years ago, but never made it there. Check out this website: www.lonelyplanet.com It is the website of the Lonely Planet guidebooks and there is a forum on there so you can get all the info/travel advice from travellers past and present! It is a wicked resource. Liz Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites marcandalysse 0 #20 January 29, 2005 Quotedont forgett your injections Very True! And start them now, because some need boosters a month later. Hep A and B Tetanus etc your local health dept will know that you'll need. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites freeflir29 0 #21 January 29, 2005 QuoteHep A and B No doubt...........Hep B is a three shot series. I think it's at least 30 days in between shots. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites gmanpilot 0 #22 January 29, 2005 You can expect to get sick if you are not careful. My lil sis spent a year or so over there during her doctorate studies and got very sick, it took her a full year to recover. When I go somewhere like that I bring good meds for bacteria, infection and nausea. Other than that, have fun._________________________________________ -There's always free cheese in a mouse trap. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites adamUK 3 #23 January 29, 2005 Hi, I spent just over 2 months going from Mumbai to Dhaka in Bangladesh (via Sri Lanka) I would defintely recommend Sri Lanka, it's great fun and the people are really friendly. Vegetatian food is much safer than meat dishes (I had 6 days when I didn't know which end to stick down the bog after some dodgy chicken), and since the food is so good wihout meat, I would recommend it. If you are travelling alone then it might be good to hook up with another travelling partner (there are many backpackers around india). Single women do get hassled though it's nowhere as bad as Indonesia. Don't take too many things, like clothes. A tailor can knock together anything you like really quickly and a fraction of the cost that is available at home - in fact I met someone who took all his favourite clothes to india and got a guy to copy them all! Try to get some small denomination notes when you get there for tips - 100 rupees is a lot of money out there. Also, since you will be untanned and western, you will be paying 2-3 times the local cost so be prepeared to haggle. And enjoy... don't be in a hurry because no one else is - just slip into the indian way of doing things. The sights, sounds and smells are sometimes overpowering but that's all part of the experience. Take care and let us all know how it went. Adam. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites happythoughts 0 #24 January 29, 2005 elephants in the news Go ahead...click on the link to the pic, you know you want to. QuoteBANGKOK (AFP) - Having taught Thailand's elephants to paint, dance and play musical instruments, their Thai handlers are now toilet-training the beasts, media reported. Handlers -- known as mahouts -- have installed giant human-style toilets at a camp in the northern city of Chiang Mai to try to rid the tourist attraction of unsightly droppings, according to the Nation newspaper. Some seven elephants at the privately run camp beside Chiang Mai Zoo are being trained to sit like a human on the giant white toilets, which can be flushed by pulling on a rope with a gentle tug of the trunk, said the daily. It showed a picture of a five-year-old elephant named Diew testing out one of the oversized concrete toilets, which has been fitted with equally jumbo-sized plumbing. The elephants were reportedly rescued from the streets of Bangkok where people were using them to collect money from tourists. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites QuickDraw 0 #25 January 30, 2005 Expect to see poverty, beauty and prepare for a culture-shock too, get your shots & anti-malarial drugs before you go. I went to Goa (a tourist trap) on the west coast in 1997 and had the best holiday of my life there, travel is cheap as your usually 'adopted' by a taxi driver. Don't drink the water & stay clear of salads and products made or prepared using water. Don't carry anything too valuable & only enough money for what you think you may need, and maybe a few disposable cameras But the post by adamUK is pretty accurate, so try and buddy-up with someone and things should be cool. Btw. Sangiro still has a few photos here form his trip. http://dropzone.com/temp/india/index.htm Have fun. -- Hope you don't die. -- I'm fucking winning Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. Display as a link instead × Your previous content has been restored. Clear editor × You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL. Insert image from URL × Desktop Tablet Phone Submit Reply 0
soulshine 0 #4 January 28, 2005 Pack me in your suitcase, please? I'm really small and I don't eat too much. Please?! Oh, and I'm house broken and potty trained! Bombing for peace is like fucking for virginity! ~DEVIOUS BEEF~~FGF #69~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kid_Icarus 0 #5 January 28, 2005 Don't eat Indian food while your there....order chinese..... ________________________________________ "What What..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Girlfalldown 0 #6 January 28, 2005 I have some advise. DON'T let your guide sell you for camels. My roommate was in India with a group and somehow managed to get herself sold for something like 20 camels by someone acting like he was her guide/chaperone. The real guides finally found her and told her to run while they fought off the purchaser. She was later robbed by monkeys. Don't let that scare ya away though. She said it was one of the most fantastic trips of her life. -------------- (Do not, I repeat DO NOT, take my posts seriously.) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sunshine 2 #7 January 28, 2005 QuoteShe said it was one of the most fantastic trips of her life. Ro is actually taking a trip to india, unlike your friend that apparently took an acid trip. ___________________________________________ meow I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedRacer 1 #8 January 28, 2005 My sister-in-law nearly died of dysentery there. have fun. Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mailin 0 #9 January 28, 2005 OMG - that was good JenArianna Frances Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VanillaSkyGirl 6 #10 January 28, 2005 Lol. Sounds like the title of a book of memoirs. I'm not scared when I travel, GFD, even when I get "accidentally" electrocuted. Thanks for the advice. Soulshine ~ Sorry, girl, but I may get into a tiny-bit of trouble for smuggling in a small girl. Of course, if I could sell you for camels... Kid_Icarus ~ I will probably eat the Indian AND the chinese food... Speedracer ~ Glad that your friend lived! . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jjiimmyyt 0 #11 January 28, 2005 I spent 6 months there 6 years back. Saw everything from Kashmir to Trivandrum and lots in between. In Delhi check out the Para Ganj, loads of shops selling silks etc, backpacker hotels, cows general street life. Jantar Mantar observatory is amazing, built in the 18th century with massive instruments, truly amazing. Check out India Gate aswell. In Agra the Taj Mahal obvioulsy. Try and get there for sunrise or sunset, pretty amazing. One of my best memories of India is watching the sunset over the Taj Mahal from a restaurant rooftop after induling in a bhang lassi. Never made it to Jaipur but I here the silver shopping is good. India is an amzing country, the locals are very friendly, the food is great. Best trip I've ever done. "This isn't an iron lung, people. You can actually disconnect and not die." -Dave Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jjiimmyyt 0 #12 January 28, 2005 She was later robbed by monkeys. Saw this on Elephanta Island near Bombay, monkeys droppping out of the trees to steal peoples lunches. Hilarious. "This isn't an iron lung, people. You can actually disconnect and not die." -Dave Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedRacer 1 #13 January 29, 2005 yes. the monkeys are BAD!!! Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #14 January 29, 2005 I haven't been there but A BUNCH of people I used to work with were doing trips there. It's a DIRTY NASTY SMELLY place. The hotels are very nice but only inside their walls. If I was paying for it........I would cancel the trip! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
marcandalysse 0 #15 January 29, 2005 We were there for 3 weeks in May last year 2004. A terrible time of year to be there. Very hot and very dusty. Best time for India weather wise is now....between nov and march. It is extremely rough travel, and I have been in the back roads in jungles in sumatra and peru and thought those were tough rides until going to India....and alysse and I went first class airconditioned everything (train, bus, taxi, and plane rides for anything longer than a 3 hour road trip!). We almost never travel so expensively like that. But it was needed there. We hoped to see more places, but once there realized that even with 3 weeks we had to limit our travel to only a few places. Even by plane it was too time consuming to get to final destinations. I warned off some friends who went a couple months ago and they went anyway (also have traveled very widely) and they wrote back wishing they had listened to me on that warning.... We went for a friends wedding. The ten days we spent with him and his family and friends were excellent. But once we were on our own, it went downhill. India has little infrastructure for tourism, even in the most touristy spot Taj Mahal. You'd think they would have a govt bus or tram take everyone from the train directly to the Taj and back...instead we had to deal with guides and touts who took us to places (stores) we didn't want to see. Food was NOT so bad! I was expecting firehot spicy but it was spicy in the sense of many tastes. Had no stomach probs. Traffic is deadly. No regard for keeping in lanes or even on the road...I got hit by a motorcycle, even though I was on the SIDE of the Road! Thankfully, I instinctively PLF'ed as I flew through the air, rolled 3 times and bounced off a wall. We were in Mumbai/Bombay (wedding ceremonies) and Goa (wedding parties and temple visits), Ajanta and Ellora Caves, Taj Mahal/Agra, Bodhgaya. I guess India is a place many people should go to, have a compulsion to go there.....Alysse the architect wanted to see Taj, Marc the pilgrim wanted to walk in Buddhas footsteps... I am glad I went, but even more glad to return...and will never go again... If you have friends to stay with and take you around, it will be a great time. Those three places you mention are relatively close to each other and that will make it somewhat easier depending on how you travel between those places.... but if you are on your own....take my advice....if you want to see Asia, go to vietnam, laos, thailand, bali... If you end up in New Delhi, in south end of the city is a fantastic Bahai Temple...An excellent book to travel with is City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi -- by William Dalrymple Anyway, PM me for more info.... marc Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyangel2 2 #16 January 29, 2005 Wow! Lucky you.May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zep 0 #17 January 29, 2005 One bit of advice, If you plan to leave the normal tourist route Take a good supply of Pens (example BIC) and buy boiled sweets. Reason: away from the citys the children instead of asking the tourists for money they ask for school pens and sweets (candy to you) If money an time allows catch a flight over to Sri Lanka accomadation is cheap an the people are so nice if you eat where the locals eat (recomended) be prepared to eat with your fingers Oh....one other thing if you see young couples sitting on benches with a black umbrella covering thier heads dont disturb them they're necking (its not polite to to let other people see you kissing in public) how cute! have a great time an dont forgett your injections Gone fishing Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
linny 1 #18 January 29, 2005 Don't give them the pens or chocolate. Give hungry mothers any left over food from dinner, but don't bring treats specially for the kids. What do you think started the intense begging for those items in the first place? And never ever dish out money. Begging is a full fledged industry in India. If you want to help, give them a blanket or volunteer in one of Mother Theresa's clinics for the Dying and Destitude. Hey Rosa, I spent some time in all the places you're going, and absolutely LOVED every moment of it. I traveled bare bones budget. No luxury whatsoever. Some of the most beautiful and exhilerating moments of my life. You'll love it over there if you have an open mind If you have ANY questions please PM me, I'd love to share advice and experience. Oh and Sunny, not likely to find great belly dancing stuff there, just fabric (the most beautiful in the world albeit) and maybe some tribal type skirts and stuff in Rajasthan. Delhi has some fabulous jewelry actually. Now that I think of it, you could outfit yourself pretty well out of Indian gear. Nevermind. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skykittykat 0 #19 January 29, 2005 Hey Rosa - you are going to have a blast there. Unforuntately I haven't been, although I was offered a job in Bombay years ago, but never made it there. Check out this website: www.lonelyplanet.com It is the website of the Lonely Planet guidebooks and there is a forum on there so you can get all the info/travel advice from travellers past and present! It is a wicked resource. Liz Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
marcandalysse 0 #20 January 29, 2005 Quotedont forgett your injections Very True! And start them now, because some need boosters a month later. Hep A and B Tetanus etc your local health dept will know that you'll need. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #21 January 29, 2005 QuoteHep A and B No doubt...........Hep B is a three shot series. I think it's at least 30 days in between shots. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gmanpilot 0 #22 January 29, 2005 You can expect to get sick if you are not careful. My lil sis spent a year or so over there during her doctorate studies and got very sick, it took her a full year to recover. When I go somewhere like that I bring good meds for bacteria, infection and nausea. Other than that, have fun._________________________________________ -There's always free cheese in a mouse trap. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
adamUK 3 #23 January 29, 2005 Hi, I spent just over 2 months going from Mumbai to Dhaka in Bangladesh (via Sri Lanka) I would defintely recommend Sri Lanka, it's great fun and the people are really friendly. Vegetatian food is much safer than meat dishes (I had 6 days when I didn't know which end to stick down the bog after some dodgy chicken), and since the food is so good wihout meat, I would recommend it. If you are travelling alone then it might be good to hook up with another travelling partner (there are many backpackers around india). Single women do get hassled though it's nowhere as bad as Indonesia. Don't take too many things, like clothes. A tailor can knock together anything you like really quickly and a fraction of the cost that is available at home - in fact I met someone who took all his favourite clothes to india and got a guy to copy them all! Try to get some small denomination notes when you get there for tips - 100 rupees is a lot of money out there. Also, since you will be untanned and western, you will be paying 2-3 times the local cost so be prepeared to haggle. And enjoy... don't be in a hurry because no one else is - just slip into the indian way of doing things. The sights, sounds and smells are sometimes overpowering but that's all part of the experience. Take care and let us all know how it went. Adam. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
happythoughts 0 #24 January 29, 2005 elephants in the news Go ahead...click on the link to the pic, you know you want to. QuoteBANGKOK (AFP) - Having taught Thailand's elephants to paint, dance and play musical instruments, their Thai handlers are now toilet-training the beasts, media reported. Handlers -- known as mahouts -- have installed giant human-style toilets at a camp in the northern city of Chiang Mai to try to rid the tourist attraction of unsightly droppings, according to the Nation newspaper. Some seven elephants at the privately run camp beside Chiang Mai Zoo are being trained to sit like a human on the giant white toilets, which can be flushed by pulling on a rope with a gentle tug of the trunk, said the daily. It showed a picture of a five-year-old elephant named Diew testing out one of the oversized concrete toilets, which has been fitted with equally jumbo-sized plumbing. The elephants were reportedly rescued from the streets of Bangkok where people were using them to collect money from tourists. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
QuickDraw 0 #25 January 30, 2005 Expect to see poverty, beauty and prepare for a culture-shock too, get your shots & anti-malarial drugs before you go. I went to Goa (a tourist trap) on the west coast in 1997 and had the best holiday of my life there, travel is cheap as your usually 'adopted' by a taxi driver. Don't drink the water & stay clear of salads and products made or prepared using water. Don't carry anything too valuable & only enough money for what you think you may need, and maybe a few disposable cameras But the post by adamUK is pretty accurate, so try and buddy-up with someone and things should be cool. Btw. Sangiro still has a few photos here form his trip. http://dropzone.com/temp/india/index.htm Have fun. -- Hope you don't die. -- I'm fucking winning Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
