Accept the inevitable and other India General Tips

Favorite Thing: India is a country of a billion people. It has for centuries endured many upheavals of historic proportion. Things don't always run smoothly- in fact, they seldom do. There are power-cuts and computers go down, water shortages or no hot water- Bureaucracy is heavy handed. Buying a train ticket is a slow business.Waiting in long queues, one purchases the ticket at on window, gets sent to another queue to get it stamped- then gets sent to yet another window for a signature.And YET again- to another for a counter-signature. Much patience is needed.
Traffic is totally chaotic- it overwhelms you, just close your eyes if you are in a cab. It is organized chaos, and you will always eventually get to you destination.
Little hands reach out for a hand-out. Its very hard to feel indifference to the plight of the beggers and their children. Each traveller has to find their own way to deal with this sad fact of life.
The best and only way that I handle all the above mentioned problems is by keeping a sense of reality, and a sense of humour. It gets me through every hurdle.
It is India- where anything can happen - and usually does. Just relax, smile and enjoy the new and very different cutural experience.

Fondest Memory: The smells and sights. The smiling faces. The total, wonderful chaos. Knowing that there are still places where life is being lived almost exactly the way it has been for the past thousand years- and seeing the wonderful old buildings and ruins that still remain.
In no other country is there such emphasis on the spiritual aspect of life. Where a river is so revered, where pilgrims will travel many miles to pay homage to it. Mother Ganga. River of Life.
The sheer diversity of this country will amaze every new traveller in India.

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