10 Days in India

Today is my last full day in India before I fly into Bangkok, I'm excited to move onto the next country on my journey but it's a shame as I feel I've barely scratched the surface with what India has to offer, especially the South as I know it's so different.

My 'Golden Triangle' tour, with G Adventures, lasted 7-8 days and we visited places in Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. We saw so many incredibly beautiful buildings, with rich history and equisite original architecture and designs still standing from 500 years ago or more.

Many of us felt 'cultured out' only a few days in as we did so much it was exhausting!

Taj Mahal was, of course, as beautiful as you see in the pictures but to be honest I don't think it was my favourite place! It was soooo busy. And it was suprisingly tiny inside...

I think my highlights were the Amber Fort in Jaipur,

a beautiful castle on the top of a hills, in front of lake and Fatephur Shikri, a palace made of sandstone with all it's tiny intricate designs still visible.

How would I describe northern India to those who have never been?

A whirlwind and overload of the senses!

The smell of street food consumes you as you walk down the bazaars or markets, the colours are vivid and bold everywhere you look, the women are wearing the prettiest saris and the stalls sell the brighest scarves, skirts and bed linen. The noise is constant and relentless. The honking of the horns in the streets is non-stop and so loud, it goes on into the night until the dogs come out and they take over.

Barking so loud and dog fights where you hear the yelping and screeching as well as barking. People yell out into the street to each other and the call to prayer for muslims can sometimes be heard coming from the mosques above the din.

As most of you know I'm not a fan of Indian food (many of you took the opportunity to mock me before I left) as I can't handle the spices... well let me tell you, now I am somewhat accustomed to it! When Indians say it's not spicey what they mean is, it's mild to average. I love my butter paneer masala and aloo gobi now!

If you like order when you walk out onto the street then Delhi is certainly not for you! The traffic is insane. What should be two lanes is transformed into four somehow by the cycle ricksaws, tuk-tuks, taxis and lorries. Indian drivers have a law unto themselves.

They don't indicate they just beep their way in to non-existent spaces. Everyone is constantly slamming on the brakes but you know what? They must have some super-human ultra fast reflexes because bumps, scratches and crashes seem to be minimal! It's a crazy, chaotic atmosphere but somehow it work for them.

Social etiquette is a little different here. For instance, it's okay to let out any bodily functions as and when they arrive, but perhaps thats just the men! I discovered this on my first day when I drove around in a taxi seeing the main sights. I thought my taxi guy might be ill he was letting out so many loud belches without a hint of embarrassment. And, to my horror, he hocked up phelgm to his heart's content, rolled down the window and spat regularly too. It was loud and awkward as it ripped into our silence. With his limited english and my non-existent Hindi, it prevented us from communicating much.

Except I did learn that when an Indian man might say 'no problem, no problem' it probably means 'I don't understand'. I said 'thanks for the offer but I don't want to go to the market' and he replied 'no problem' and I thought good, fine until he said 'no problem, I take you there, 5 minutes, no problem'. But perhaps this was his way of scamming me to gain commission on some market stalls! I said 'no, market, no market' until he also said it and we didn't go.

One of my favourite sights is the street barber. They have a small mirror hanging up on a wall and a high chair opposite it with gadgets, towels and bits and pieces lying around it. There is no panel, curtain or anything else. Just the mirror, chair, barber and customer. I wish I had a picture to show you.

I have felt like an outsider many times, very white and very blonde when I've seen sights by myself but I haven't felt directly threatened in any way. If anyone approaches me I say 'no' or ignore them completely and no one has responded badly to that (touch wood, so far) so I'm pleased to say it is possible to stay safe in India as a female solo traveller (touch wood x2, I still have 24 hours left...). The culture is unique and beautiful and I've still got time to meet more people and see the famous Akshar Dham temple, biggest in India.

So I'll go but I'll leave you with what I wrote earlier.. and that's my lasting impressions. Please read it.

#india #delhi