It's a little fuzzy.

Like Chief I was away for a couple of weeks, though in India - UP, Rajasthan, Gujurat, Mumbai, Kerala and Delhi. The Mughal influence is pervasive in the heritage sites. Kerala is like Guyana and with a lot of Christian churches. It was nice to be in the Gandhi Ashram.

Lots of Bata stores too.

I remember my parents talking about Bata stores in Guyana where they bought their shoes. 

baseman posted:

The Indians thought them a few things,

I don't think that the Indians "thought" them any thing, though maybe they "taught" them some things.

No, Ii did not get a chance to see the Akshardham temple in Delhi.

The Mughal era indeed did have a huge impact on Indians in India. That's a whole area of discussion.

Kari posted:

It's a little fuzzy.

 

Like Chief I was away for a couple of weeks, though in India - UP, Rajasthan, Gujurat, Mumbai, Kerala and Delhi. The Mughal influence is pervasive in the heritage sites. Kerala is like Guyana and with a lot of Christian churches. It was nice to be in the Gandhi Ashram.

 

Welcome back Kari.  I have this trip on my bucket list and I hope to cross it off soon.  My mother's Punjabi family are from Uttar Pradesh and my father's family is from Patna in Bihar.  I want to walk those streets and have a moment in history.

Any do's and don't's words of advice you would like to offer a first time traveler to India?  I know you have to get a visa!

Bibi Haniffa posted:

Kari posted:

It's a little fuzzy.

 

Like Chief I was away for a couple of weeks, though in India - UP, Rajasthan, Gujurat, Mumbai, Kerala and Delhi. The Mughal influence is pervasive in the heritage sites. Kerala is like Guyana and with a lot of Christian churches. It was nice to be in the Gandhi Ashram.

 

Welcome back Kari.  I have this trip on my bucket list and I hope to cross it off soon.  My mother's Punjabi family are from Uttar Pradesh and my father's family is from Patna in Bihar.  I want to walk those streets and have a moment in history.

Any do's and don't's words of advice you would like to offer a first time traveler to India?  I know you have to get a visa!

• Travel in the winter - skip the heat and monsoon rains at other times
• The children begging at tourist sites is a business; at other times it's gut wrenching but there's only so much one person can do
• Drink water only from bottled source. If you're going to eat street food it's got to be hot and cooked in front of you.
• Watch the air pollution in New Delhi (today's NT Times has yet another article on the world's most polluted city - yes, even beating China's cities.
• Lovely country to visit - from the historic sites to the rivers and hill stations and tea plantations. In addition to the Golden Triangel you must visit the South.

UP is a powerful State I was surprised to learn. One of these days I have to visit Bihar

More to come..........

Me rather go with Kari!!

Bibi Haniffa posted:

Me rather go with Kari!!

Quite an endorsement!

The food's great indeed - veg or non-veg. I had no problems.

Bibi Haniffa posted:

Me rather go with Kari!!