"India" a India Travel Page by ChartIt

If you have never been to a poverty stricken area before India will be hard for you. India has so much to offer, the colors and customs and people are more then just a little amazing. But you will and can be completely crushed by beggars. Which is so hard. But despite it all India is a dazzeling place full of beatiful colors and exotic sights. In Delhi you will smell nothing more then polution, and your snot will turn black. But the city has some wonderful temples, and at the YMCA good solid beds and a good breakfast. Visit temples, and the Redfort. I was in India doing a study tour comparing different religions. Though it was a hard trip for me i will not ever forget it. Agra is worth the trip, but it is even smellier and congested than Delhi but the trip to the visit the major sites there. Spend a couple days there. Fatehpur Sikri, the Taj Mahal and the Agra fort were the best nearly the most exciting parts of the trip. But you should always watch your step, traffic doesnt know many rules and it is nerve wrecking to cross the street. Make sure you determine any price before you get in any ricksaw! You need a visa, women should take care when filling it out for you have to have your husband or father sign it. Flying kites is a national pass time! You can pick up a kite made of colorful tisuepaper and wire with string for 50 rupees. Most people just buy new kites and reuse the string, you pay more for the string then the kite

I spent most of my time here. We visited Amritsar, the home of the Golden temple. It is an amazing place to visit. The roof is wonderful and you can sit and listen to the prayers and contemplate everything in such a holy place. The walls really do glitter and have not only gold leaf work but also gemstones set in the walls and is such an amazing and truely wonderful building. You can get a free lunch in the afternoon of a lentil soup and bread. There is a museum, which is not for the faint hearted of the different Sikh saints. I went expecting to read more then I did, it is really a gallery of the martyrdom of different saints. It is nearly entirely a visual museum. You will take your shoes off and have to cover your head. There are little pools to wash your hands and feet before you enter the temple complex.

Haridwar is the a wonderful pilgriamage spot for the Hindu people, the Ganges is still clean, clear and cold. Most westerners would do good if they want to get in the Ganges to go across the river and down stream from the main bathing place. Women in particular are unique and should be as covered up as possible. I went in in my jeans and a tshirt. The water is extremely cold and fast moving. They have bars and chains along the banks to help people stay in one place, use them. Dont go in with flip flops they will make you slip on the slick stones and go down stream faster than you can retreve them.

Pushkar is a bit of a hippy tourist spot popular with Israelis. There are many lovely resturants in town, and plenty of westerns living there. It isnt an easy place to get to. But you can meet many wonderful merchants who will happily give you tea and barter with you for hours. Truely we sat in a jewelry store for 3 hours! You can buy just about anything you want there. But be aware that you need to barter for your goods. There is a lovely mountain and you can climb it. You can buy chai there and or coke, it is more expensive because they had to carry it up the mountain. It is a good hour hike. There is a temple at the top, which you can go and visit they have a tourist tax for like 50 rupee it is a nice place.