Goodness me, I’ve forgotten how many times I’ve landed in that crazy place called India. You know, if you ask anyone about their travel to this land of spirituality, they will regale you with stories of their encounters with the filth and the toilets and how it is the land of the freedom of pee.
Culture shock perhaps but the reality is not far away. For close to a decade, I’ve noticed that India, at least the northern states have not changed. There could be a couple of new buildings but the general color remains the same. The buildings look sad knowing that the occupants have forgotten the last time they gave them a coat of paint. Roads remain dusty and often filled with waste both human and livestock.
I still love India. She possesses this mysterious vibration that has enthralled me since as far as I can remember. Her beauty is shown in the pearly smiles of her people and the vibrant colors of their clothes. You have to be there to feel what I feel.
The winter months of November to January are the best time to visit. It is cool then. I was in Delhi (to my ears the locals say Dael Lee) once in the midst of summer to know the difference between summer and winter. I must qualify that I have restricted myself to the North because that is where the great Himalaya towers over the world.
You must take the trains. You have not been to India if you have not travelled on one. Tickets are easily bought from the railway junctions (they also call them stations)and if you are not Indian and you prefer cleanliness, you qualify for foreigner tickets which cost a wee bit more but is certainly worth it.
Be early for you never know where your train is. It happens to me every time. I never know which platform my train will be. This is even more so if you have heavy luggage. This is to give you bargaining time with the porters. The old trick of walking off when the price is not met still works but I almost missed a train once because of it.
Be prepared for a long walk. India train stations are designed after the maze. You will require to trudge and if you happen to arrive at the wrong platform, sorry for you. You will have to trudge up the gangway and down to the correct one. If you have paid a porter, he is your information counter.
Besides the platform, you will also not know where your train is going to be. You will also not know whether you have the right train. The trick is to ask. Check with those around you. You could of course ask the guy in uniform but he will likely point you in a general direction which is normally opposite the one you arrived from which of course does not help much.
Once on the platform, guard your belongings with your life. The only place for your bags will be on the floor like everybody else. You cannot be squeamish at this point. You can give your bags a good round of disinfectant when you reach home.
Pickpockets! They are everywhere. No disrespect but beware of that elderly man or that decently dressed woman. They are not always dressed in rags or look like the kids in the movie ‘Slumdog Millionaire’. If you catch them doing an act on you, save yourself the trouble of reprimanding them. Just pick your wallet from the floor where the pickpocket dropped them.
Did I tell you to bring along a metal chain and padlock? Yes, they are mandatory. Once you have found your piece of real estate on board your train, you must chain your bags to the bar nearest to you. No knowing who will claim your bag as his own and kindly relieve you of it while you nap off.
So much for now. Have a nice trip!
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Reading this transports me back to India immediately. Yes, just like you, I love this place and I do not know why I find myself going back there every year despite many a time telling friends that this will be the last.
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