Nick and I left our hotel and were on our way to the airport. As we walked down a side street in Bangkok we observed the chaos, falling electrical wiring and crumbling infrastructure. Nick stated, “India can’t be THAT much different than SE Asia.” Boy, was he wrong. We bordered our flight and landed in…
Nick and I took a 10 hour train overnight from Kolkata to New Jailpuri. This was the most comfortable overnight transit we’ve taken in Asia. The beds were full length and they rented bedding. Our bunkmates offered us to eat with them and we had some great discussions about politics over egg curry. Our train…
Within a half an hour of departing Delhi we were flying above the Himalayas to Ladakh (land of passes). The snow-covered glaciers were astonishing and soon we were descending through the clouds. All we could see was white until we were eye level with jagged mountains. My heart skipped a beat as I remembered the…
India’s capital, Delhi, is home to 25 million people. It’s an enormous city filled with fresh fruit stands, western influence, delectable cuisine and rich culture. Overall, Delhi was less chaotic than I expected and the people were friendly and helpful. Delhi lacked the aggressiveness that I experienced in Kolkata and not only did I feel…
Nick and I left Delhi and took the train to Agra. We spent a day exploring the town, visiting Subhash Bazaar and trying local sweets (petha and gajak). We passed the Agra Fort and crossed the river for a view of the Taj Mahal at sunset. Although beautiful, the tuk tuk driver who previously scammed…
We arrived to Jaipur, the pink city (although I thought more peach) by train. We ate delectable masala paneer dosas at the train station before catching a 45 R ($0.69) Uber to our CouchSurfing host’s home. Nick and I love Couchsurfing as we meet local people and learn about a city from the inside. Our…
From Pushkar, Nick and I took a bus to Ajmer, a train to Phulera, and another train to Jaisalmer. Although 18 hours of transit and feeling ill we made the best of our situation and made a friend at 2 am in the station. As we approached our destination, we peered from the window of the…
Nick and I spent 2 days in Jodhpur, the blue city. Traditionally, the highest caste, Brahmins or priests, painted their homes blue. Now, not only Brahmins, but also individuals in other castes paint their homes blue to add to the vibrant hue of the city. Like in most Rajasthani cities, the prize of the city…
Mumbai sits on a narrow peninsula that juts into the Arabian Sea. This congested and densely populated city is home to 25 million people. The public transit system is poor, however the business district is booming and many famous Bollywood actors and actresses live here. Nick and I spent 3 days Couchsurfing in Mumbai. Our…
Nick and I spent 4 days and 3 nights in Goa. Our guidebook described the beaches we visited; Palolem, Agonda and Patnem as hippie backpacker chill outs with cheap bungalows, drugs, and silent (headphone) dance parties. That is the definition of what Nick and I try to avoid, however everyone talks about Goa and we…
Known for its booming IT industry, Bangaluru offers green space, craft breweries, and indoor bouldering gyms. This city was the most progressive, clean, and at times Nick and I forgot that we were in India. We noticed a change from the north to south, the food became spicier and the aggressive personalities became more rare.…
Nick and I went to the Bengaluru Train Station and stood in line to buy tickets. Of course, the line was chaotic with cutting locals and unnecessary merging. In addition, needless to say, our tickets were never checked on the train. However, as we stood on the platform we watched the sweeper women who were…
Varanasi is 1 of the world’s oldest continuously inhibited cities and 1 of Hinduisms 7 holy cities. Pilgrims come to wash away a lifetime of sins in the Ganges River and families come to cremate their deceased, liberating them from the cycle of birth and death. Varanasi was intense and like most of India was…
