March 2024
I have sat and thought about what to write on India and I just can't find a way to start out this post that explains this wild ride. Indias golden triangle is located in North India and is made up of New Delhi (the capitol), Agra, and Jaipur. The golden triangle is one of Indias largest areas that draws in tourists because of its history amongst each individual city that connects into what is called "The golden triangle. In New Delhi you can see India's gate commemorating British soldiers lost during World War I, Agra offering one of the worlds wonders the Taj Mahal, and Jaipur with many different historical landmarks to see including the Hawa Mahal, Amber Fort, and stunning temples with atmospheres that make you feel history and peace as you walk the paths of them. My two-week journey through the Golden Triangle in India was one I’ll never forget. India is not for beginners, but damn. India is a good time!
My journey to India started out a bit of a wild ride. I flew to Chicago to catch my long-haul flight to New Delhi and meet up with my stepsister Gabby. Now this journey didn't start out solo, but later I found myself running about the streets of India solo a bit before heading home. My morning started out with some rough weather. My flight to Chicago took almost an extra hour in the air, overhead bins flying open, turbulence that threw me out of my seat, and my fellow passenger in front of me throwing up the almost three-hour flight. Needless to say, it was a great start to the morning! Once arriving at O'Hare airport, I made it through security and Gabby met me on the other side. It wasn't long before we were boarding our 15-hour flight to New Delhi. I flew India Air both to and from India. The horror stories I saw about this airplane on different social media platforms was horrendous! I was nervous that this was going to be an interesting journey with some of the conditions I saw the airplanes in. We must have gotten a newer plane because I didn't find it out of the ordinary. On this particular flight I noticed I had more leg room than most economy cabin flights, a nice footrest, and I will also give India Air an 8/10 for the food!
After arriving at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi we made way to customs to get our visas checked and passports stamped. I like to do my visas for countries that require them online so that I know when I land there shouldn't be any issues. Most countries with an American passport you can get an E-Visa as well as visa on arrival. The visa process for India costs from $10-$100 depending on the country your passport is issued as well as the type of visa you are applying for. After getting cleared through immigration we exited the airport. I typically don't exchange money in the airports because the exchange rate can be a bit lower because of the extra fees being charged. I typically like to exchange at my hostels or by shops on the streets. You can sometimes talk them into less fees which results in more money! Before I travel, I'm always sure to take cash with me to exchange. You can never be sure your debit card will work, and also not everywhere accepts credit, especially in markets and local places on the streets. Before leaving my country I'm always sure to go to the bank and I make sure that all of bills are aged 2013 or newer and have no marks or tears on them. Reason for this is that many times I've tried to exchange money, and a lot of international banks won't take bills that are too damaged.
So, like I said we didn't get any money and got into a taxi that I got with their local uber app (no worries, right? The app is connected to my credit card.) Wrong. My credit card wasn't being accepted through the app. So, adventure number one. Bribe the taxi driver with American dollars and help him understand he was getting more money than originally asked all by google translate and my currency exchange calculator to show proof. Problem solved and into our hostel we went to get settled and cleaned up to go explore! We booked our stay at the Hostellar New Delhi located in the New Friends colony. This location isn’t the most walkable area, but nothing is a very far commute by tuk tuk. Shortly upon arriving it never takes long to make new friends. Azhar is a local to India just re-locating to the Delhi area staying at the hostel for a bit. New friends, check! The three of us off to explore one of the local markets.
"Saronjini Nagar" known to be one of Indias cheapest clothing markets. With fixed prices in most places through the market, this takes a lot of the hassle away from having to haggle prices. With prices already famous for being low there's no need for the haggling (which always makes things so much less stressful.)
We hit the jackpot meeting Azhar. He was local enough, but also places were still slightly new to him, so it was fun to get to explore a bit together and have someone to teach us some of the ins and outs of India. The juice stand was my first stop. My go to flavor in India was the fresh watermelon juice I would highly recommend trying it, it was so refreshing! Saronjini Nagar is a very large market with everything you can think of. After arriving during the evening time, you can definitely see its popularity because the crowds were a perfect description of what you might hear India is like. The atmosphere was fast, hectic, and full of life. The new smells of different foods filled the air, music playing through the shops, and the chaos of conversations in Hindi, English, and other languages filled the space. So much happening around me, and the thrill and excitement of the new adventures! I found a traditional Kurti to wear at the Taj Mahal and picked up a few pairs of earrings (I wasn't joking about the prices being low. I got a full outfit for $5, and the earrings priced at about $1 a pair.)
Off to a more modern part of town to explored some of the local bars in the Hauz Khas Village. Hauz Khas is a really cool vibe. It's a bit more of the hipster side of town I guess is the best way to put it. There’s a lot of nice shops, restaurants, and for us we landed in a little club like bar. It didn't take long before the buckets of beers started flowing, and large fountains of beer started pouring! PSA: do your best to not fly 15 hours, not
eat very much, and drink 8 beers. Throw in lack of sleep and it just wasn't the perfect recipe. Up early in the morning while fighting for my life was an understatement (worst hangover I've had in a while). I normally would NEVER pay for something like this, but I happily supported the train station and paid $2 to sit in their air-conditioned room while we waited for our train. India- 1, Hannah-0.
I was pleasantly surprised with the transportation system in India. I found it to be really affordable, and also really nice! We booked the sleeper class (thank God) we were offered food service throughout the journey, bunk beds, a fresh set of sheets, and pillow to relax/nap along the way. As I started drifting into sleep my phone and Air Pods must have moved outside of my blanket. I was woken up by one of the operators on the train to make sure that I put my things under the sheet to avoid them being stolen. This was just another moment along the way to show the kindness of people, and to be reminded that yes, there are bad people out there, but the beauty of travel is seeing how many more good people there are. Keep an eye on your electronics!
There are a few stops along arriving to Agra on the train. For the most accessible station to the Taj Mahal and depending on where you are staying the “Agra Cantt Rail Station” is the most convenient stop. Arriving in Agra was chaos. Stepping out of the station everyone is rushing to you for tuk tuk rides. We booked our tuk tuk on Uber to fight a bit of the chaos. Keep watch of your belongings in these areas. There’re so many people and so much going on Gabby and I were almost separated while getting through the crowds and to our driver during the hectic time of day we arrived. We decided to treat ourselves a bit in Agra. Life only happens once right! We stayed at the “Taj Convention Center” and booked a king executive suite. The room cost us $240 total for one night. The room was wonderful! We were welcomed to the hotel with gracious arms, and into our room with a delicious little chocolate mold of the Taj Mahal. The room came with a small living area, gorgeous bathroom with a waterfall shower, and the best part, views of the Taj Mahal in the distance from our window. At this point we had been in India about 24 hours. I find my adrenaline kicks in when I land places. For me I usually roll with my adrenaline and hit the ground running. I find that this helps me adapt to the different time zones also. After making the decision that this was going to be our day to relax, that's exactly what we did. The bit of chaos at the train station and seeing the town a bit on the drive to our hotel something just felt off to me. I try to listen to my gut when travelling and for some reason my gut was saying we didn't need to be walking around this area at night. I'm not saying that anything specific happened, and I definitely felt safe at my hotel, but something just felt off to me at the time. Agra was likely perfectly fine, and we would have had no problems.
With an early start to our morning waking up about 4:30 am. The hotel offered a shuttle to the Taj Mahal so that was the option we went with in the morning. The Taj is within walking distance from this location so that also is an option as well. It was still dark when we arrived at the entrance area. There's a bit of a walk to get to the security check at the front gates once arriving. I know I said I didn’t walk around the night before, and during the early morning I felt a shift and felt perfectly safe walking around.
Waking up early was crucial to my
Taj experience. We rushed through the crowds at security, walked a bit, and then there it was… this morning the air was cool, there was a bit of fog sitting in the sky, but past that fog stood in front of me the Taj Mahal. This was the second Wonder of the world that I saw this year. Standing in front of me taller than I can even describe, I was in awe. I think I started to even get a bit emotional with the sight in front of me. I thought to myself "I planned this trip myself, I had the ideas, and here I stood, ideas no more and reality in front of my eyes." The mist of the morning was cut through by the sun as it rose before us and towered over the beautiful marble monument. The admission fee for access to the grounds and walking through the inside of the monument cost about $13.
Walking about the streets of Agra I noticed some older men gathered about and the thought crossed my mind that it looked like this could be a spot to get some chai. I looked to the man who was boiling something in a pot and asked “Chai?” He nodded back to me and told me how many rupees it was. 10 rupees he responded which is the equivalent to 12 cents in U.S. Dollars. It didn't take long to realize none of these older men knew English. If they did it wasn’t much. They were gathered about sipping chai, smoking cigarettes, and sharing their stories with each other. All of them began showing us to a seat and doing the best they could to make sure we knew that we were welcome to join them. I walked myself into a literal cement hole in the wall and enjoyed my chai with the group of men. This was one of my favorite moments of my trip. No English was needed to feel safe, be welcomed, and enjoy what is a normal activity for these locals and something so simple is now a moment I will cherish and never forget.
Plot twist! There are no trains out of Agra to Jaipur... The best option is by bus that takes about 5 hours between the two cities. I booked this the night before and had planned to go by train until realizing we had about only one option. About two hours before our bus was supposed to arrive, we got to the bus stop which was a bit confusing because it's kind of just in the middle of the road. I asked a few locals, and they assured me it was the correct place. As monkeys, cows, and several busses passed us on the street I went to the man at the bus stand to confirm once again we were in the right place. He dismissed us a bit, and I just couldn’t get much of an answer from anyone besides “Yes, it will be here.” Confusion obviously took over my face because nearby there was a local couple from the south that asked if we needed help. I explained the situation and we realized we all were waiting for the same bus. Before I knew it the couple had got a tuk tuk swept up our things and threw it all into the back, and we all piled in rushing across the streets of Agra to catch the bus on its final stop! (Apparently the driver claimed to have already stopped where we were waiting originally.) I'm so thankful for this nice couple. We took the journey together until almost the final stop in Jaipur and they made sure we comfortable and checking on us throughout the trip.
We got to see so many little rural towns along the way and see a little deeper past just these bigger touristy cities we had visited so far. Once arriving to our bus stop in Jaipur the chaos of tuk tuks welcomed us once again. We grabbed our backpacks and started to get off the bus. In the distance I could see a driver wearing a Michael Jordan shirt and heard clear English. He’s the winner, let’s go!
I broke one of my key rules when arriving to Jaipur. I always try to arrive to a new destination during daylight hours. We arrived about 8pm after the sun had already set. We climbed into the tuk tuk and who would have thought the stranger wearing Michael Jordan would become such a large part of our story! After getting lost trying to find our Airbnb we had plenty of time to all get well acquainted with our new friend Baboo. The following morning, we met again with Baboo to explore the city.
When I planned the trip, I made majority of our days being spent Jaipur. The city has a lot of places to see, different activities, and I found it to be a bit more modernized with a lot of fun little cafes, coffee shops, and lots of markets. Our first stop was at Amber Fort. Upon entering the fort your eyes are drawn to the artwork spread about the walls with colors so stunning and vibrant even after being weathered by the sun. With a beautiful courtyard in the heart, and mazes throughout it's a place to find yourself lost.
I looked forward to one thing the most! heading to India. Getting to interact with the Indian elephants was a highlight of my journey. The Indian elephant's kind of remind me of a little old man and honestly what's not to love! it was so heartwarming to interact and bond with these amazing animals. Finding a sanctuary to interact was something that I tried to do some research on. Many of the elephants you see at tourist spots are often over worked, and not taken care of well. As cool as it might be to do some of these activities to me it's not worth the animal's wellbeing. Not every place is going to be perfect even doing research, but I felt better knowing these animals looked well taken care of and weren't hiking up hills carrying people all day long.
One thing I like to look for in other countries is something special that I can have for a long time whether it be jewelry, clothing or something specific to the culture of a country. Visiting a factory crafting patterns on fabrics was something incredible to see. The colorful intricate prints of India are so beautiful! Stamping of colors by hand, time and time over to create these stunning patterns onto various types of fabrics. Seeing the process makes you realize the detail going into some of Indias beautiful designs. I had a silk robe made to my measurements and preference which was about $45. I would recommend having garments made when the opportunity is there. These are some of my favorite things that get to use often even when I'm home!
Ganesh known to be one of the more popular and well worshiped in the Hindu faith. The remover of obstacles, and sign to bring good luck.
Spotting Ganesh as we strolled the hills up to Indias "Great Wall." Our evening ended at Nahargarh Fort built in 1734, overlooking and lining the Aravalli Hills and below us the Indian state of Rajasthan. A sunset slowly falling beneath the city of Jaipur, the evening prayer of the Mosques echoing in the distance, and time spent with family, and a new friend accompanied by a few beers. This was the perfect ending to day one in Jaipur.
We continued to explore Jaipur over the next two days. After doing so many things on our day of arrival we explored the city with plenty of free time to not feel rushed. When I travel to each country, I like to make myself a little bucket list. My list can include seeing certain landmarks, to making sure I eat all the local foods I don't want to forget to try! Majority of my list was checked off already in my first few days. I never like to make any set plans or specific arrangements that lock me down to a specific time frame, or obligation. Most excursions and activities can be booked the night before, and I just try to follow a general timeline if I know I'm going between cities. One of the biggest reasons I do this is because I'm never locked down to anything specific and the spontaneity of my travels is one of my favorite parts! You never know who you will meet along the way, and with new friends come new adventures!
Day two in Jaipur consisted of my final two items on my bucket list.
The Galtaji Temple built within the hills of the Aravalli mountains (also known as the monkey temple.) The temple consists of many sectors creating what is almost like a small village as you walk the pathways from the entrance. A sacred place of worship with small tanks known as kunds collect the water from natural springs which bring thousands of people to the temple to bathe in the waters and wash away their sins and strive for good fortune PSA: if you're afraid of monkeys, or not aware that they can steal your belongings this is your warning. The temple is heavily populated with the monkeys, as cute as they are keep an eye on your purse, and especially your cell phone.
Henna was the next thing that I knew I had to do before leaving India. Baboo asked if we would be comfortable going to his village to have his nieces do our henna. Being a tourist, I like to call it "white girl inflation" it's common everywhere. Prices typically skyrocket with the assumption you have money. I noticed this was actually a really big problem in India. Even with our friends purchasing things to help avoid the price increasing it still was no help. Of course, I was thrilled to explore off the typical path and meet his family! It didn't take long before word spread about the two white girls walking around the village. Neighbors flocked to the streets welcoming us into their
homes all over with more than open arms and of course getting a few pictures with us.
The Hawa Mahal is a sight to see especially at night. It lights up the street at the edge of the city palace making it a must-see spot in the evening! This is a highlight in what's known as the "Pink City." This towering ornamental monument originally was crafted for easy views of street life, and festivals for royal women. During the time of its construction, it wasn't common for these women to be about during these events. It allowed them to have viewing points to see into the events and feel included with being out of sight.
Our final stop in Jaipur was the Patrika Gate. With intricate ornate designs from the floor to the ceilings. The Patrika gate is a quick stop but worth seeing and grabbing a few photos. The gate is located at the entrance of the Jahawar Circle Park. This special gate is classified as one of India's seven heritage gates. Now known as one of the most instagrammable spots in the area! In the time it was built this gate allowed access to the once walled city of Jaipur.
To the train station and back to Delhi
One thing I love about hostel life is that staff always remember you. It's truly like having a giant family staying in these places. We arrived back to the Hosteller Delhi being greeted when we walked in feeling back at home.
Happy Birthday to me! After a day of travel relaxation was much needed. Waking up from a nap
all I wanted my birthday was an Oreo mclfurry. To my surprise I also woke up to a beautiful flower arrangement form a friend in Mumbai. It was so special to feel so much love from friends across the world. Mcdonalds was my dinner of choice seeing what the Indian McDonalds menu had to offer especially since I knew beef wasn't going to be on the menu. The cow is sacred in India so naturally you don't eat them as well.... from dinner we were off to the India Gate. At night the India Gate is definitely a spectacle. Lit with the colors of the Indian flag in the evening with a park located across the street it's a perfect spot to enjoy the views.
TRAVEL TIP: The evening took a turn for the worst for me during this trip. I don't blame India; upon my arrival I was well aware of this issue. At the train station in Jaipur, I bought a bottle of water from a stand. In India it is common for some vendors to sell water that is still contaminated with bad drinking water even though its bottled. Upon opening the bottle, I even thought to myself "this doesn't taste right." After asking my sister her thoughts she thought it seemed alright so on I went to finish it. About 2 a.m. I woke up with nausea and no control over my body. I broke my first travel rule which is listen to my gut instinct, rule number two is if something does happen don't let it go too far. I could tell after a couple hours my body was rejecting something inside me and not stopping. I was in the hostel at this time with my sister, and 3 other girls. Trying not to wake anybody up and laying on the bathroom floor all night trying to lower my body temperature on the tile floor. about five hours of being sick I began to feel my hands and feet start to tingle, hallucinations started in, and I was so weak that I could barely carry my own weight. "I need help" is all that crossed my mind. Complete dehydration took over my body. I texted my friend in Mumbai who gave me the information on medication that I would need for a stomach infection. Waking Gabby, her and Azhar rushed to the pharmacy to retrieve an antibiotic. Two hours after taking the medication, and proper hydration I was back to my usual self besides the exhaustion from being up all night.
My sickness passed and I was ready to continue the fun. Gabby was not. Gabby changed her flight and decided to head back to America, but I knew how I felt, and my journey wasn't over yet. I continued on in India a couple days solo. Before Gabby's departure we made a quick stop to a street vendor to get some fire paan. Fire Paan is a betel leaf and on top a mixture of more things I could count. It was lit on fire and then shoved into my mouth! (Obviously I was feeling back to my regular adventurous self.) The taste is different. Not bad, but different. It was almost a sweet but minty flavor. A nice palette cleanser.
Happy Holi!
Holi is the Hindu celebration celebrated across many of the states in India. Known as the festival of color, bright colored powder is tossed into the air staining the skin in celebration. Drums, music, food, and family, people local and visiting celebrate widely with festival events and walking the streets tossing color all over! The festival is the welcoming of spring and reminder of love. When I got sick, my biggest fear was missing out on Holi. The dates for Holi change based on the calendar year. Just happening to be in India during the festival was fate. I couldn't imagine missing out on this experience and I'm happy that even approached with an obstacle I still continued my journey.
India was a random thought that turned into a wild ride full of twists and turns. I learned a lot about myself on this trip, how to handle new situations, and so much about a culture that I knew little about. I would go back to India in a heartbeat.
I've learned to live by the reminder that no experience is a bad one. You learn something new through the obstacles. Appreciate the knowledge you now have because of them. One bottle of water that sent me fighting for my life can't overpower my thoughts on how much fun I had in India.
Shukriya (thank you) India, if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be blessed with the friends I have in my life and the knowledge of how to handle a stomach infection! See you soon xx
