It is now
to the end of my whole 6 months trip round the Asia. A very excitement feeling,
knowing that I would be back to comfy zone, seeing my family and friends, and
also feeling uncertainty about back to work, about my future. The whole trip
has covered 7 countries, which included Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos,
China, Nepal, and India. This has been my first longest trip and also the most
adventurous trip, and the best part of this trip is about learning the
different people and their cultures.
Among all
countries covered, I voted India as the most interesting country. As a saying,
either you like it or you hate the India. Despite a month staying in India, I
yet to like it or to hate it; it’s just neutral. But India is truly what many
travellers claimed, you really have to be careful, watch your stuff all the
time, touts everywhere and they are annoying, make sure you lock your big
backpack with a chain when you boarded a train, rubbish everywhere, cow has a
good life there.
As myself,
I see India as the best with its cultures and colours, the tough dealing with
its people, the uncertainty of up and down emotions every single day.
1. Crossing Nepal India border – “Where
is the immigration office?” I was walking past the Nepal’s immigration office
to India’s border and turn back to look again. India is a sauna, I was sweating
whole day, and for first time this trip, and I drank the most water and wouldn’t
need a toilet.
First impression of
India; India has very obvious class system. I was at the immigration with one
big boss sitting in a chair drinking chai tea. The others, his servants came to
us, brought us the form to fill and put everything nicely in front of that self-thought
big boss? He isn’t doing anything but just sitting there for few minutes drinking
his fucking chai tea. We were just sitting there waiting him. “very efficient,
huh”
2. Varanasi – 41 degrees, it was no
jokes for such a melting day - you just wouldn’t do anything. It is a holy place for Indian, a place they
taking the bath and even swim in the river, the place they cremating the body
and throw the remains to river. But, the pregnant, children, with diseases,
bitten by snake are to be thrown and sink to river. It was uneasy to see the
corpse everyday on the street, cows eating the rubbish, open public toilet in
middle of public area with no drainage.
Day 2: an early morning
boat ride by river, watching crowds taking bath by river. A gruesome boat ride
when we spot a floating corpse, just few metres away from crowds. Apparently local were used to corpse floating
by riverside and they were okay to swim with corpse floating next to them. They
would usually leave the body floating or pull the corpse to the other side of
riverbank to decay.
This town is easy to get
lost. For first time ever this trip, I have failed to find my ways back to the guest
house again and again. It is a beautiful old city but it was too much for me.
Varanasi to Agra – First
time boarding the Indian train. It has few classes, 3 AC, SL. Indian’s train
was very different from China’s train. For sure China’s train is far more
comfort, faster than India – which they stopped a lot – single track vs.
china’s double track. Met a few Korean and Japs on train, saw an English expat
locking her bag with chain, telling that it is a necessary as theft is common
on train.
3. Agra – Arrival time printed on
ticket is 6.10 but we were an hour behind. Agra is hot, again sauna. It’s
Friday and I was told Taj Mahal is closed on Friday. So, just a chill out day. The
best part was the walk to the river behind Taj Mahal and cross the river for
Rs50 only. It probably saved me Rs200 - rickshaw fares, Rs100 and admission fee
thru front gate, Rs100. This part probably even better than go in to Taj Mahal
and pay Rs750, super expensive admission fee. But anyway, once in lifetime,
just got to do it.
Agra fort is the first I
seen in India – quite something, amazing but expensive. Baby Taj (worth
skipping at least for me) is really nothing compared to Taj Mahal.
4. Delhi – “No thanks, NO…, Alright,
back off, F***, I say back off now …” A tiring evening and sick, I was very
impatient against touts. I was shouting
at 11 pm but none of these words taken seriously or they were just stubborn.
They follow you to every guest house with hopes to get commission and guesthouse
would raise the price higher to pay them at your expenses and some would just
say its full house when the tout said something to them in Hindi, how annoying
was that?
Really enjoying the
mango shake, my favourite drink so far in India.
Delhi is just about the
red fort and big mosque. Red fort is nothing as I seen one in Agra. The biggest
mosque was not worth the camera price I paid.
5. Udaipur – “Where is the lake?” A
drying land, but city palace and Lake Palace are amazing. The town itself is
really nice and worth staying. This is first town I like in India so far.
Udaipur to Mumbai –
“Full train, no seat to Mumbai, I can arrange you the sleeper bus”. My first mistake; never trusted any travel
agent – always check with train station yourself. I have bought the sleeper bus
but been downgraded to seat, non-ac, a nightmare and sleepless night. Damn!
6. Mumbai – Second best city so far.
This is massive city but people are far friendlier than Delhi. Here, it’s just
so easy to talk with locals with no hassle and taxi driver won’t bother you. No
hard-deal touts, city is cleaner too, and things are more organized.
The Udaipur – Mumbai bus
dropped me of nowhere, and a university student came to offer his help. Without
him, I probably would have paid expensive taxi to Colabra. Walk along the Taj
Mahal Hotel, tour agent came to offer his tour, not in annoying ways, we later
had a friendly chat even I didn’t take the tour (too pricey). Met 2 Indians,
walking by riverfront, have a friendly chat for the night while waiting for my
train to Goa.
Stay with Salvation Army
shelter, first dormitory in India, ok but shower room is a mess. No complaint
for the price of Rs195 and it’s a good place to meet travellers. (Can’t beat the
hostels in China though).
Sigh, can’t resist my
first beer since Nepal – Chitwan National Park. Okay, first beer after 12
non-alcohol days.
Mumbai has good places
for tasty Indian food.
7. Goa – It can’t beat with Thailand
but still my favourite and the longest stop in India. The best of Goa is
Palolem beach and second is Anjuna. The weather wasn’t pleasant at all; it was
raining most of times.
I did my laundry and
came back with smelly clothes and missing garments. Food is expensive but they
made good food.
It was a monsoon – low season,
everything was just so cheap, big bike for Rs200, beach-front room for Rs100
per day, quiet beach, but no party scene.
Renting a big bike was a
good choice; it was a nice riding from a beach to another.
8. Hampi – My favourite small village. It
reminds me of Angkor Wat, a small village Siem Reap and the temples surrounding
it. But Angkor Wat is far more awesome than Hampi. The weather was very
unfavourable, it was really hot and the heat made me uneasy. I rented a scooter
for Rs100 per day and pumped in petrol for another Rs150. Also realised the
technique Indian used to cheat me over petrol. They first pumped in petrol for
another bike, when finished, another guy came to distract me, chatting with me,
then, without resetting price to 0, he pumped to my motorbike, I was paying
Rs50 for Rs20 fuel. How ridiculous? How would I trust those Indian in India?
9. Bangalore – According to lonely
planet, “...crazy traffic, associated pollution...will fast drive you demented”
I still can take that but Bangalore is really nothing. Nope, it is just nothing
to do. Staying a lazy day in a coffee shop online, and having a fine dinner on
13th floor, overlooking the IT town was a great way to spend my day
(it has been the most expensive dinner so far in India).
Hey, I found out a very unusual
sign, “Government work is God’s work”
So far,
India has been the toughest country I ever been. It was not the country but the
people.
- Indian
women are more honest than men (if you dealing with money) – “India was having
overnight inflation; the water I bought had price increased from Rs 15 to Rs 20
(same shop)”. Oh well, the night before was probably his wife but second night
was the husband. Proven that women are most trustable than Indian men.
- Sikh
people are the most trustable people in India (if you dealing with money). If
you need auto-rickshaw, taxis, and other money related, find Sikhs.
- Indian
children are more realistic – first word, money, money!!! Even 5 year-old
street kids can ask you for money. “Photos sir, take photos of me!” Don’t be
fooled, they would chase you for money later.
- The
poorest area is surrounding train station and rail track. I was boarding night
train a lot and seeing lots of children, homeless sleeping on platform. The poorest
residents were living next to rail tracks with rubbish disposal area, open-air
toilet just outside their houses. The saddest part of India.
A lot beggars can be found nearby the train station, and most of them are
children.
- India
has the most annoying drivers. They horn every single minute they driving.
- Auto-rickshaw
drivers are very stubborn
- Overall, Indians are very friendly.
