Tomorrow my wife and I are going to India

[AgingAmerican]

For the month of December. Am told it's somewhat of a shocker, in a fascinating way.

Any advise or tips for a first timer would be appreciated!

Visiting:
Chennai
Delhi
Kochi
Bangalore

...in that order.

Anything must see in those places? Definitely going to the Taj Majal when in Delhi, and the Ganges river. Not sure what else we will do.

Wife is somewhat apprehensive, it's a very misogynistic country. Indians tend to be very warm people, I tell her. Any advise is appreciated!

Thanks in advance!!

[Raine1967]

1. you should definitely reach out to DU'r Recursion. I believe

he is there currently!

I hope you both have a lovely time and look forward to reading about the adventure!

[AgingAmerican]

2. Thanks, I will pvt message him

[OriginalGeek]

3. lol yep, first thing I thought of

Paging Recursion!


OP be careful of monkeys taking over the common area...

[Coventina]

5. The Monkeys Still Control the Cabana!!!!

One of the best threads EVER!!!

[OriginalGeek]

18. lol yep

Definitely top 3 for me.

[KamaAina]

21. He's in Mumbai

which is not on the OP's itinerary.

He and Mrs. Recursion do travel around India, though.

[TuxedoKat]

4. Lucky you

I remember Bangalore as a very beautiful city. For your wife and you, even if you don't buy one it is a real treat to go Sari shopping. Just the whole experience is amazing the way they will unfurl several yards of fabric right in front of you with a flick of the wrist. Maybe there are some little markets you can visit and temples to Ganesha or Hanuman too.

If there are any in these cities that you are staying, try to visit a former British residency. There was one in Lucknow (famous battle was there too) that we visited. Also, there is an amazing Muslim mosque in Lucknow, called "The Imambara". So if you make a side trip to Lucknow, definitely see both those places. There was a great market there too. Enjoy!!

[AgingAmerican]

9. Thank you

We are staying at a former British residency in Fort Kochi. I will be buying Sari's for several women, my daughter included, while we are there. Apparently Chennai has almost 800 Hindu temples, some very old.

Can't wait!

[Xipe Totec]

6. My wife and I will be driving through China

China, Nuevo León, México. On our way to Saltillo Coahuila.

Legend holds that Spanish explorers searching for a way to the orient got that far and said fuck it, this is China, and turned around.

[AgingAmerican]

10. BE careful

And have fun!

[trof]

7. 1. Why? 2. How old are you?

[AgingAmerican]

11. ...

1. For fun
2. 54

[oldandhappy]

8. Open heart, open mind. Have fun!!

Always good to learn about things outside of ourselves.

[AgingAmerican]

12. Am told the cows are quite friendly

Was reading the Hindu Times today about a 'cattle emergency' in a suburb of Chennai. The burb has 83,000 residents, but it appears over 100,000 head of cattle have wandered into town, making driving nearly impossible, and the resident Hindus are hard pressed to feed them all. Everything I read about India sounds surreal!

[Recursion]

15. There are also villages that have monkey drills

Troops of monkeys will come out of the jungle and just take over the town for a while and the residents have to hide indoors. They have a monkey alarm, and they occasionally do monkey drills to maintain readiness.

[Tipperary]

13. Have fun!

Take pictures for us stay at homes here!

[Recursion]

14. You're in for good weather; this is the only decent time to be here

Kochi I don't know very well, but Chennai and Bangalore are both cool (Chennai moreso, IMO).

If you have a free couple of days in Chennai, I highly recommend going down to Pondicherry. It's really nice. But in Chennai itself, Kapaleeshwarar and the Thousand Lights are a must.

Bangalore is inland, which is less to my taste, but the Red Gardens (Laal Bagh) are very nice. It also has a branch of the Blue Frog club, which is a great DJ/live music/dance nightclub (it's at the Mahatma Gandhi metro stop).

I have only been to Kochi once, but Kerala (the state it's in) has a ton of great beaches. There are also amazing river cruises you can take in traditional boats. You're also not far from Goa, which, like Pondicherry, is well worth a weekend trip if you have time.

Delhi is so full of stuff that it's hard to even know where to start; obviously do the monuments, and the Old City & Red Fort. If you're doing the Taj Mahal (it's hundreds of miles away, as a warning), that whole area is great.

[AgingAmerican]

16. For kicks we are catching a train from Bangalore to Chennai

We chose to fly into Chennai because it was really cheap, but from what I read about it, it's a fascinating place.

Three nights in Chennai coming, four nights in Chennai on our way out. Can't wait!

[Recursion]

20. Oh that should be fun. PM me once you're on the subcontinent.

I'm in Mumbai which is pretty far from anywhere you're going, but I'd be happy to help out any way I can.

[KamaAina]

22. Recursion told us all about Goa

as a former Portuguese colony, it specializes in Portuguese-Indian fusion food, which sounds yummy.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1018576271

[Recursion]

23. Sadly I had to kill the server with all those pics.

I should really re-post that with new images.

[DFW]

17. Sounds like an absolutely wonderful trip

Be sure to talk to as many people as you can while there. They have a completely different take on life from us, and it fascinating to listen to them.

[Major Nikon]

19. Beware of the cab drivers

One trick they tried to pull on us is they took us to a different hotel than the one we specified(I'm sure the driver was getting a kickback). We got the owner of our original hotel on the phone and he came and picked us up.

There's some wonderful people in India, but there's also those who will try to rip you off, which is pretty much common in the 3rd world.

Another trick that's quite common is the cab drivers will drive you around in circles running up the tab. Try to negotiate a set price if you can and tell them you will tip well if they take you by the shortest route.

[Recursion]

24. Just be assertive and they'll usually back down

Cabs in India can be hellacious, but if you just stand up to them you'll usually come out OK.

To that point: either agree to a fixed price for the trip beforehand, or have them turn on the meter.

If they will not do either, and you feel ballsy, just get in. When they quote an absurd price at the drop off, pay them a reasonable one instead. There's really nothing they can do, because if the meter says zero that is legally what you owe.

[AgingAmerican]

26. We saw that one in Thaiand

Refused to pay and got my stuff and hailed a different tuk tuk. I have zero tolerance for scammers.

We are stuck in Dubai tonight. Chennai is flooding and the airport is closed for 3 days. Flying into Delhi tomorrow instead.
Dubai sucks. All concrete and marble. Don't see the attraction at all.

[UTUSN]

25. 1) Gosh. 2) Am envious. 3) Can I go?!1 n/

[elleng]

27. I hope they're OK, just saw this:

Chennai declared disaster zone, airport to remain shut till December 6.

MeT's forecast indicates more rain for the next 48 hours. Chief Minister Jayalalithaa will review the situation today.

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/chennai-rains-crisis-may-worsen-as-more-heavy-showers-predicted/1/536708.html

[Myrina]

28. Chennai is under water. Please check your travel plans.

We have IT contractors who have said water is knee deep inside their houses.
The city has called a holiday - no work or school - and cut power in many areas to reduce risk.
The 4 reservoirs are close to maximum capacity.
Train tracks are under water. Planes are not flying.

And it is still raining.

[AgingAmerican]

29. Yes we had to stay in Dubai last night

We are going strait to Delhi today. Chennai airport closed for three days. We will have to see Chennai on our way out in 3 weeks.

[elleng]

30. Good to hear from you.

[BarbaRosa]

31. I lived in Delhi for a year,

but this was '67-'68, and I was a kid in high school, going to AIS (or the American Embassy School as it called now) so I doubt that anything I could remember would apply to your journeys. Except to say it was a great memorable experience.

I must say the above mention of taxi cabs sure brought a flood of memories.

Enjoy, Namaste

[callous taoboy]

33. Friends of mine taught at AIS for about 6 years.

He kept trying to recruit me to teach there but I don't think I could do third world.

[Rose-anna]

32. Have fun!

Last edited Fri Dec 4, 2015, 03:36 AM - Edit history (1)

It sounds good, but I didn't travel there, I expect your photos!

[Kali]

34. I LOVE travel threads,

be sure to post some pics and updates, sorry to hear about the flooding but it will be good story telling later!

[AgingAmerican]

35. We are in Delhi today

Going to the ancient spice market in Old Delhi today. Food is to die for.

[AgingAmerican]

36. Just got to our hotel in Kochi. Here is a Delhi video I just put together.

Enjoy!