Category: logistics

I’m listening…

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I have received plenty of advice and I appreciate it.  Especially from those who have ventured to the Indian subcontinent before me.

Information is best shared so this is a collection of advice offered to me *.

  • Travel by train whenever possible and take Sleeper Class
  • Eat vegetarian cooked food , avoid salad.
  • Street food is fine
  • Visit the Taj Mahal as early as possible in the morning. Do this by staying in Agra the night before
  • You will get sick , you will get better.
  • Try not to get bitten by a rabid dog
  • Get over it and stop being such a wuss. What happened to the spirit of Crocodile Dundee?
  • Don’t leave Chaitrali Mahanwar hanging! Let her know if you still want to stay. (Auto response from CouchSurfing)
  • You can basically buy anything in the world at an Indian pharmacy
  • Travelling light – did you hear about the guy a few weeks ago who fainted at the airport because he had like 4 layers on, trying to avoid being overweight with his carry-on?!
  • Allow 1 more working day for receipt of your visa
  • Take care!
  • Remember  – the worst experiences at the time, make the best stories later
  • Wash your hands at every opportunity
  • Don’t forget to view our handy travel insurance claims guide
  • Don’t forget every bank-note is contaminated with all sorts of lurgies. Think about BUYING food then eating it without implements
  • from 18 Nov to 25 Nov there is India‘s biggest tribal fair near to Jaipur at Pushkar.  it would be your life time opportunity to experience this fair.. I am planning to attend this fair. Can help and guide you If you’re interested in it
  • Varanasi has one of my favorite stepwells, hidden in the city, you’ll probably need to keep asking, it’s surrounded by temples: LOLARKA KUND also known as CHARAN GANGA…really amazing.
  • Go to the Red Fort (in Delhi) and hunt for the baoli

This is all very useful information that I have taken to heart.  No doubt you have some advice that isn’t on the list yet.  Please add it as a comment.

I hope this list will benefit not only me, but any one else who stumbles on this blog.  I found the writing of other people useful, I can only do my best to keep the information flowing.

I will add this advice of my own:  Do not pay much attention to the guru in the image 

* These are all genuine.

Travel light

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Carry on luggage only.

That has been the other plan since the start and it should be doable.  I can always buy clothes if I need more.

Someone came around for a meeting today and he offered dire warnings about getting sick.  In fact every single book, website, person and pharmaceutical company rep guarantees that you will get sick in India. I am ready.  But that is for another post.

As he was leaving I pointed out the pile of things I have laid out in preparation.

Let me rephrase that.  I pointed out the pitiful pile of things…  I confess to being kind of shocked at how little there is…so far.  But I am sticking with the plan, less than 7kg and just carry on.

I have an image of reducing the weight of my too heavy pack by wearing every item of clothing, including my sleeping sheet thingy wrapped around me like a very butch sari.

I could pull it off...

 

That should get me an empty seat on either side.

Planning or not

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To plan or not to plan.  I like the idea of making up as I go along and the plan was to not plan.  Fortunately I have some smart friends and Dave reminded me that planning can be much of the fun.

So I changed my plan and I now have a plan.

I arrive in Hyderabad, then head down through Bangalore and west to Kollam.  Jump on a ferry for a 2 day trip to Cochin then up to Mumbai especially for Ganesh Chaturthi.

It is a 10 day festival that culminates in the statues of Ganesh being immersed in water, in Mumbai that is the ocean.  This year it ends on September 27, so perfect timing.

Lalbaug cha raja

The idol in the photo apparently attracts 1.5 million visitors per day.  Seeing that shouldn’t be a challenge.

Then up through Rajasthan reaching Delhi about October 12 to meet The Sheila.  The standard of travel and accommodation will then be lifted as we head East to the Taj Mahal, Varanasi, Bodh Gaya and Kolkata.

A flight down to Chennai for a few days visiting Puducherry and a silk and sari producing village I read about.

Then 3 nights in KL on the way home.

Well, that’s the plan anyway.

Getting to India…and home

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It was about 18 months before the start of this trip that I decided to go.  Most unlike me, I tend to come up with an idea and do it ASAP.

Found bargain flights on Air Asia.  About $AUD550 return from the Gold Coast.  But I have been paying for it since as they bombard me with emails offering insurance, hire cars, food and paying $19 for the privilege of moving to the seat next to the one allocated to me.

I figure that flying on September 11th will mean that there will be enough empty seats to stretch out on.  In my case, two is plenty 😛

Let me through, don't you know who I am?