Chapati Express - my India trip

I don't know if I would have ever made it to India if it hadn't been for the opportunity to attend a wedding there. I was concerned that I wouldn't like India, imagined it to be chaotic and full of people, loud, exhausting. An overload for eyes, ears and nose. My travel companion felt the same way. And admittedly: it was a bit overwhelming. At least at the beginning. But pretty quickly I started to enjoy the bustle, the smells, the many impressions, the colors, enjoyed trying my way through Indian cuisine, haggling over prices and looking for the most beautiful things at the bazaar. After my trip, I was thrilled by the country and its people, and I really took it to my heart. Although I was only able to discover the country for a week, I still had so many impressions that it felt like a month. It is a challenge to pack all these impressions, experiences and my enthusiasm into a reasonably short report. 
 
I would be happy to take you on a little trip through India – jump aboard the Chapati Express and let's go!

Our trip

We had to plan our trip very compactly because we only had a week's time and wanted to have enough time for the wedding festivities. We therefore limited ourselves to the well-known “Golden Triangle”, which extends between the cities of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur – with a side trip to Jhansi, where the wedding took place. We traveled by train – and were amazed at how well everything went. The only thing we couldn't manage from Switzerland was booking the tickets, so we were glad to have contacts in India. But the train journeys went without a hitch and were sometimes more comfortable than what we are used to in Switzerland. We enjoyed sumptuous breakfasts and were able to lie down for a few hours. The tickets were in a slightly higher category, but still very affordable. A great way to travel India! 

 

A culinary stroll through Delhi

 

Our arrival in India took us a little by surprise. Out of the airport, into the heat, jumped into a taxi – and after a few minutes stranded at a roadblock. The taxi couldn't continue and we had to find another way to the hotel. As we found out later, it was a nasty scam, both the policeman and the roadblock were fake. So what, rookie mistake.
 
On the first evening, we treated ourselves to a full dose of the big city (after all, with 34 million inhabitants, Delhi is the second largest city in the world after Tokyo!). We explored the city by tuktuk (including the driver, of course; we would never have dared to rent a vehicle in this traffic!).

Gate of India

But a city tour wasn't enough for us; we wanted to experience India as much as possible! So we organized a private food tour through Old Delhi for the evening (found on Tripadvisor). For more than five hours, our guide showed us the bustling Old Delhi, we strolled through narrow streets full of life, absorbed smells and impressions – and above all, we tried more than ten different dishes. It was wonderful! Full to bursting with culinary delicacies and a thousand impressions, we took the metro from Old Delhi back to New Delhi (it really felt like time travel, just like our guide had said!) and fell into our beds, happy and dead tired.

Jhansi

 

We continued by train to Jhansi, where relatives were already waiting for us. When the train pulled into the station, we saw them standing on the platform, waving – what a wonderful surprise! And anyway: the next few days in Jhansi were wonderful. With so many lovely people around, we felt at home somehow. 

We were able to experience a beautiful wedding celebration and gained an insight into a culture that, although different, was surprisingly similar in a lot of ways. Besides the wedding, my highlight was visiting the Sipri Market, the large bazaar. The many exciting shops, faces and situations – I took thousands of pictures!

Wedding preparations: Mendhis and shopping for the perfect outfit

The results of the shopping trip. Never felt more princessy! 

Miracles happen - Taj Mahal in Agra
 
It almost hurt our hearts to leave Jhansi and the family. We had been so warmly welcomed that we almost felt like we were part of the family. But our program continued and we left late in the evening for Agra, the city that is home to one of the seven new wonders of the world: the Taj Mahal. Probably the most famous palace in the world, built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his deceased great love Mumtaz Mahal.

 
We had booked a cheap hostel (“Joey's Hostel”) and were quite impressed with it: from the terrace, we had a wonderful view of the Taj Mahal and were excited about what to expect the next morning.
 
The next morning came faster than we would have liked – since we had heard how many visitors came to see the Taj every day (up to 50,000), we definitely wanted to be there when the doors opened. That meant: 4:00 wake-up call, 5:30 opening of the doors. And it was worth getting up early: we had about an hour to visit the wonderful palace complex, after which it filled up considerably with people and it got quite crowded. After two hours, we were out again. It was worth the visit – the Taj Mahal, the palaces around it and the wonderful palace complex are truly unique!
 
We enjoyed the Taj Mahal some more over a late breakfast on the hostel roof terrace – without the crowds. 
 
Later, we visited the Red Fort of Agra, an impressive structure. After that, we were already back on the train heading towards Jaipur. 
 
A visit to the Taj Mahal is definitely worthwhile. Otherwise, we got the feeling that Agra doesn't have much more to offer. We were quite happy to move on after a day. We were definitely much more impressed by the next city... 

The view from our hostel terrace in the evening

And the visit in the early morning

And the view in the morning from the hostel terrace

Jaipur – the Pink City

 

Our next stop was Jaipur. This city also has 3.5 million inhabitants, so it is anything but small. It was painted terracotta-colored in honor of Prince Albert of England and is therefore now also called the “pink city”. I really liked Jaipur – there is a lot going on in the city and it is fun to stroll through the many bazaars and practice haggling. There are many beautiful palaces and other attractions. Of course, there is also a lot of traffic, noise and pushy vendors, but still. I liked it a lot! 
 
We also explored Jaipur with a driver and a tuktuk. And we were thrilled! Jaipur really has a lot to offer! 
 
A small highlight for me was also the visit to the famous cinema “Raj Mandir”. Although we didn't understand a word of the Bollywood movie, the drama was great – and the 2.5 hours flew by in no time. 

Sleeping cabin - quite comfy! 

Welcome to the pink city! 

Palace of the winds

The beautiful doors of the City Palace

Amber Fort

Step well

Jal Mahal

Raj Mandir cinema

Shopping time! 

Back to Delhi

 

After Jaipur, it was unfortunately already time to return to Delhi, where we spent another night near the airport. Tired from all the impressions, we spent the last evening at the hotel pool and treated ourselves to another Indian feast - including an Indian red wine (an exciting experience!). The next morning, we had to get up early to return to the airport - and then fly via Helsinki back to Zurich. 

 

To sum up
 
I would never have expected to like India so much. My initial skepticism has given way to a great enthusiasm for the country. Of course, many things are not going as they should, and in my report, the positive things are emphasized. I was glad not to be traveling alone. I saw a lot of poverty, a lot of noise, dirt and rubbish. Nevertheless, I never felt uncomfortable or unsafe. I have met wonderful people and enjoyed many great experiences. India is really an exciting country – and definitely worth a visit! The country will always have a special place in my heart. And I'm sure it's a colorful one.

7 things I already miss about India

1. Masala Chai – What coffee is for us, the flavored black tea, Masala Chai, is for the Indians. It is served in small cups, similar to espresso cups, with milk and sugar. Simply delicious!
2. The colors  – India is an incredibly colorful country. I loved the colorful clothes, the scarves, the jewelry! I think the world would be happier if everything were so colorful. Especially now that dark fall is coming. That's why I vividly remember India's colors.
3. The food - I love Indian cuisine and enjoyed it very much during my trip! It may not be particularly good for the figure (the fried things are too delicious!), but with the many spices, it is simply wonderful! A week was not enough to eat my way through Indian cuisine.
4. The tuktuks - Tuktuks are a super cool way to get around the city. Although some drivers' driving styles come close to a near-death experience, we always had a lot of fun on the road. They are also considerably cheaper than taxis. When will tuktuks be introduced in Switzerland?
5. The selfies and the people – Something that seemed very strange to me at the beginning, but which I came to enjoy very much over time, was taking selfies with the locals. We were asked for a photo so often that we wondered what was so interesting about us. Above all, why these people wanted two sweaty tourists in their picture gallery. Nevertheless, it was a great way to start a conversation with people. A fun affair!
6.  The bazars – The bazaars are the best places to shop extensively. There seems to be a bazaar for almost every item – for clothes, for bracelets, for wedding cards. The selection is huge. The vendors are sometimes pushy, but eventually, haggling started to be fun. Be sure to travel to India with large luggage!
7. The food and drinks in the train – Some of the trains even had food and drinks included – which we enjoyed very much. Hot Indian dishes, tea... Time and again, someone came by and served us little delicacies, so we were always kept busy (and well-fed). Really great!