I noticed the clouds on my first day in Northern India, as I always do.
“You see?” I said to my mum, pointing upward as we exited the airport. “Don’t the clouds look crazy after those weeks away? They’re so close to the ground here. It’s almost like you can touch them.”
I’ve said this every time I have returned from travels, my cloud fixation reignited immediately upon landing. Light and airy, the clouds still had heft, their bottoms flat and tops puffed outward, tumbling layers of white. After the wide open skies of India and Bangkok, Montreal clouds appeared to hang by a thread, as though they would at any point come careening down, flattening me. Rationally, I knew that clouds don’t crash. But in the haze of jetlag, my face pressed to the window on the drive back to my parents’ place, I had my doubts.
“Clouds… yes…” my mother mused. “But really it’s the silence. I cannot get over the silence. It echoes in my head.”
Everyone notices something different upon a return to what is familiar. For me, clouds. For my mother, sitting in traffic on that drive back home, the quiet. No horns, no yelling, no whistles being blown and no cows, goats or camels in the road. Turning to stare out of the window, she smiled “I kinda miss the cows, though.”
Before I left for India, those who had been said the same thing to me: it will be a place that you love and you hate, that you will find chaotic and dizzying and that will leave its imprint on you for years to come.
With many years of travel under my belt, I was curious about India’s effects. I remember how scared I was to leave for Santiago in 2008, and again how foreign Southeast Asia felt to me when I first set foot in Thailand near the end of that same year. How would I react to the dichotomies of India?
I am still processing how I want to share stories from Northern India on this site. But I want to start with a long umbrella post, an overview of the quirks that made me smile and the memories that lingered. Think of it as a follow up to the pre-trip reading and notes from just prior to my departure.
The great, mostly—and bit of the ugly. Some not specific to India, but to developing countries generally. Others very much an Indian phenomenon. I can’t say I know India well at all—for starters, I travelled only to Rajasthan and Agra and Delhi. And with only two weeks and change, I had barely a chance to dig for anything all. In those few weeks, however, these are the things that stood out.
Travel to Northern India: The Great
1. The food.
Every province of India has different dishes and culinary traditions. Punjabi food versus Rajasthani food versus Bengali food — so many variations of spice and taste and preparation. Much like China and other countries spread over such a staggeringly large geographic landscape, local specialities abound. So much food. So good.
I’m writing this from Montreal, dreaming of paneer (cottage cheese, usually cooked in a rich gravy of cream and spinach or spices) and lassi (shaken yoghurt, served either sour or sweet) and so much more.
2. The Indian head nod.
I have no photos of this, but the Internet does, of course, have a GIF. The head nod or head shake or “Desi-nod” (as the label might be) is well-documented in travel blogs and magazines alike. There is a whole section of the book Shantaram about it, how the nod can mean yes, or ok, or no, or a mere acknowledgement of your presence. And it never, ever grew old. From little kids to auto-rickshaw drivers to people in hotels or market stalls, it is a minimalist affirmation of whateverness, and it is glorious.
3. Kids (or their parents) wanting photos.
A highlight no matter where you go in Rajasthan or Delhi or Agra: people want you to take their photo. This is a highlight not because of the superficial act of capturing someone else, but because it creates a temporary but immediate bond between you and that person, usually resulting in some serious giggles. From tiny villages to bigger cities, kids would run up and ask for a photo, then ask to see it, then give me a thumbs up or a high five and then disappear. My memories and my photos are full of these sequences, not just from kids but their parents, equally excited to see their kids on camera.
4. Goats.
Those who have travelled with me know that I get irresponsibly happy around goats. In Jordan I had a group of baby goats following me into the desert, in Mongolia I stopped the car consistently to take photos of the goat-and-sheep grazing herds and in India I was extremely happy with the amount of goats in the county. Goats might not make a “great” list for everyone but they did for me.
5. Dodging cows.
I grew up helping the farmer across the road from my dad during haying season weekends, often disappearing into the barn to stare at the cows. I suppose it is no surprise, then, that I would not take issue with the volume of cows in India. I will be posting a photoessay of cows — how could I not? — but cows get their mention here, as they were all incredibly different. From the calf whose ears we scratched in Jojawar after dinner to the bull who made a run for us in Jodphur, dodging cows was an important part of our trip and definitely added some interesting narrative to our dinners.
6. Women and girls asking tons of questions and wanting photos.
I previously wrote about travel as a woman and how it allows you to straddle both worlds, interacting with women but also with men abroad. In India, the women were especially curious, coming up for photos, coming to ask questions about what I thought about my weeks in the country, asking me what India was like compared to other countries or my own. Many illuminating and thought-provoking discussions were had in just a short time in the country. I’m grateful for the kindness of these women who wanted to share their own life stories with me, despite my brief visit to their cities. (And for my mum who decided that every time someone came to ask for a photo with me, she would take one of her own.)
7. Total chaos.
I am a city person. I love Saigon because of the frenetic energy and the inevitable push to keep your eyes ahead, searching for the next wonderful thing to eat. India was also frenetic, and chaotic. For those who don’t like cities, I’ve been told the South is a bit less chaotic — I have yet to visit, but this was the advice I received. For those like me who take energy from the bubbling mess of noise and movement, you will enjoy Northern India. From Delhi to Jaipur to the night markets of Jodphur, all of the whirring and yelling made me feel like I was in a stop-motion video of my own, standing still while everything and anything swirled maniacally around me. If that sounds like a nightmare, you’re not alone — my mother wasn’t so thrilled with the chaos herself.
8. Spice heaven.
In my Ode to Spices post I wrote about why spices mattered to me and how they were a gateway to eating richly, despite a diagnosis of celiac disease. India is ground zero for spices and herbs and dried flavourings, and I in no way got my fill during my short trip there. So much more to explore and taste and learn.
9. Colourful saris.
Against the dusty landscapes and neutral sandstone and marble, saris stood out. Though the type of sari differed depending on the city, the vividness did not fade. It made me look at my wardrobe and sigh — what is with all the black I was toting around? From embellishments to simple veils to more elaborate matching pieces, they all stood out as incredibly beautiful.
10. Incredible architecture.
I’ve said this to others but I want to repeat it here: in the face of the most complex, intricate architectural wonders, one cannot help but think “damn, my country is so young.” That’s what comes to mind when I see the forts and gates and Mughal mosques, the palaces and havelis and winding walls tracing the tops of hills. If anyone wants to be reminded of the immediacy of the present, go to India and open your eyes. It will make you feel teeny tiny in the grand scheme of things, within seconds.
While the Taj Mahal is the most famous of the places we visited, the sandstone forts, glowing red, were what stood out to me. Caught in the last hours of sunlight they were impossible to miss, impassive and impressive, a testament to their necessity (keep people out) and constructive skill. I only visited the North, of course, and other parts of the country have different architecture. But from now on when I think Rajasthan my mind will immediately leap to ochre and archways.
11. Sunsets galore.
Fact: sunsets are better in far-away places.
12. Moustaches (and hennaed moustaches and beards).
So many ‘mos, so little time. Amazingly complex moustaches, curled up and oiled and flamboyant. And in addition, many of the beards of Muslim men in Northern India were hennaed as well, dyed a bright orange. Friends in India noted that Muslim men are not permitted to use non-natural dyes, so opt for henna. (If anyone can confirm this, please do in the comments!)
13. Pudin Hara.
When I first arrived in India, readers (both Indians and foreigners) left comments on my fan page about the food, urging me to pick up some of these magic green pearls. Made from concentrated mint and herbs, they are meant to be taken after a meal to alleviate upset stomach and heartburn. And they work, oh boy do they work. By the end of my trip I had everyone around me hooked on them. As one of my readers noted, “you will burp up mint instead of curry”. Even if your stomach is upset, this is a great way to end a meal. And, they are on Amazon! At $3.54 for 10 pearls, a lot more expensive than the $0.24 for 10 in India. Still, I can’t complain — this stuff is magic.
14. Saunf.
Fennel seeds, called saunf in India, are served after a meal with sugar, sometimes coated in sugar and other times in a bowl like the photo below. Occasionally they are in packets with rose petals and anise seed and fenugreek too, adding an additional punch of flavour. I grew up with the after dinner wintergreen mints, those powdery pink disks that were found in a bowl in front a restaurant’s cashier. Why do we use wintergreens when we can just use fennel? The fennel settles your stomach, gives your mouth a fresh liquorice burst and is simple, so simple. I came back to my mum’s in Montreal and immediately drove to the bulk store to get a big bag of fennel. Paired with those Pudin Hara tablets, I’m guaranteed minty, anise-y goodness for months to come.
15. Hangsies with my mum.
The last time I took a trip with my mother was when she visited me in France. I was living there to study, doing a masters in Aix-en-Provence. We rented a car and we drove and drove and drove — 2000km total in a few weeks time, looping up toward Paris, to Arras, back down to Provence and through the winding hairpin curves of Eze and Gordes and other tiny towns. The trip was beautiful but it was a logistical nightmare; I insisted on driving, we got lost a lot and we often ended up negotiating those curves in the dead of night.
This time the logistics were out of my hands, and though I snuck my mum away to eat street food when I could, we were taken from A to B without my input — possibly a good thing. After all, years of travel aside, I tend to leave things to the last minute, which doesn’t make people comfortable. When asked, my mum says she liked India more than she expected to. She will write something herself, but overall she had a great time and did not once get sick from the street food. Moreover, we got to spend time together for 3-weeks straight, she celebrated her birthday in Bangkok, and she got a glimpse of what my post-law life is like. She has always been supportive, but also remained a bit baffled about how I met people, how I ate and what I did. These weeks in India and Bangkok gave her far more input into those choices, which benefits all of us in the long run.
16. Havelis.
Because of the trip we chose (Land of the Maharajas), we ended up staying in older heritage guesthouses, called havelis, instead of hotels. This meant on one hand that we were isolated at times and with no choice for food — though happily these havelis had chefs that not only made great meals, but let me into the kitchen — but also that we were staying in places rich in history. Each had a story, and someone to go into that story and how India and its property ownership has changed over the years. While not a full picture — it was just a few weeks after all — the heritage houses and their accompanying narratives made the trip more personal for me and for my mum, a historian.
17. Autorickshaws.
I made the mistake of calling these tuk-tuks on Instagram and was quickly reprimanded. Auto-rickshaws, the tuk-tuk-esque machines that carpet cities in Northern India, are the taxis you always wanted but didn’t know existed. With raucous drivers, hilarious editorial and — as expected — some serious haggling needed to get the price you know you want, they were a lot of fun.
18. Chilli and lime to ward away bad spirits.
Like the blue nazar boncugu in Turkey, chillies and limes are meant to ward away evil. Strung vertically and occasionally plastic, they were found hanging from the grill of trucks just above the ground, over doorways in havelis, over awnings in shops and on the rearview mirrors of cars and buses. A totally unexpected quirk, once I noticed them I started seeing them everywhere.
19. Visiting Northern India during a national holiday.
We were in town during Navratri, a 10-day festival that culminates in a big celebration called Dussehra. As a result, much of the area was on holiday. This meant that not only were we visiting Indian shrines and temples and monuments, but so was just about every school child in the vicinity. It made for great interaction with curious kids, the opportunity to photobomb a class portrait (and get scolded for it by the teacher, while the students laughed in the background) and watch Indian tourists visit their country’s own famous places. A lot of fun.
20. Frangipanis everywhere.
They smell fantastic and they are just about everywhere in Northern India. No complaints.
21. Bhujia.
Chickpea flour treats, seasoned with cardamom, chilli and other spices and served everywhere from Bikaner to Jaipur to Delhi, both in bags and — as you can see from the photo below — in bulk and by weight. As a celiac these are safe for consumption, and spicy as hell. Loved it.
22. Truck decorations.
Like jeepneys in the Philippines, Indian truck drivers take decorating seriously. Two of many different colourful options from the trucks in the north, below.
Travel to Northern India: the Bad & the Ugly
A few things that lingered were less positive than the list above.
1. Effects of tourism gone wrong.
In a few of the smaller villages, the children would come up and ask for photos and just sit and stare. In some where tourism has grown in recent years, however, they would either come up and say “boom boom?” while making lewd hand signals, or ask for money, or ask for pens, or ask for chocolate.
As with any developing country, I don’t bring any of those things — if I want to buy pens, I go to the school and ask how I can contribute supplies to the school directly. Candy, no — those teeth are important! But this is from years of travel and reading and of course sometimes the things we do that we think are good, or make a positive impact, can do worse when we leave. I’m not pointing fingers at any one group or tourism generally, but it does make me sad when people don’t think about the effects of their so-called generosity after they’ve left.
Also, what’s with sticking your camera in people’s faces? It’s one thing to have someone come and ask for their portrait to be taken, or for you to ask them first. It’s another to do what this woman did, just walk up and shoot a photo and leave.
2. Men peeing everywhere.
Not ugly in a “can’t they go somewhere else?” way, because I know full well there is a serious lack of public toilets. I, too, had to pee often and had trouble finding a place. (Perhaps I’m just jealous that dudes can pee anywhere they want?) Either way, every time I turned around, there was a guy peeing. The photo below was me trying to capture the railway tracks. I had no idea Peeing Man #24523532 would be captured too, as I didn’t see him. But there he was. It’s not just India. The same goes for Vietnam — there was a tree near my old apartment that we referred to as “The Peeing Tree” — but it’s still an “ugly” merely because of the stench and the risk of coming into contact with peeing dudes at every turn.
3. Garbage everywhere.
Again not limited to India, but in a country with so many people it makes sense that there would be an exponential amount of waste. Plastic bags are no longer allowed in Delhi (soft fabric ones were given instead) but the garbage, oh the garbage. Piles and piles of it, sitting on the ground. In Chandelao, the owner of our haveli got into a heated discussion with townspeople when they wondered why I wouldn’t dispose of my plastic tea cup on the ground, explaining that it would just create more dirt and potential problems. They genuinely fought him on his arguments, not seeing the problem. That’s quite common in other countries I’ve visited — e.g. the woman on the train in Myanmar who waited to throw her styrofoam out of the window in the country, because “people won’t see it”. (She had no idea it would never biodegrade.) I don’t have solid answers (education about lasting effects of plastic is a good start, and I know that is being implemented), but garbage definitely merits mention because it is so un-ignorable.
4. Cow Dung
A lot of cows means a lot of cow dung. Enough said.
5. Aggressive touts.
My mum met a guy in a quiet part of the Jaipur market who, seemingly out of nowhere, wanted to know why tourists keep saying no to him when he comes up to sell something. She responded that in our country it is not customary for someone to come up expecting to sell something, that if we wanted something then we would go and find it ourselves. Confused, he responded “but how would you know it is there?”
Ah, the touts. We were warned, of course, and we were for the most part sheltered from them since we were part of a tour. But in the bigger tourist centres, anywhere in the world, you will find aggressive salespeople and you will be exhausted by the end of wading through them. Everyone needs to make a living, of course. But India’s touts, notably in Agra, were more aggressive than I had seen in other places.
6. Teenage boys.
This is by no means limited to India, but pretty much the same everywhere. Teenage boys, THE WORST. In Myanmar, when people were thanking me for wearing the longyi and/or giving me food “because you are Burmese-sized and need to grow” the teenaged boys would yell “where are your jeans, lady?” In India, people were universally welcoming with very few exceptions, most notably the teenaged boy who tried to run my mum over in Jaipur, and the teenaged boy who tried to run me over in Jojawar. (Me, to his friends after he peeled off in a cloud of dust on his motorbike: “Your friend suuuuuucks”.) I am sure there are lovely teenaged boys the world over, but the contact that has stood out regardless of destination hasn’t been terribly positive. Still, the good news is that they grow up eventually, right? ;)
7. Rat temple.
I was glad to visit the rat temple but I was not glad when the gentleman behind me kept flinging rat food on my bare feet so that the rats would come and scurry over them. NOT COOL, RANDOM MAN. Not cool.
The temple, homage to Hindu sage Karni Mata, is filled with thousands of rats. Smaller than what we are used to in North America, they resemble field mice with scrawnier tails. The temple was built in the 1900s and was filled with pilgrims who were coming to pay homage to Karni Mata in the hopes of prosperity and health. No shoes are allowed in the temple so I had a pair of socks that I quickly discarded upon leaving the premises. I’m not afraid of rats, but I have to say that in the thousands they just don’t feel so cuddly. It was a fascinating stop near Bikaner but still gives me the shivers when I think of it.
8. Monkeys.
Monkeys, oh monkeys. Perhaps because I am not large enough to be a threat, perhaps because they know I am not remotely fond of them — regardless of why, they make a beeline for me. I carry a safety whistle because monkeys have already made me a target, and they’ve also stolen water, dug through my bag for food (though there was none) and thrown away my shoes at a temple. I know one cannot stereotype one monkey for all monkeys but I have to say, not a fan. And there are a LOT of monkeys in India.
* * *
And thus concludes my introductory post for India. Brevity is clearly not my forte. But I wanted to give some overview of the things that stood out, even after years of travel, and the things that lingered.
I’ve not touched upon the more contentious issues of gender norms and treatment of women. I did not spent enough time there to speak to those complicated subjects, though I highly recommend people read this smart, researched piece from Amartya Sen.
If you want to read some books about India, I would highly recommend the following:
- Sorcerer’s Apprentice, by Tahir Shah (Kindle version is only $2.99)
- The White Tiger, by Aravind Adiga (Kindle version)
- A Suitable Boy, by Vikram Seth
- Shantaram, by David Gregory Roberts (Kindle version)
- A Fine Balance, by Rohinton Mistry
- City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi, by William Dalrymple
- The God of Small ThingsArundhati Roy (Kindle version)
- Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, & Hope in a Mumbai Undercity, by Katherine Boo (Kindle version)
- India: a Million Mutinies Now, by V.S. Naipaul (Kindle version)
EDIT: Many of you have written asking about my camera. I am using a micro-4/3ds camera from 2011, the Olympus E-P3 camera. (I’m small, and I didn’t want to lug around a DSLR.) I’ve paired the camera with an excellent 20mm “pancake” Panasonic lens, perfect for macro food photography. Since I forgot my other lens when I went to India, all of the photos above are with that 20mm lens :)
-Jodi
Very well written, it feels good that you had such an amazing experience.
By the way I am also big fan of ‘BHUJIA’.
:)
~An Indian
Made a nice read. Amazing photographs made the piece nicer.
Hi Jodi,
I’m a Muslim man from Malaysia and I just wanted to confirm that yes, Muslim men are encouraged to dye their greying hair/beard with henna, resulting in a yellowish or reddish color. We cannot use black dye.
(However, for some reason this practice is not the norm here in Malaysia.)
Hi Jodi,
I am an Indian, recently followed your blog.
I must say that this post is amazing. It covers all the aspects and it covers them correctly. Felt really angry for incident in rat temple and by teenagers.
Prabhjot
thank q..for those u love our country…india i m thank full 2 all ..hay jobi u have done gud job in sort time…we r improving our lives better now..i hope on ur next visit india be as much better .. Thank u..
Hi, I am Indian and have visited almost all the places you have mentioned, even lived in a few. I want to compliment you on your blog. You are among the very few foreigners who have truly seen India. Amazing observations and beautiful pictures.
With regards
Anuj Sharma
” You are among the very few foreigners who have truly seen India” What is that supposed to mean? A few, only a few million perhaps.
I took it to mean generally that the post wasn’t cursory, not that he literally meant others haven’t seen it :)
Just stumbled on this post when researching for India… it’s super helpful. BTW – we use the exact same camera setup! Love the pancake lens for travel. :)
What great observations considering you were in India for such short time!!
Being an Indian, I am amazed at
Cont’d…
I am amazed at how you notice those little things that are so unique to us..from the head-shake/nod/whatever to saunf to Pudin Hara (thumbs up for that) to Bhujiya..
Appreciate your honest viewpoint that you would rather not comment on the issue of women safety since you did not spend enough time here but..being an Indian woman I can say that it is one of the biggest concerns our country is grappling with alongside corruption…
Expecting another visit to India from you soon..and even more stories
Thanks :)
India just blows my mind by just looking at pictures and reading first hand accounts like this … I can’t imagine how this will feel when I finally get the chance to go there!
Amazing and insightful.I just returned from Winnipeg,Toronto in April-May and my cousins recently from Quebec City,Montreal and Toronto.Can understand how most people from the west will find the ‘ugly’ side quite disdainful.And since I was born and spent close to 3 decades in Delhi,it’s not really a proud moment to see a foreign guest(read Caucasians(read women,particularly)) get hassled by leering and lecherous teenagers.You’ve got some serious strength of character to not base your whole opinion about this country by focussing on the haves and not just the have-nots.As you’ve rightfully commented,it’s a growing problem with the developing countries;seems people here need to first ‘develop’ their common courtesies such as not urinating /spitting in public,queueing up for public facilities etc. and then perhaps claim the bragging rights to holding nuclear weapons in their arsenal!!
Thank you,Ms. Ettenberg.
What a great post, Jodi. India just bristles with sensory overload that is hard to comprehend. Every time I go, I find a new and different emotional reaction around every corner. It is really a great place to find inspiration when everything you thought was reality is turned completely upside-down. It really forces you to look at things from angles you never considered. I absolutely love your style!
I haven’t been in India and this post is perfect to have the right perception of it. Thank you for sharing your experience, great photos by the way.
I have heard the same comments before but yours are just incredibly well described.
I’m going to India very soon. I love the way you explain this amazing country. I’m vegetarian and I’m sure food options across India will be vast. Big hug all the way from China. (can´t wait to taste that kesar lassi with almonds OMG…
Beautifully written. I admire your ability to step back and consider a broader perspective. I traveled to the same region recently and would echo some of your likes and dislikes, but you also discovered a few goodies that I missed. I’ll just have to return soon!
Nice article I agree with most of it I travelled around most of India and some places blew me away but in equal measure some places where terrible . People seem to go to the “golden triangle ” which is okay but was no way near my favourite place the hassle we got in Delhi was the worst I have ever come across its like your a walking cash machine . Aggra was very underwhelming inside the taj mahal beautiful but outside the worst place I have come across anywhere . The extreme of people in India is insane its about been able to judge people someone who’s nice to you is either doing it because they are a good person or because they want something and its difficult sometimes . The places I went to I found best where mainly in the south – Fantastic – Kerala , Madurai , Mysore , Cochin , goa was great I never got to the far north but heard great things of that too . In summary if you want a stress free relaxing holiday don’t come here . If you want a life experience you will never forget DO
I’m from Kerala, India currently working in Dubai, U.A.E. It’s heartening to hear that you loved our place!
Great photos! I think you are very brave going to the rat temple – rats completely freak me out and the thought of some random sprinkling rat food over my toes gives me the heebie jeebies.
Great post and stunning pictures. Definitely makes me want to visit.
Wow, so glad to have stumbled upon this! I’m off to Northern India this summer so this is just so useful!! And the photos are gorgeous, I can’t wait to snap some photos there – just can’t decide whether to take my DSLR…
Simply great photos. Kudos for sharing the secret behind fantastic photos. Are you still using the same camera? Any inputs on food macro photography is well appreciated. Thank you.
Yes same camera as on the resources page – http://www.legalnomads.com/wds
Lovely post. I’ll visit India in June. Sure of my travel, even more!
Amazing pictures and well written! It’s weird that I grew up in North India around everything that you have captured but I am still so fascinated by these pictures. And also generally a part of me somewhere gets a bit offended when a Westerner writes about poverty or filth of India…but somehow your write up didn’t offend me?!? The ‘Ugly’ part is true unfortunately :-( hopefully the Good and Great will continue to outweigh the Ugly and people will still want to visit India.
Cheers
They are now offering 10 year tourist and business visas to Canadian citizens. Something I was waiting for years ago, since I knew our neighbours in the south could get this. I cannot wait to travel to india. Really enjoyed this. thank you.
Finally! Thanks for letting us know.
Anuj Sharma is erroneous in that he asserts that you have “truly seen India”! In fact, you have not even scratched the surface! You’ve missed the most beautiful part of India – Kerala! It is a shame you did not discover the gorgeous scenery, intensive ayurvedic massages for which tourists flock from around the world, houseboats, kathakali dance, vast waterways, paddy fields, the ubiquitous greenery and waterways, etc., etc.
Harry
My friend, the post is on North India! I have never yet been to the South. I did say in the post that I only saw one part, and of course the country is fast and its people and food different throughout. This is just the one part I was able to see.
Kerala is a part of south India and the post was titled “Norther India …”
i like this essay very much
Hi Jodi
We love India and really loved reading your blog, thanks for all your insights.
I’m looking at making a trip to the goldent triangle in Feb’16 and was wondering how did you book your accommodation in Havelis?
It seems that one would get a better ‘taste’ of India staying in them rather than tourist hotels.
Paul
This is amazing trip and blog too.
Loved it :)
I love your blog for mainly 2 things – you have a lovely way of going about expressing the truth, while never mixing tangerine with an orange. You un prejudiced viewpoints are most refreshing to read and I love your honesty. The second reason is lack of brevity of your posts. They are coming straight from your heart and we, readers feel, smell, sense and enjoy your experiences with you through them. I totally got floored how Indian cuisine did not start and end with curry for you and your sense of humour is a lot of fun. Wishing you loads of explorations and looking forward to more posts from you.
Safe travels and best wishes,
Svetlana.
Hi Svetlana, what a lovely comment. Thank you so much for your kind words and for reading.
This was fun to read. Coincidentally, I stayed at Chandaleo with my son last March. We were invited to a wedding in the village there. It was an amazing experience. That’s another story, however!
I’m writing about the garbage. The problem as I understand it is that there is no infrastructure for trash collection. There wasn’t a village we visited where the homes and schools and temples weren’t impeccably clean of trash and debris. They may have been incredibly run down or dusty, but always broom-swept. Udaipur was our first stop, and I vividly recall navigating the treacherous sidewalks that covered the gutters running with water and carrying the trash away. I remember watching a woman who’d just put a piece of candy in her mouth as she carefully discarded the wrapper into the gutter. Larger towns and cities may be different, but the story with the villages seemed the same–they were tidy and broom-swept, and the village trash was swept to the outskirts of the village where it would eventually be burned.
Places like Chandeleo and Chanoud Garh are fortunate to have patron families who are invested in their respective villages–seeing the benefit of rising them up. Chanoud Garh is a shining example of this, and in contrast to a few other villages we stayed in. Perhaps after homes have running water and latrines, and the villages have decent schools, they can move onto improving other environmental problems such as trash disposal.
It was fun to read your account! Happy Travels!
Hi Jen, thank you for the long and thoughtful comment. I have been in Myanmar where people talked about tidying the town and waiting on the trains until out of the city limits to discard the trash, and were then appalled when I explained that it wouldn’t ever deteriorate naturally despite being out in nature. Education is definitely part of it, and infrastructure a huge issue with it. I appreciate you sharing these thoughts! Safe travels to you.
Wow, excellent post! I think when you go to any country, you grind their culture and drink it like a smoothie! You absorb things that WELL! We sometimes forget many things about our own country. And while reading such posts from people who are new to the country, it always brings back nostalgic memories.
The head nod gif was epic :D Did you know that its one of the famous actors of Hindi cinema called Hrithik Roshan? The girls (and guys!) go gaga over him here :P
I couldn’t handle the strong Pudin Hara flavor myself, I was burping mint throughout the day :P Man-oh-man, How could you!
Have you visited South India yet? The Western Ghats are a beauty on their own! And many, MANY historical and cultural places.
Before I forget, you look extremely cute in Salwars! :)
PS: May be I needn’t state the obvious that brevity is not my forte either ;)
Way too wordy with a severe North American spolied girl attitude. Sorry, not for real an ventures.
Aren’t we both North American? Sorry you’re in the minority who found it pedantic, but I focus on longform. Happily there are plenty of listicles for you to read elsewhere! Hope your adventures take you to happier, less judgemental inner places.
My wife and I we E heading there last fall when the currency change put the brakes on easy travel..so we spent 3 weeks in Myanmar then 3 in Malaysia instead. Headed to Delh in 7 days, heading to the coolness of the mountains north then south in the fall. My Indian doctor told me of Kerala so I can’t miss it.
Hi Jodi,
I’ve recently discovered your fabulous blog – just wanted to write a thank you here as this was one of my favourite posts so far. I love/hate India too – although the love is stronger than the hate – you should try the South as it is definitely ‘India light’ compared to some of the poverty in the North. And I am sooo with you on teenage boys and monkeys!!!
As a newbie travel/yoga/health blogger I must also give thanks for the resources you provide. Keep it up, you are my guru at the moment for blogging – much love!
Hi Claire, thank you for the comments and the kind words. Wishing you best of luck and safe travels!
Hi Jodi,
I hope I am not repeating any previous comments. We have a week to spare after New Dehli and I was wondering if you’d come across any places you’d be happy to stop and stay for a week? Maybe something out of the hustle and bustle but with enough to do. I just need a place to start researching and we’re there in December so all of the mountainous hikes nearby will be a bit snowed under.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts,
Sophie
Hi Sophie! Thanks for stopping by. I really enjoyed both Udaipur and Jodphur but they may still be too busy for your needs?
Inspiring. Honest. Not long enough. Keep traveling….
Thanks David~!
Jodi great work, and your mother must have a idea of what is it like to travel long term :)
Hi Jodie,
What a fantastic write up, for me it was the hustle and bustle like your mother that I noticed the most.
The air smells as well were another.
I am yet to explore the South, is this somewhere you have experienced?
It is truly an amazing country, I arrived with a naive British approach to their cuisine and much more from what you see in the media. Some bits lived up to it whilst other memories will stick with me for a life time
Hi Tez, I haven’t yet traveled to South India, though I would love to one day! I am also far safer food-wise (since I have celiac disease) in the south vs the north. Thanks for reading!
A lovely post and your pics are stunning – I’m currently in North India and you’ve captured so many of the little things that make the place unique. I did not know that there was a Rat Temple, and am now caught somewhere between feeling mildly disgusted and weirdly tempted to visit…
Hi Jodi,
Just found your post and I loved it. Great pictures! I am going to India for a small group Tauck tour, Portrait of India, in January, 2018. I have traveled to all 7 continents and in many areas of Africa, Asia, and South America. I understand the juxtaposition of beauty and poverty. Often the beauty is the people in the poorer areas who have a welcoming nature and warmth. Touts, aggressive panhandlers often go with the territory. That’s part of the experience. We start in New Dehli, then to Varanasi, Agra, Jaipur, Udaipur, Kochi, Kerala, and Mumbai. We have 5 flights in-country so we can cover a good bit of ground over 28 days. You post has increased my enthusiasm for the experience. Thanks for your contribution. Regards, Lewis Walker, Johns Creek, GA, USA (near Atlanta)
A dazzling post and your pics are shocking – I’m as of now in North India and you’ve caught so a considerable lot of the seemingly insignificant details that make the place one of a kind. I didn’t realize that there was a Rat Temple, and am currently gotten somewhere close to feeling somewhat disturbed and abnormally enticed to visit…
Great article Jodi !! The way you summarized the northern culture of my country is absolutely awesome.So when can I expect a southern one??
Hopefully one day soon! I’d love to visit Southern India.
I really love this post. I stumbled across your facebook and came to your website and whenever I see another Travel blogger has been to India I have a read through some posts. I went to India in March and your photos make me so nostalgic. It’s cool that you went with your mom – my mom really wants to go!
Hehe, I’ve noticed 22 vs 8, it’s not so bad ;-) You should try to celebrate Bastar Dussehra someday. Not only it’s the World’s longest festival, but it’s also a Tribal one celebrated with the Raja. I hardly find negative points when I travel around Bastar!
Wonderfully written. I could retrace and summarize my recent trip to Northern India with my daughter, exactly as you have.
Your pictures of people are beautiful.
Keep writing and taking pictures, you have a natural gift …
Hi there!
I really enjoyed your post and learned quite lots for my upcoming trip to India. I want to know what Haveli did you stay in Jaipur? I am having difficulties deciding on a place perhaps, you can help? I would really appreciate any suggestions with a garden where I can do yoga and a pool. Did you use a tour guide for each city or to use as a method of transportation? My route consists of Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Punjab. Then, heading to Thailand and Indonesia :)
Your trips looks and sounds wonderful from reading. I cannot wait to create my own experiences, thanks again for sharing.
I look forward to your response.
Cheers,
Rosandi
Hi Rosandi, as it was a birthday present for my mum, we booked with G Adventures on their Land of the Maharajas trip. I worked for them at the time as a brand ambassador, and this allowed me to complete the assignment whilst also allowing my mum to feel comfortable. You can contact their sales dept to ask after the Havelis they use. Thank you for reading!
Beautiful pics. You share the information of northern India is really awesome info. I am reading your blog and i get the useful information. Thanks!
Hi! Oooh how I recognize everything in this post! Having spent 6 months in India in 2008, it’s all coming back after reading this. The cows, the colors, even the smells :’) Thanks for making my day with this!
Happen to browse by ur blog.. This is a awesome writing.. Really interesting.. Makes me understand India better..
Thank you for this long and interesting post, for me it’s interesting to see how someone can visit my country and I can learn what they learn.
Really awesome post, thanks for sharing Jodi! Like you shared both the good and bad sides for a balanced view of travelling in India. Agree, the touts at temples, markets and tourist attractions can be really aggressive here, and if we may add, some of the milk/pen beggars as well. Another point to take note of are fake tourism offices and shops which try to pass themselves off as government emporiums. But still, all in all, a great experience :)
I would like to thank you for your good content.