Have you ever fed a monkey with your bare hands, overtaken an Elephant on a highway or seen grown men publicly defecating (and urinating, but who’s counting?!) at a train station? A month ago I could’ve assured you that no, I haven’t yet had the pleasure of experiencing any of these acts. But now, having spent the past couple of weeks in India with my boyfriend Mike, I wonder how I ever could have gone there not expecting to come home with this somewhat alternative ‘to-do’ list checked and completed. These stories, along with many more I’ll be sharing over the coming weeks along with tips for travelling India and some of the places I’d definitely recommend to anyone visiting there.
Never in my wildest dreams could I have predicted how absolutely insane this country is – Every day was a complete roller-coaster of emotion – happiness, frustration, surprise, anger – you name it, India will make you feel it. Happiness for the smiling children who we played cricket with in the gardens of the India monument in Delhi, frustration at the reliably unreliable rail service, surprise at the number of feral animals on the streets and anger at the amount of people still living in extreme poverty in the year 2011.
Having always seen myself as a tough traveller who doesn’t really get fazed by much, I have to admit – India nearly broke me at times. I’ve walked the chaotic streets of Bangkok and browsed the souks of Marrakech, but nothing could have prepared me the constant hawking and begging that we endured walking the streets of virtually every place we visited. This of course was a novelty for the first few days, but after a while it can get tiring being followed for blocks by beggars and feeling like someone is constantly trying to pull the wool over your eyes. Don’t get me wrong – not all Indians are like this and I certainly don’t want to paint a bad picture of a country that truly is one of a kind – this is just something that both fascinated and irritated me about the place.
Overall, we had a fantastic time. We saw the breathtakingly stunning Taj Mahal in the flesh, hugged an extremely friendly female Elephant, chatted with locals on an overnight train and ate some of the most delicious street food I have ever had the pleasure of housing in my belly. Some of the things we saw made us laugh like we were children again, and while we both had moments of frustration, I can honestly say that India is a country that I feel like has made me a better person.
If you ever have the chance to visit, I highly recommend it. Just be prepared for it to test you – but I promise, if you let it, you’ll most certainly pass.
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Did you get sick from the street food? I have heard many people do because they are simply not used to the spice or the way it is prepared.
I have seen a man defecate on the side of a street in San Francisco. It is not something that I wish to see again but I do want to go to India one day, although it is hard to convince any of my desired travel companions to join me one day.
I took a class about the Mughal dynasty and I would love to see some of the palaces and take a float down the Ganges.
Great post and I can’t wait to see more about India.
The Wanderfull Traveler
canadianculinarytravel.blogspot.com/
Hi Murissa, thanks – yeah, I actually got a stomach bug half way through the trip which was probably from eating too much street food, so I steered clear of anything Indian for the last few days…I think it will be a while before I eat it again, but it was worth it! I also want to visit the Ganges one day – hopefully we’ll both get there! : )
So glad you had such a great trip! I’ve never been to India and I used to be fascinated by it, but now that I’m a mum it’s been pushed way down the list because I’m not sure I’d want to go there with small kids. But life is (hopefully!) long and I have a feeling I’ll get there one day.
Oh and I love the monkey pic!
Thanks – I loved the monkeys so much I wanted to take one home with me! Im sure you’ll get there one day with your family, and I bet it will still be as crazy as ever when you do!
Hey Murissa!!
There is a lot know more about our beloved country. You are absolutely right. However, there is one aspect which you may love to explore more in our country and that is the value of relationships. Every relation has a different meaning here. Emotions have a level which is unsurpassed and women in India can inspire the women from anywhere on the globe.
All the best!! Hope you get the chance and are able to get deep inside what all is stored in for you here in our country.
I felt the same way about my recent trip to Nepal. I was tested every. single. day. Part of it was the people I was traveling with and combining it with all the surprises Nepal threw at me, it was a life changing experience. I was told Nepal is a little like India, but with less people. I don’t know if I can handle more people than Kathmandu. I’m not a crowd person and I don’t even like big cities in the US, but yet somehow I know I will still visit India some day. I look forward to reading about your adventures.
Can join you in India. I am 37 M Indian / Average.
Great article. Being an Indian but having lived in Australia for more than 10 years now I do believe selective street food causes no harm and are delicious. Can give a list of places & must trys if anyone is interested.
It is a pity about the poverty but believe it or not many don’t get out of the slum areas and rent out the redevelopment houses that government allocates them.
Gald that finally someone has written about the good as well as bad. Keep then coming!
In a post that admires the beauty of india, a comment like yours insults our people. Get off the Internet, please.
You are asbolutely right about the range of emotions you can feel in India, you just name it and India won’t disappoint you. I also believe that for locals is about the same, they Love their country (with capital L), but the frustrations they face are countless.
Thanks Shweta! Glad you enjoyed the article – I very much loved India and look forward to visiting again one day!
So true, Angela! Ive never been to anywhere that really does make you feel so many things…but I look forward to seeing what the future holds for India, thats for sure! Thanks for stopping by : )
Another thing I know about India is the fact that there are also a lot of animal wastes in the streets because they just let the animals roam around, but a friend of mine also loved India despite of these things. He said that the culture and the beauty of the place will block all the other shocking experiences in the place.
I like your honesty. I was born in India but never lived there except for childhood summer vacations. I spent a year-and-a-half in New Delhi recently training at a major news channel there, and by the time I left, I was a physical and emotional wreck just because of the way things are in India.
Thanks Khadija!