Traveling in India

There seems to be a whole range of ways to experience India. At one extreme, we have encountered people who are seeing India from within a bubble. The worse example: at the Taj Mahal, we noticed a group arriving whose guides were carrying signs "Around the World by Concorde." This was a *wealthy* tour group. And at the Taj, instead of removing their shoes like everyone else in the world, as a sign of respect in a holy place, these folks donned little disposable booties over their shoes. India from a bubble.

I suppose at the other extreme -- folks who see India on a shoestring. It is certainly quite possible to eat well for a dollar or two a day, and to find *extremely* inexpensive places to stay. I'm just too old for that, I think... my backpacking days are far behind me. I've learned that I need to stay in a reasonably good western-style hotel.

Part of the reason for that... I really do enjoy being out and about in India. No bubble for me. I like to wander around on foot, eat in Indian restaurants (not just western-style hotels), etc. But as much as I love India, and love traveling there, I do find it stressful. The body is on full sensory overload much of the time - noise, heat, body contact, dirt, concerns about safety -- and at night, I do better if I can retreat back to a quiet, secure, reasonably comfortable resting place.

One interesting thing about traveling in India - Americans should assume that they will *not* find the various consumables which we take for granted. There is no CVS pharmacy on the block. We deal with this by taking way too much stuff with us. It works out ok - we leave it all there when we leave the country, neatly lined up in the last hotel room - which also leaves more suitcase space to bring home Indian stuff.

Stuff we take:

The obvious stuff -- shampoo, toothpaste, soap, etc
First aid stuff -- bandaids, a couple of bandages, bacitracin, etc
Bug stuff - repellant with DEET, and also bug itch stuff
Sunscreen
For the ladies - any sanitary supplies which even *might* be needed... napkins, tampons, whatever
Medicines -- headache stuff. Pepto-bismol. Immodium. Serious antibiotic - Cipro. Some OTC meds for upper respiratory distress -- sore throat lozenges and the like. (One time I had the *worst* sore throat in India - I thought I might die - could not find *anything* to ease the pain in my throat. Finally did take Cipro -- and either the Cipro worked or the bug had just run its course, but I was better the next day.)
Small packages of tissues
Small bottle of hand sanitizer

For me, one of the absolute essentials - - my "bathroom kit." On my first trip to India, I was in a store, and of course barefoot, having removed my shoes at the door. I asked for a bathroom. the Indian style bathroom would have been a major challenge for me in any case (I was wearing a sari, and using the floor level Indian toilet was... well, actually more than just "challenging.") But what put me right over the top -- the floor was wet, and I have always been very skeevy about bare feet on wet floors -- even *clean* wet floors, like in the shower room near a pool. This was beyond skeevy. So my bathroom kit is right on my person, in my shoulder bag or fanny pack - and includes the following: 1) a pair of thin, disposable slippers - the type one uses in a manicure shop work fine, 2) cleansing towelettes (no tissue paper in Indian-style toilets!), 3) a couple of small plastic bags to hold the towelettes or tissues after use, for later disposal, 4) a small bottle of hand-cleanse gel. This kit is actually very small and compact, and I've only used any of it once or twice - but after that first experience, I feel *much* more secure knowing that it's there and available!

Rules about water and eating...
Before my first trip to India, I had a helpful travel nurse who just *drilled* me on all of the rules about water.
* Bottled water is ok, but YOU break the seal on the bottle
* Other bottled beverages are ok... same rule about breaking the seal yourself
* Water in restaurants.. mostly not ok, stay with bottled
* Fresh fruit is ok ONLY if you can peel the fruit. (I buy a cheap jackknife in India and carry it with me)
* Salads are not ok.
* Food from street vendors is generally not ok... rare exceptions if you watch the food being cooked, and eat it while it is still burn-your-mouth hot.
* Shower water counts as water -- keep your mouth closed, and wipe your face as soon as you turn off the water.
* Ice cubes count as water. No ice cubes.
* Toothbrushing involves water. Use bottled. (If you goof, let the toothbrush dry completely before you use it again. That kills the bugs. I think.)
Any of these rules may be broken in five-star hotels, where all of the water is likely filtered... but it's *always* ok to just follow the rules wherever you are!

We also take one step which some folks might consider "over the top" - we sign up for health coverage with one of the international providers. If you get sick or injured and need care, a call to them will lead to referrals to reputable healthcare providers. And if you get *seriously* sick or injured, they will fly you out of India. We have never actually used their services, and arguably this is an unnecessary expense - but on the other hand, it really does not cost very much, and (for us, at least) provides a goodly amount of peace of mind.

And a suggestion for women travelers.... cover up. This is simply a cultural thing... the American women who are wear shorts and tank tops are not perceived well at all. Lightweight clothing is fine... but long pants (or skirts) and long sleeves. Good solution -- buy inexpensive salwaar kameez suits. The "suit" includes drawstring pants, and a long-sleeved long tunic top, plus a scarf. Really comfortable and easy to wear. (A sari is a bit trickier!) If you are a usual size, and therefore can buy these off the rack in a store, you can really outfit yourself very inexpensively. If you are taller or shorter or heavier... you can have suits made for very little money. The more elaborate suits, with embroidery, etc., are of course more expensive. (And for American women... these salwaar kameez suits work *very* well for dressing up in the US. I have received so many compliments on my various salwaar suits!)

So those are the guidelines that have worked for me - pack all of the care and comfort consumables that you might need; stay in a mid-range (for India!) western-style hotel; be very careful about what you eat, and be careful verging on paranoid about the water; sign up for international health insurance/services; dress comfortably and conservatively.

And stay *out* of the bubble, as much as possible!