INDIA
India. You've heard the horror stories, the evil touts, the vicious camels, the bowel churning food and bladerunneresque cities.....a spiritual playground where the world's major religions cut their teeth: a train system that works, towns where bodies burn all day, temples where rats run free, cities where silicon is king, and mountain caves where holy men roll in human ashes.....
Mother India, just where on planet earth do you fit?
Nowhere, and everywhere....India will quite simply will take your breath away (and not because of that open sewer grate....) because the festivals, street life, beaches, forests, temples, monuments, and characters will surround you from the moment you arrive until the second you step foot on your state of the art jet (and not a moment too soon for half of you, and a moment youve dreaded for the rest of you) will send your head spinning as quickly as that bhang lassie, sweetie....
Love it or hate it, India will get under your skin deeper than any other cultural chigger, and will stay there, fueling you with stories of bravery, horror, rapture and redemption to last a lifetime. If youre a culture vulture, welcome to your Mecca....
India's dont miss:
Sunrise over Taj Mahal, from the opposite side of the river. Repeat: sunrise over the Taj, from the opposite side of the river....
Jodhpur: as the blue city, you will be left green with envy at the residents who get to look at Maldives blue all day;
sunrise boatride on Ganges, taking in both burning ghats and bathing masses;
anywhere in Ladakh
Kaniyakumari, where three seas dance;
those cups of sweet chai;
Karni Mata temple, where MTV could tape,'Rats Gone Wild'
flying Air Deccan: finally, civility in pricing for foreigners;
India's give it a miss:
every square inch of Agra, save for the Taj
Delhi train station, evil incarnate;
Jaipur: whoever called this city pink, is a fink: it should be called stink;
any seat on an Air India plane;
every camel trek. repeat: every camel trek.
Arjuna Beach, Goa, unless hanging with freaks gets you high
Don't ever:
buy your own train ticket: let your guesthouse arrange it;
buy bottled water without checking the seal
tell a trishaw driver youve just arrived, unless you want to get ripped off;
pay retail for airline tickets: foreigners are ripped off for domestic flights;
Don't even think about:
crossing the streets in Bombay, unless suicidal;
bathing in the Ganges, unless you fancy getting as sick as that monkey in Outbreak;