The Bad
Sanitation issue was crazy! How people navigated their vehicle was mind-blowing! And the smell was overwhelming!
I gave out a quick review to all my friends that visiting India was as if you were going back in time to Indonesia about 20 years ago. A place where motorcycle guys or bajaj or local taxi drivers were everywhere, where you had to haggle for a price from one place point to another. An era where online transportation service was non-existent. I was told that such apps like Uber and Ola were already available, but I found it difficult to use them, perhaps due to the places that I went weren’t exactly big cities such as Mumbai. I used Uber just one time in Jodhpur and ended up hiring the driver for the day off-app. I guess that’s part of the beauty of India, when hiring service by way of negotiation is somewhat more efficient.
The amount of vehicles, public or private, were infinite, especially tuktuk. It was the equivalent of schools of motorcycles in Jakarta, I even contemplated why that was so. My guess was due to the nature of Indians who love to travel in groups, family or otherwise, that made tuktuk which could accommodate up to seven people (super packed mode) as an ideal transportation mode. I often saw lots of overloaded ones where the passenger had to clung to himself dearly on the door of the tuktuk.
The way Indians drove in the street was something that F1 drivers and MotoGP riders needed to learn from. The attraction of moving between lanes in split second, the belief of motorcycle riders of having more than one soul, plus the splitting-headache honking were things that were normal there. One time, I encountered (and luckily I rode) a local trishaw in Delhi, where his ability to paddle, to navigate, to avoid crowds and to successfully transport the passengers (us) safely were an inspiration to us all.
Distinctive smell is right next on my list.
I wouldn’t say that every corner of India somehow smells funky. If you’ve ever come to Bali, for me it is the equivalent of a Dupa scent that brings a certain nuance whenever you pass by a store or someplace. Unique scents that for some people are probably too overwhelming. I probably had already gotten used to it so I didn’t register it as something that smells anymore.
Though, I was on my breaking point when I was in Pushkar and to witness the abundance of cows’ fresh stool. For they were regarded as holy creatures, it just struck me as to whether their stool had to be left lying around on the street. I had to mind my steps carefully to not get any trace of it, however fortunate, there were many motorcycle drivers who didn’t mind to go pass through those stools directly. And it made an art of dung traces on asphalts. That was my limit and I quickly had to get myself some peppermint to hold back my breakfast inside.
I dared myself to ride on an Indian train from Jaipur-Pushkar and Pushkar-Jodhpur. My Indian boss at the office told me that their train railways infrastructure had been much improved and transformed a lot, making travel by train a convenient choice. That surely gave me some sense of security, but just to be safe, I thought, let’s buy the most expensive one, a First Class ride.
I was baffled – it was a messed up teenager’s room! Oh my!
Even mine when I was kid was much cleaner. That moment successfully left me dumbstruck as I only stood by the doorway too confused to figure out what I should do: to clean them by myself? Or to wait for someone to come and clean them for me – even so why didn’t they do it before the next passengers came? and where should I sit while waiting for that someone?
And that was First Class, ladies and gents. For the lower classes, you need to have more skin and much bravery to ride them. From what I saw in the station, while waiting for my train, it wasn’t only people who rode it, animals such as chicken or goat were also welcomed. Though, the counterargument was it would meet you with lots of local people and give you the chance to connect with them, however distinct the aroma and borderline standard for hygiene. A tenet of travelling.
Public toilets, as you could imagine, had never been India’s forte. My fellow gentlemen were expected to do our business by the street on the open urinoir which God-knows whether they had ever got cleaned or not, or by some random walls in the middle of the street. One time, I witnessed a family of a mother and her children happily doing their business in the train railway in the station while brushing their teeth. I didn’t know what to comment.
However, in the main tourist attraction areas such as Taj Mahal or Palaces, the toilets were considered decent and clean. So managing your water intake is perhaps good advice as well.
On the hydration business, I strongly strongly strongly recommend to only drink bottled ones in the supermarket (whatever the price, do pay for those!). There were lots of water taps, which are free, but I had huge doubts on their hygiene and my stomach’s capability to handle them. On some taps, they also provided a metal glass that people mindlessly shared with one another, lips touching the glass. So please don’t be too frugal on your drinking water.
The Should-I-Go
A hundred percent yes! But with one or two caveats.
It comes down to how you are most comfortable travelling with (person) and by how (means). For me, doing solo travelling in India, honestly, was straight-forward tiring. I felt that I was constantly alarmed with my surroundings and belongings. I didn’t get to a stage where I felt entirely safe and free to roam and explore those places.
If I reflected back, I’d say those were attributed to the fact that many Indians were intensely staring at us, foreigners, and they were keen to engage us in conversation curious about my name and where I came from. It was no harm, of course, yet since I’ve lived in Indonesia for most of my life, those kinds of staring and engaging strangers in a conversation were usually the start of scam or pickpocketing stuffs. I often felt anxious in places where I was the only foreigner. I reckoned, if I travelled there with friends, it would be more enjoyable and somewhat safer. Where we could share those crazy and hideous moments and admire the exotic palaces together.
Another key takeaway after travelling alone, it didn’t exactly support the over glorification of solo travelling as the best way to venture places. I felt striking a right balance between group or solo was more important: most of the time it just felt too lonely, too tiring and even costly as many shareable expenses now be borne by one. And the same feeling resonated the other way around when travelling in a big group where some time alone to spend a day or two, to fully immerse oneself with the surroundings without worrying the whole group wants and desires, was somewhat aspired.
It also matters how you wish to travel in India. Backpacker mode? Five-star service mode? Or, like me, semi-backpacker-with-adjustment-here-and-there mode?
By all means, travelling to India was economically not expensive, even to Indonesia standard. Overall foods and hotels were cheaper compared to Jakarta. And if your budget was very tight, you could easily find bed and breakfast as cheap as IDR 80k/room/person (around USD 5-6). That applied to transportation as well, you could select a lower train class level such as Non-AC sleeper or Third Class which cost considerably lower.
I spent around USD900 for a total trip of 10 days, and that included everything such as flight (which was practically free from miles redeemed), trains, buses, hotels, meals, etc. Excluding souvenirs I bought for family and friends at home. And, if you travelled with a group of friends, it would end up cheaper per person as most parts of the cost were shareable. Made it all interesting and inviting to visit, right!
Do prepare for the worst. I brought a number of medicines for any worst case sickness scenario (fever, diarrhea, flu, etc) I even bought myself a traveller medical insurance – an act that I previously considered only for Visa requirements. Most of the expenses will be paid by cash in India, be mindful of how you keep and manage your money. I had to go to the bank to withdraw extra cash because I didn’t expect that credit card would be of minimum use there.
The rest is, enjoy the ride.
I reflected back a lot on my successful survival there (yeay!) and felt a bit proud of myself for navigating many unexpected difficulties along the way. Editing hundreds of photos from ten-day travelling could be an arduous thing, but those captured pictures transported me to each and every beautiful moment India offered. I met wonderful people there including one restaurant owner in Pushkar. We talked at length about India and Bali differences, as he just came back from Bali spending a good one month there. Those kinds of conversations that opened my eyes on cultural similarities despite thousands of kilometres distances.
It’s a long post but I feel the need to write it down and structure what I experienced in one of the best travelling moments ever (yet).
Namaste!
R, a year later.
Journey on Journal 