Since I had travelled through Africa many times already, nothing could really bother me any more. I was not particularly excited to see India. Back then I was more focused on Africa.

It was a windy January day and after checking into the hotel, Nisa and I took the free shuttle bus to Connaught Place. From there we hired a Tuk-Tuk. “Where do you want to go?” the driver asked. “Well just drive around for a while. I want to see the real life in India.” I replied.

Tuk Tuks waiting for customers at the train station in New Delhi, India.

Then the trip started; first of all, I didn’t feel all that comfy in this little 3 wheeler with all the traffic but no risk, no fun. Right and left were big buses and the driver had the nerves like a leading lion between his flock. He seemed to know what he was doing. With his driving skills, he squeezed through the smallest loopholes in this gigantic traffic-mesh. I held Nisa and just thought that if it has to happen, it has to happen. Anyway, it didn’t take long for me to get used to the fact that Tuk-Tuk drivers in India are drive the way they drive.

On the first roundabout with a concrete pedestal in the middle, a bunch of kids – not older than 6 years – were sleeping around a traffic sign post; dirty, filthy, wrapped in rags … this was one of those sights that I will never forget. I looked at Nisa (who was around 10 years old back then) and cold shivers went up and down my spine.

Estimated a quarter of the Indian population live in slum areas and nobody knows exactly how many people there actually are … But one should never forget that there is a very small minority of really (!) wealthy Indians too. Sometimes you’ll read about these in the news papers around the world. For example: “Richest Indian built multimillion dollar skyscraper in Mumbai!” When reading these headlines, I wonder what these “richies” actually think of their fellow citizens?! To build something gigantic like the most expensive home in the world (with a price over 1 billion US$) in a city that has hundreds of thousands of homeless people doesn’t seem appropriate at all! What a douche bag! I wouldn’t feel comfy in my billion dollar home when I saw what was going on right around the next street corner … but that’s just me. Oh and while we’re talking about millionaires … there’s absolutely no such thing as a real “Slumdog Millionaire”. It was a weird example, created by Hollywood screenwriters sitting in their luxury houses while writing such nonsense to just make more money. Some of the child actors still living in slums. Seriously?! Many years ago on a trip through California, we bought a fridge sticker which said “Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich“. If you’ve ever been to India, you’ll know it’s true …

The next “Slumdog Millionaires”? If it’s up to Hollywood, yes.

Anyway, many years have passed now and we’ve been to India a few times and many very strange sights have crossed our path. For us Westerners, it’s not normal to see people dying in the streets, bodies being transported on roof racks, watching kids sniff glue which they found in the rubbish or even seeing corpses floating by while your eating breakfast – in India this is reality and part of the daily routine.

Carrying a dead body to the Ganges river in India.

Usually the deceased are lowered from the roof of the car and carried to the cremation area by relatives or friends. Only holy people, pregnant women and children are not cremated – these bodies are “buried” directly in the Ganges river with the result, that a lot of them surface after a while and float down with the stream. People bathing right next to a body is not unusual, especially in the very holy cities like Varanasi or Hardwar along the Ganges river. And believe it or not, you can also have the … unexpected experience of seeing a dog gnawing on left over hands or feet of not fully cremated bodies (maybe because the rain interrupted the process).

Dead body floating by in Varanasi, India.

Yes, you need to be a tough fella if you want to experience the real side of India …

I think the most important thing to bring along, is a water kettle. It will keep you out of trouble – you can make your own tea or coffee (a major source of all diarreah diseases). You never know how water is boiled, even in the most expensive restaurants (and what for so you need those anyway?)…So when you wake up, make yourself a nice morning coffee to get the day started.

The setting in a nice restaurant might be nicer or cosier, but for a good lunch or evening meal go out in the area where you stay, or ask the guy at the reception where the local food stalls are. Always choose the place with the most people; this food will likely be the freshest and these high frequented spots have a good turn-over of food. Maybe chicken curry is not your favourite at the time but it will be fresh and keep you out of stomach troubles. After having enjoyed a great meal (which doesn’t cost more than a loaf of bread in our western countries), sit down with the locals for an evening drink in this flashy setting…

Food vendor at Chatuchak market in Bangkok, Thailand.

Yummy curry.

Food vendors are found in every city.

Make sure to hit a spot with a good turn-over.

Hotel tip.

• The Times Hotel – not the cheapest place (also not the most expensive) but a really lovely little design hotel. The neighborhood is fantastic (see the first photo below) & the staff is very friendly and helpful. We were upgraded to a canal-view room which was designed in the “old vs. new” style (wooden beams, crooked walls, flat screen TV, huge ceiling – we were right up in the tower -, trendy decoration & very modern bathroom). It was really cosy & homey and I can only recommend it.

Shopping tip.

• There are so many cute little shops in Amsterdam but one really stood out: “Het Grote Avontuur” is an amazing vintage shop. Walking into the store almost felt like being beamed back in time straight into the 50’s. You’ll find furniture, posters, magazines, textiles, interior decoration, kitchen gadgets and heaps of other stuff.
• If you’re looking for flower seeds, bird houses or herbs & spices, the flower market is the right spot for finding these. Even if you’re not a gardener it’s a great sight worth seeing.

Food tip.

• Few words are enough for this one: Find an Indonesian restaurant! Yummy ;)

The Begijnhof is one of the oldest inner courts in the city of Amsterdam. A group of historic buildings, mostly private dwellings, centre on it.

Cycling is a fun, efficient and easy way of getting around Amsterdam – just like the locals do.

Walking along the canals in Amsterdam is especially cool in the morning. Then you’ll get the chance to see the beautiful reflections.

Be it at breakfast, on sandwiches, cut in cubes and served with mustard, or even fried in a croquette, you can find an excuse to eat cheese any time of day.

Flowers – tulips in particular – in Amsterdam can be found in different forms; here you see tulips made out of wood.

And my camera was with me all the time.

Did you know?

You’ll find it on almost every house – whether it’s 400 or 4 years old – in Amsterdam: hooks – or as they are called in Holland “hijsbalk”. Beams stick out of the façade usually above the roof window. They are no historic artefacts; these hooks are still used today. The stairs in the houses of Amsterdam are extremely small and steep, therefore you (most likely) won’t be able to carry bulky things up the stairs. Instead you borrow a cable winch, fix it onto the hook and heave cupboards, pianos, etc. up through the window into the apartment. To prevent that these items hit the façade, the houses used to be built a little bit bent-forward.

Hooks can be found on pretty much all the buildings in Amsterdam.

Just book yourself into a recommended guesthouse/hotel, found through the internet or friends. Check out the room before you agree to take it; say that you would like a view, a clean room, etc.; simply ask the receptionist for something in particular and they will show you a better room anyway. Also, ask for a discount if you stay more nights (or if it’s low season) and if breakfast is included…

The reward for booking a local (but of course not filthy!) guesthouse/hotel, especially if you intend to stay more than one night, is that the local community around the place will reward you with “hellos”, “good mornings” and “good nights mister”. They will know you after the first day and will happily be willing to assist you in the search of sim cards, supermarkets, a great place to eat and so on.

Don’t throw your money into some international hotel sharks mouth; rather feed the local community with your hard earned dollar. As I said before, they will response with the greatest smiles in the world.

So before you agree to anything remember: If you need a ride into the city and don’t want to spend a fortune, think like a local; almost everywhere there’s some sort of public transport to the city because most locals can’t afford a private taxi. Take a deep breath and brace yourself for another ten minutes of consideration. An airport bus, bemo or train will be available at any hour.

Look around carefully and the budget option won’t be far away. Maybe you have to walk out to the main road, but you will save at least 20 dollars; and we all know that with 20 dollars you get a lot in a third world country…

Summer, sun, sunscreen and struggle.

If two people go on vacation together it can end badly. The more people travel together, the more problems they have in their suitcases. Leading the way are all the expectations. One should really think about whom to bring and whom to leave at home. The more the merrier? I don’t think so. Here are a few travel types, with I personally have had the pleasure of sharing a trip with.

The orderly person.

This person likes travelling in a group but at the same time visualizes everyone going the “crocodile style”. Rules and perfect time management are a high priority. There is no such thing as “meaning” or “understanding” for individualists. As warden he represents cultivated boredom. If travelling by bus, be sure to sit on your same seat for the rest of the trip. On the contrary – you will always be on time for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The success-oriented person.

Life is a competition all the time. He knows what’s going on in his job and this is also the case when he’s on vacation.  Unable to disconnect for even a minute, he also always needs a new challenge. In between climbing a higher mountain he’ll ring the office to check if everything is ok. Relaxing? No way!

The sightseeing person.

Rome. How many churches are there? Definitely not enough for this traveller; running from one landmark to the next without a single break. Bring good shoes because this one is a runner. If you’re travelling with this fella’ you really ought to think about your friendship before. Be sure that you’re on the same level; otherwise the trip can end just before it started.

The conflict avoidance person.

Peace and fellowship. We all love & care for each other. This one doesn’t like to say no, unless someone wants to start an argument. He tries to avoid any kind of conflict, even though he might throw himself off a cliff. He’s in a boat with everyone – also if it sinks because of this. His only concern is that he doesn’t want to burden anyone.

My tip.

Well, by now you should know that travelling with other people isn’t always easy. As I said, make sure you’re on the same level before you board the plane. This can save everyone a lot of time, money and nerves!

Now tell me, what kind of traveller are you?

If possible plan ahead.

I know this is not so easy, but it definitely helps. Always remember, there are over 1 billion Indians, so trains are full at any day. If you want to travel in your preferred class, you have to plan ahead.

The perfect train-search is Iindianrail.gov.in. There is a link on the left side of the page, which gives you the availability at major stations. That’s a good way to start; type in your point of embarkation and all trains for the next 7 days will show up. I know it’s a bit of fiddling around, but a great start for your the next steps. As a foreigner you unfortunately can’t book through this site. You have to book through Cleartrip.com. On this site, it will be a lot easier if you already know which trains and classes are available. The different classes can be checked out at Seat61.com, a great train travel site for any train travel around the world. The guy who maintains this site deserves a huge “Thank you”!

So, once you have booked your ticket, you can go to Iindianrail.gov.in again and check out the left sidebar to find the train schedule with all the stations the train is going to stop in. If you print out this schedule, it helps to know if the train is late and where you are while on the train.

Once at the station there are signs on which platform the train arrives or leaves. Sometimes the platforms change, they say it through the speakers. But if the platform changes shortly before the train enters the station, everybody starts running and this is a good indication that the train will arrive at a different platform, so go with the flow. Train carriages are indicated with little signs overhead on the platforms, or just ask someone if you need help. The trains are almost always arranged with a system. You also find all this information on Iindianrail.gov.in under information – train type information, but it’s a bit time consuming.

1st class.

Easygoing with electricity supply. It’s pretty comfortable with clean linens and it only lacks the real Indian experience. Why? Well, for example in the train stations, food sellers always tend to stay away from the first class carriages because they don’t sell a lot (most Indian travel 2nd or 3rd class). Even the pantry car guys seem to forget first class, so ask the conductor to send one guy over to order food.

I had my water kettle with an extension cord for my mobile phone, laptop, etc. with me, so brewing tea and coffee was easy.
Most Indians who travel first class are very educated people (University professors or doctors), so most of them speak very good English and therefore a nice conversation is possible.

Comfy first class on an Indian train.

2nd class.

More people travel second class and therefore the contact with the locals is more frequent. I was offered all sorts of delicacies from families who brought them onto the train. Sleeping is not as comfy as first class but you also get a pillow and blanket. There are some power plugs for re-charging you electronics.

3rd class.

Well, what can I say? If you didn’t book early enough and everything else is full, this often is the only possibility to continue your travels without waiting time. It’s packed but people are very friendly and I had the impression that stealing is not a problem. Not so fun: It’s noisy with up to 20 ventilators running and bright neon lights, so sleeping can be tough. In sleeper your best bet is the upper bunk. The conductor will help you get your space if you are helpless getting it yourself (Indians don’t seem to care about sear numbers…). The bonus of travelling third class (or as I like to call it “cattle class”): It’s so cheap that you should treat yourself to a better hotel room upon arrival. I think I paid something like 5 Euro for over 700 km.

Important Gadgets To Bring:

• Sleeping mask and ear plugs for 3rd class.
• Travel food: Bananas – even if you don’t like them, you will start to love them; no mess, easy to peel, no need to wash them & they fill the stomach without feeling stuffed up.
• (Moist) Toilet paper – in general, the toilets on trains are clean. They clean the sanitary rooms with high-pressure cleaners every few stations.
• A small towel.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask me for assistance. There’s still a lot to be said but for this post, it’s enough for the moment.

India’s train stations are crowded any give time of the day.

To be on top of things.

Heavy or bulky tools should always be at the bottom. The bottom (with for example a classic hard protective case) is the place which lies the lowest as soon as you slide the trolley. Stuff your cosmetic bag next to the shoes. Don’t forget to close all your lotions, shampoos etc. with a tight screw-cap. The first aid kit (size varies on the area you’re going to visit) can either be put in that suitcase-are as well. Air holes can be stuffed with underwear or sock and this stabilizes the bulky things.

Layer look.

What’s most likely to leave at home? Another one of these questions…Unfortunately this is one, many don’t really ask themselves when getting ready for a great trip. The suitcase is full and everything is just dandy. But as soon as you pack your case to go back home, you realize there is absolutely no space for souvenirs. So, take only what you need. I mean how many shirts can you really need?! I am a woman and my closet is more that full but over the years I realized that less is more. There is no need to bring things like a hair-dryer, a roller brush or (just in case) an atlas so you don’t get lost. Ok, so back to the layers in your suitcase. The first layer should consist of resilient cloths like t-shirts, shorts and jumpers. If you roll them up, they’re less likely to wrinkle up. Towels are great as in-between layers…pff enough of this! I can’t take it any more. I can’t believe I’m writing about layers and suitcases. I want to worry about all the poisonous snakes or hungry tigers I’m going to hopefully see during my trip not this suitcase-crap ;) If you decide to spend your vacation time in Club Med or a five star hotel in Phuket, don’t hesitate to use the advice above; but if you’re up for adventure trips, go with the flow. Sooner or later you’ll realize what’s important and what not…

Personal end note/tip: Beware of the cat.

Believe me, there is nothing more frustrating than opening your suitcase after 48-hours of travelling (which included 3 different airports, three lousy flight-meals, a stiff neck from those incredibly comfortable & spacious plane-seats and one heck of a crazy taxi driver who though he’s the new Michael Schumacher) and smelling that one-of-a-kind cat piss-Eau de Toilette. Nothing I would want to experience again…