India with Valya

Summer 2017, I was homesick and planned to visit my family and friends in India. My Russian friend Valentina (Valya, my Euro trip travel partner) decided to join me for 10 days of a whirlwind vacation to visit the Golden Triangle of India! This was going to be an adventure for her - transition from cold and quiet Russia to hot and chaotic India isn't easy! I was nervous too! I wanted to present the best of India to my friend. She was particularly excited about Taj Mahal. I chalked out our itinerary, made the accommodation and travel bookings in advance, and we did all preparations to ensure she enjoys her time in India comfortably. I also did my homework of revising Indian history so I could impart the correct information (and to not appear ignorant in front of her).

We arrived at New Delhi in the midnight of 1st August. The first thing that amazed Valya was the carpet at IGI Airport! In Russia, carpets are essential decorative accessories at homes and no one walks on these with shoes or slippers. So naturally noticing an elaborate golden carpet to welcome tourists with soiled shoes at IGI was extremely amusing for her. 

Day 1: Delhi 

We checked into our hotel in Paharganj and ready to retire on our beds when the electricity went-out. In the darkness we tossed and turned on our sweaty beds, trying to ward-off the buzzing mosquitoes! Valya was patient enough and too tired to complain about it. We dozed off very soon. The following day was going to be long and hectic.

Soon after a hearty breakfast, we started our day. Valya had her first experience of an autoricksaw ride through the filthy crowded streets. It was extremely hot and humid, and she completely enjoyed the open, windy vehicle! Our plan was to cover the tourists spots on the Purple and Yellow lines of the Delhi metro. Again, she was confused why should women have a dedicated carriage in every metro train. I did not need to explain it to her in details, she had her answers by the end of the day after travelling a couple of times.  We went to the Baha'i Lotus Temple (since she had previously visited the Baha'i Temple in Israel, she had quite a lot of knowledge already about the religion and its history). Our next spot was the Red Fort (Lal Qila). It was here that I started narrating her the history of India and the Mughal Era, how it influenced our culture, cuisine and language. It took us considerable time to visit Diwan-i-Khas, Diwan-i-Aam and all other museum displays within the fort premises. We visited some handicrafts shops nearby, where she bought souvenirs and famous Pashmina shawls for her family. After lunch, we went to visit the Parliament House, Rastrapati Bhawan and India Gate. As we walked along the Rajpath Marg, I explained the importance of each monument and how these have shaped modern India. 
The white-girl was already getting noticed and famous by now, and numerous requests for selfies by random strangers started pouring in! It was a challenge to deny every request and make sure she did not feel intruded. We were soon joined by my boyfriend and a couple of friends, and decided to have dinner in one of the restaurants in Connaught Place. It was a beautiful evening, talking about Bollywood, food and culture. Also it was special since I was meeting my boyfriend (Abhishek) after a gap of 14 months! All throughout the day I was extremely careful about Valya's food and water intake and made sure she was hydrated properly. At the restaurant, I specifically ordered European non-spicy food for her, but she was more interested to try Indian food and my friends cheered her as she gulped down delicious Naan and Murg-Musallam. Apparently, she liked it so much, she even decided to ask for extra servings! The day was fruitful and went as I had planned.

Day 2,3: Agra

Next morning, we left for Agra by the Gatimaan Express. It was a nice experience to travel by a new superfast train and served by professional hostesses. Valya was surprised when I informed her that the ticket price was half of that of a general intercity Russian train. The South Indian breakfast served onboard was hygienic and tasty. Valya too decided to try (inspite of my warnings) and liked it. We arrived in Agra in 2 hours, checked into our uber-cool travel hostel called Moustache. We were joined by my college friend Vickey. Vickey and Valya gelled up real quick. First we went to visit the Tomb of I'timād-ud-Daulah (Chhota Taj Mahal). Its a beautiful monument on the opposite bank of Taj Mahal and not visited by many tourists. We spent some time chatting and clicking pictures. While we were at it, Valya said she felt unwell and before we could do something, she was already throwing up. The combined effect of torturous weather, spicy food and inadequate sleep had already taken a toll on her. She was not able to acclimatize with the environment change. She turned pale and weak. We decided to get back to our hostel so she could take rest. We cancelled our plans for the day and I insisted that she took rest for the entire day. But the next day was Friday and the Taj Mahal was closed for tourists, so she was determined to visit her favorite monument the same day before sunset. After series of vomiting and many Russian medicines, she finally felt strong enough to go out in the evening. She was extremely delighted to have finally visited one of the Seven Wonders of the World! The sparkling white marble monument appeared grand in the orange twilight and very different from the image I had when I had visited it as a 8-year old kid. 
However, Valya had not completely recovered. I continuously supplied her with ORS, Glucose and Marie biscuits. She refused to visit the doctor and continued to take the medicines she brought with her (some charcoal and clay tablets that were supposed to cure food poisoning and stomach upsets). The following day we briefly visited the Agra Fort and left for Jaipur.

Day 4: Jaipur

In Jaipur we had the company of Abhishek and two other college friends (Aashutosh and Ajitesh). We checked into the Jaipur branch of Moustache hostel. The facilities and services at these hostels were very impressive. On the first day in Jaipur, we visited the Hawa Mahal, City Palace, Jantar Mantar, Pink City, Albert's Hall and some shopping in the traditional bazaars. I made sure that Valya is not exhausted and narrated her stories of the Rajput royals of Rajasthan. In the evening we went to Chokhi Dhani in the outskirts of Jaipur. It is a model village-cum-resort where one can participate in all kinds of traditional Rajasthani village activities and taste authentic Rajasthani Thali. We tried traditional dances, camel ride, watched magic and puppet shows, and got awed by the street-performances of talented artists. It turned out to be one of the best moments of the trip for me. 

Day 5: Royal Forts, Jaipur

The following day we visited the royal Amer Fort, Nahargarh Fort, Jaigarh Fort and Jal Mahal.
Each of these had interesting stories incribed in its walls and breathtaking views of Jaipur city far below. By now Valya had turned into a 'Bhartiya Nari' gracefully donned in a green salwar kameez, yet refused to try any Indian sweet or food, on the  pretext of not degrading her health. We also took an elephant ride at the nearby "Hathi Gaon", however it was quite disappointing and not so exciting as Valya had expected. The weather was pleasant throughout and our experience in Jaipur was splendid! The city is truly vibrant and buzzing with life. I hope to visit it again along with the other royal cities of Jaisalmer, Udaipur and Jodhpur.

Day 7: Amritsar

We returned to Delhi and took rest for the entire day. It was a much needed break from the constant travelling. 

Our next destination was Amritsar. We arrived there in the wee hours of the next morning and freshened ourselves in the Golden Temple premises. The temple is beautiful and dazzling. We had the morning prasad and the afternoon Langar. It was a unique experience as I proudly told Valya about the biggest free-kitchen in the world serving millions of people everyday (although she only tried a spoonfull of the dessert). Next was Jallianwala Bagh, it was an overwhelming feeling to visit the bullet marks and death well, and narrate the tragic stories to my friend. Suddenly we realized that Ajitesh was missing his wallet! Well, he had handed it to me while we sat for Langar and it was me who misplaced it. We almost freaked out, as it had his ID proofs, bank cards and money. We went back to the Langar area with the hope of finding it and after a lot of frantic search and interrogations, it was finally handed to him by the head of the Langar committee. Thankfully, the wallet was picked up by one of the volunteer-sevaks and submitted at 'Lost & Found'. It was nothing less than a miracle to be able to retrieve the wallet amidst so many people coming and going out. After that we drove to the Wagah Border to view the Retreat Ceremony. While we stood in the queue to get into the stadium, we coincidentally met two BSF soldiers who hailed from Dhanbad and Giridih (my hometown)! It was a 'divine connection' and they allowed us to sit in the VIP seats from where we watched the spectacular performances by the brave warriors of India and Pakistan, showing grit, courage and patriotism. The experience was inexplicable!

Day 8: Delhi

Day 9: Delhi

We took the night bus back to Delhi and checked into another great travel hostel called Zostel. These lively chilled-out tourist hostels made our stay fun and comfortable. The next two days we visited every monument and sightseeing areas in Delhi - Humayun Tomb, Qutub Minar, Akshardham, Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, Safdarjung Tomb, Zoological park. We also met up with my childhood school friends and they all had a blast meeting Valya! Valya tried out 'exotic' Indian fruits (green coconut, pomegranate), did loads of shopping, bought a number of souvenirs for her family. She also bought a very elegant and gorgeous saree,  and had the opportunity to put mehendi from a roadside stall.

Day 10: Delhi

It was a fantastic trip for me as it allowed me to present my beautiful and colourful country, showcasing the diversity in every nook and corner without being biased. I hope it was an enriching experience for Valya too, and she will have the opportunity to visit again to try the mouth-watering Indian cuisines.