India Sightseeing Tips and Tricks

Now that your family of three has recovered from jet lag, you’re ready to hit the town…or the country…or the region!  But remember, you’re not in the Midwest of the U.S. of A. anymore.  You’re more likely to see cows walking down the road than you are to see cow-sized Wisconsinites walking down the road eating cheese.  And yes…this is one Indian’s perception of people from Wisconsin based on their experience there a few years ago.  “I actually saw someone walking alongside the road eating cheese!”

But fear not!  We’ve compiled some rules for the road.  Well, there aren’t really rules on the roads here and the word “road” is used loosely…but you get my drift.

DO expect to see families of 4 riding on a motorcycle.  And the baby is probably asleep.

DON’T expect there to be a direct route.  Each trip…no matter how far…requires at least three U-Turns.

DO expect everyone to use their motorcycle/car/truck horn to communicate.

§  Short honk: “I’m coming up behind you, so get out of my way.”  Or “Don’t make any sudden moves, pedestrian, just keep going at your current pace.”  Or “Hey, you didn’t close my trunk.  Please try again.”

§  Long honk: “THE LIGHT IS ALMOST GREEN! BARGE YOUR WAY THOUGHT TRAFFIC IMMEDIATELY.”

DON’T worry…most people just slow down and let you in when your driver decides it’s time to turn in front of a bunch of vehicles flying toward you.  You’ll only get a long honk every once in a while.

DO expect your driver to use the entire width of the road as needed to avoid potholes.  It’s like a rollercoaster ride every time we get in the car.

DON’T expect street signs.  Landmarks are your friend.  Street signs?  Where we’re going…we don’t need street signs. 

DO expect to be patted down upon entering any location (office, mall, hotel, public attraction, etc.).

DON’T drink fountain soda…with ice…from anywhere.  Even Pizza Hut.

DO make sure you get some really good ice cream after drinking that fountain soda, because you may not be able to eat anything else starting 45 minutes from now.

DON’T expect a line to mean people will actually wait behind you. 

DO start to catch on and use your elbows and a wide stance to block the locals from barging in front of you.

DON’T be surprised if your pale, light-haired, three year-old daughter draws a crowd of locals in every public place.  This will be accompanied by hair patting, cheek pulling, sneaky hugs/kisses, and/or smartphone photos (asking permission optional).  [Our Taj Mahal guide had given tours to professional athletes, Bollywood stars, and dignitaries…and none drew more attention than Annabelle.  She was deemed the “8th Wonder” by a group of locals at the Taj.

DO start taking pictures of people taking pictures of your pale, light-haired, three year-old daughter.  This will make a great photo-album and/or traumatizing reminder in the future.

DON’T miss out on the Birla Temple by not wearing appropriate attire.  [Translation: women can’t have any skin showing except the face.]

DO book an awesome Thanksgiving trip to Sri Lanka!

DON’T forget to make sure you booked the Thanksgiving trip to Sri Lanka during the week of Thanksgiving…and not the week before.  Do try to do complete this step more than 24 hours prior to leaving for this trip.

DO have a great time in Sri Lanka regardless.  (Post to come on this.)

DON’T expect anyone to know what to do with a carseat.  “No, don’t put this in the trunk.  I’m not just carrying it around for my daughter to sit in when we get where we’re going…”

DO expect at least three people to stand up on a plane before the pilot has arrived at the gate and turned off the seatbelt sign.  Flight attendants will call them out.  And wait.

DON’T try to rationalize everyone rushing to get off a plane when you ALL have to get on to a shuttle bus to get to the terminal anyway.  Your head will explode.

DO try to see some of the sights in Delhi if you get a chance.

DON’T be fooled with the haze in the morning while in Delhi.  It is pollution and it is not going to burn off as it gets warmer.

DO get super excited to see the National Rail Museum!

DON’T be surprised when it’s closed due to renovation…for more than a month longer than it should have been.

DO plan a trip to Agra to see the Taj Mahal.

DON’T plan on getting there as early as you wanted to when traveling with kids.  The necessity for bathrooms and food outweigh your desire to stick to a timetable.

DO take a TON of pictures from every angle. 

DON’T forget to step back from taking those pictures and just take in the beauty and magnitude of the building.  This was all built to show how much love and respect a man had for his wife.  Amazing.

DO expect your sponge of a three year-old to pick up on local tendencies.  The infamous Indian head-wobble will be accompanied by any “yes” response and the phrase “nay, nay, nay” will replace a simple “no”. 

DON’T expect to understand your three year-old’s hybrid language of English/Spanish/Hindi/Telugu.  It may make sense to her…but nobody else on earth may be sophisticated enough to understand it.

DO take advantage of every opportunity experience this country/region has to offer.  You may only make it to the other side of the world once in a lifetime, so take it all in and don’t sweat the small stuff.  No matter how you experience it, you’ll have a new and better perspective on your life and the world.

Oh…and seriously… DON’T drink fountain soda.