[GPGT] North India Backpacking :)

[majormao]

Snack time

Evening puja at the ganges river

 

[iCuteCube]

Nice photos, but i was at India, Pune last year September, those locals do not allow me to take photo.

They told me police will catch me, and they are very offensive about photography there.

Any ideas? I have 1 year VISA, planning to go on a short trip again maybe to mumbai or something.

 

[majormao]

Next morning walking along the ghats

Haha nice one

Met up with my jap fren and we headed down to Sarnath (13km away from varansi) for the Dhamek Stupda. Some pictures taken along the way.

 

[majormao]

Nice photos, but i was at India, Pune last year September, those locals do not allow me to take photo.

They told me police will catch me, and they are very offensive about photography there.

Any ideas? I have 1 year VISA, planning to go on a short trip again maybe to mumbai or something.

Really? All the locals said that? All the police i met are helpful and i always ask them for help or directions. I dun get hassle by touts too when police are nearby.

Most of the locals i met there are very friendly and quite a few of them wanted to take photos with me or dun mind me taking photos. (except touts, rickshaw/tuk tuk drivers, or anybody that is over friendly towards me. Normally those normal locals going about their own business and dun bother you are the nicest people i've met, if you manage to strike up a conversation with them) Normally when i see them looking at me, i just smile at them and shake my head and then they will come and talk to you But have to be careful not to take photos of beggers/touts/corpse in the burning ghat, they will ask you for money .

 

[majormao]

 

[majormao]

Dhamek Stupda

 

[majormao]

We visit a temple next (forgot the name) just a short walking distance away from the Dhamek Stupda and they have some beautiful paintings inside. Each individual in the painting seems to have a lifelike expression and i think the artist has done a very very good job.

We went back after this and have dinner together along with his room mate (another jap guy) and his friends from Uk and Bolivia. Spend the night chatting and getting bitten by mosquitoes!! The next day, we said goodbye to each other. He's leaving for nepal to do trekking while i'm leaving for Agra to see Taj Mahal. Feel sad to leave him since i had such a good time for the past 2 days haha =) stay tune for more pics in Agra!

 

[Bak_Chor_Mee]

wow u can survive on indian food for 24 days.. amazing.. did u have any tummy runs during the trip? how's the toilet over there? got toilet paper one?

 

[majormao]

tummy runs not really. I eat this while i was in india: TRAVELAID – supports your tummy while abroad I'm not really sure it helps anot, cos i also take some precautions while eating street food. Like only eating at vendors that is crowded with locals. Few times i have stomache is when i ate too much.

One of the Tibetan family i met in train stuff me with so much food that i keep getting the runs in the middle of the night during my train journey. Toliet dun have paper, only water need to use left hand and water to wipe your backside. Best is to bring wetwipes whenever u go.

Important: Generally is best to avoid food from strangers cause i heard of stories that the food is laced with drugs and when the lone traveler woke up, he is already in the hospital with his stomach pumped out. I only accepted their food since they are also eating from the same source as mine. Actually, it all comes down to your sixth sense, if you do not feel safe to eat, just smile and kindly decline, they are ok with it.

 

[Bak_Chor_Mee]

wah i very long nv use hand and water clean backside liao.. the last time i did that was in a cambodia remote place. LOL oh man.. time to plan

 

[majormao]

wah i very long nv use hand and water clean backside liao.. the last time i did that was in a cambodia remote place. LOL oh man.. time to plan

cheers! have fun planning haha still highly recommend wet wipes, put it inside your pocket or something. there was once i had a bad stomache and there was no toilet nearby. so had to do my business here at the remote part at the walls of the fort. there was nothing nearby for me to wipe my backside cause i left my wet wipes inside my bag pack at the hostel. In the end, had to tear up my old train ticket that was printed on an a4 size paper and improvise it as toilet paper

 

[majormao]

I went back to the Megu Japanese restaurant the next day to take away some sushi rolls for my overnight train ride to agra. Unfortunately, it got stolen/snatch along the way and i did not realise it till i reach the train station, despite me hand carrying the food!! So i settle down for a quick dinner, at a restaurant just outside the station. Food looks simple but it taste good.

Boarded the train and was surprise to find it relatively empty.

Making the best use of space

I had to padlock my bag for this ride since there is no one to look after my bag for me when i go to the toilet or taking a small break in between the stations. I did not have to do this for the previous ride to varanasi since the family i met are nice and i trust them.

 

[majormao]

Reached agra the next morning. Asked the rickshaw to drop me off at the taj mahal south gate so i can scout for a hotel. Tired and cold (was about 5-6 degrees C in the morning) from the train ride, i settle for one call the sai palace. It really lives up to its name; really like sai sia. I make a big mistake by just taking a quick glance at the shared bathroom. Did not check the toilet bowl properly. The water inside always got different colour whenever i check or flush it. For me all this is still tolerable, the breaking point is the dishonesty of the hotel owner and their staff. Owned me sgd$6 initially say no change ask me to wait, but after awhile say he did not remember owning me $. Its only when i got pissed and started to raise my voice did he back down, afraid that the other roommates might hear it, he told me he was just joking.

Another incident is me and his staff agreed on 20 rupees/item of laundry wash. After washing he jack up the price telling me its 50 rupees/item claiming that we agreed to it earlier. I do not agree to this and he tried intimating me by throwing my clothes onto the bed. Anyway i don't really care and told him he can either take the 20rupees/item offer or i dont pay a single cent at all. he quietly take the money and walk way. Enough of my ranting, here is the room which i paid sai palace for sgd$6 per night. I swap to another hotel very early in the next morning

Took a small nap and went out for some sightseeing. Haggle with a rickshaw driver and decided to book him for 3 places of interest for 150 rupees: Agra Fort, Mini Taj Mahal , Chini-ka-rauzah and back to my hotel.

Agra fort

Wish i got a bath tub like that at home haha

 

[majormao]

Mini Taj Mahal

 

[majormao]

Chini-ka-rauzah, nothing much here but i find the place where they rear cows and sell their dung for money quite interesting. And no, its not smelly at all =). Dont know why but I find it quite serene here.

haha caught this guy doing his business under the bridge here. Apparently, its a common sight especially when you are taking a train ride looking out the windows early in the morning. You can see them squatting right in front, facing the train windows and smiling as the train pass by the countryside. =)

 

[majormao]

Went back to the hotel and slept early after dinner. Think its due to the long train ride. Stay tune for Taj Mahal and fatephur sikri the following day =)

 

[majormao]

Work up early in the morning and went to the west gate to buy my Taj Mahal ticket (cost $15sgd and comes with free 500ml mineral water). Although open early at 6am, there was already a long queue at the ticket counter. After buying my ticket, faster check out from sai palace due to my bad experience there. Walk around the east area of the Taj for about 2 hours before finding a hotel i like. Paid $10sgd/ night. Have my breakfast first at the hotel before heading to the Taj.

Some pictures taken along the way while walking towards Taj Mahal.

Queue at the east gate before it opens

 

[majormao]

Entrance to Taj Mahal

The majestic Taj Mahal!!

 

[majormao]

 

[majormao]