I did an overview post about my time in South America (click here if you want to view!) so I feel it’s only right to do one about my time in India as well.
In total I spent 3 weeks in India which for some may be too much but for me it felt just right for my first visit. I said in my first blog post about India that nothing can really prepare you for it until you actually arrive, and I’m going to say it again! I flew in to Delhi and out of Goa. Definitely the right way to do it - Goa was very chill so it was a nice way to end. With Delhi being India’s capital, I will admit was slightly overwhelming when I first arrived and left the airport on my own. The city is at times unorganised but weirdly organised chaos and I was thrown in at the deep end that’s for sure. It’s a whole world of madness (and traffic and pollution) and for anyone whose been they will know where I am coming from on this! I’ve heard that Bangkok in Thailand and Hoi Chi Min city in Vietnam compare well but as I’ve not been yet I cannot comment.
One thing my guide taught us early on in our trip was ‘TII’ which stands for ‘This is India.’ The meaning behind the phrase is for when things are great and going well or for when things are bad and not going so well - either way this is India. Take it as you like it. That’s how things are! It became a running joke by the end of the trip because we’d be saying TII about 5 times a day, especially when things were delayed or when our bus broke down!
Moving on nicely if travelling to India has taught me one thing... Patience would be it, and I really am the most inpatient person so you can imagine I had some learning to do! (In my head I’m singing Patience by Take That!) Everything happens at India time which really can be anytime. I took a bus one day which google maps said would take an hour and a half. It took 3 hours and there was no traffic... thank god I wasn’t in a rush. I don’t think India is ever in a rush to do anything! The bus would just stop and the driver would get off and pop into his friends shop or to go and buy a Chai tea. The airport is no different - I took 2 flights in India and they were both delayed.
I was really taken back in the 3 weeks I was there how welcoming India is to foreigners. At times it did make me feel slightly uncomfortable when I was literally treated like royalty just for being from England. People are so eager to learn about our lives and where we are from and they can’t understand that we want to do the same! I think I had selfies with about 50+ random people/families who most of them told me it was an honour for them to meet a foreigner!
The thing which got to me the most was how much poverty there is in India, but also how rich people are as well. I know this does also happen in England and all over the world but it definitely hit home and the poverty was the worst I’ve seen. In Mumbai for example within half an hour drive I saw the house of the richest man in India (it was a skyscraper!! He’s also the 3rd richest man in the world) and I then saw the largest slumb in all of India. A real eye opener and again another time where I remind myself how unbelievably grateful I am.
One of my favourite things about travelling in India was tasting all the amazing food - I decided before going that I wasn’t going to eat any meat, only fish in Goa. The vegetarian curry’s were delicious! I also enjoyed experiencing the differences in culture - they don’t have supermarkets so you go to the market or mini-mart and you can barter everything which is always fun! One slight negative to being a foreigner is that you pay foreigners prices although I did try my best to haggle!
My negatives to travelling in India have been - the poverty, the pollution, the poor hygiene/sanitation, the lack of hot water (I went over a week without a hot shower in Goa!) but hey this is India!
My favourite places I visited in India would be Udaipur and Goa. Udaipur was a beautiful town set around a lake with lots to do in the town. It was definitely the prettiest place I visited and also the cheapest! Goa felt more like a holiday than travelling. It’s a lot easier there than the rest of India - you get in a tuktuk and they actually take you to where you want to go instead of via their friends shop/restaurant! I spent just over a week lazing on the amazing beaches in Goa, drinking beer and cocktails for absolute pennies! The food in South Goa was probably the best out of anywhere in India. The famous Goan fish curry didn’t disappoint!
It did make me realise how hard it must be for Indian people to come to England because the two countries are world’s apart. And I think it could be the same in reverse. People from England would either love the difference or hate it. Like marmite!
I loved nearly everything about India and I for sure will be planning a trip back in the future.
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