My first taxi ride in India was in a Hindustan Motors Limited Ambassador. The Ambassador is based on a late fifties era British car called the Morris Oxford Series III. HML has been shipping the car with very little (external) changes since 1958. As a result, the highly iconic Ambassador is widely considered The Definitive Indian Car. HML still sells many new Ambassadors even to this day and there are many older Ambasadors providing reliable service to thier owners.
Ambassadors are built like tanks. Considering their track record, and the incremental improvements made over the years it would probably be pretty safe to say that they are the most "Indianized" cars on the market. India may be developing rapidly, but the fact still remains that there are still plenty of rugged areas that can put harsh demands on a car. Even today the Ambassador seems to be one of the best suited cars for many parts of India.
While I toured India, I road in a newer Tata Indica. It was serviceable, but I had the impression at many times that it was rapidly being worn-out and beaten down by the Indian roads. The Indica is more like a Japanese car. Sure, it's more modern in design, but it also seemed light weight and somewhat weaker than an Ambassador as a result. The drivers I spoke to had mixed opinions on the newer cars vs. the Ambassador. They all had a lot of respect for the Ambassador, though.
Wikipedia Link
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Travel Tips
After de-constructing the way I traveled in India and looking at the various trade-offs I made, I've come up with a few suggestions. I'm sure none of this stuff will be news to experienced travelers. But it might save un-experienced travelers a little grief.
The trick when traveling in India is to find a good middle-ground between Adventure and Comfort. On the one hand, it's quite possible on a western budget, to travel and eat like a king. But then you don't really interact with any "real" Indians or see anything. Of course, the other extreme, which would be to travel and eat like an average Indian, is not such a good idea. (packed buses and trains. bed-bugs, cholera, and dysentery, anyone?) In my opinion, the best is somewhere in the middle. The entire spectrum of experience is available. How do you want to travel?
suggestions to maximize your travel options:
1. Pack Light. Try to fit everything in one bag, preferably a big back pack. Bring a flash light!
2. Give yourself plenty of time. Time is more valuable than money when traveling in India.
a) Try to be as cheap as possible if you have the time. Make you money go as far as possible.
3. Be adventurous. (but not stupid)
It's pointless to bring too many cloths to India. If you need more stuff you can get really nice cloths there for cheaper than what they cost at home. Don't even bother packing socks unless you are going to be someplace cold. (you wont need them)
I didn't follow the "pack light" rule, and I think it cost me some options. I took a Digital SLR and a fairly large kit of lenses. I took too many cloths. Next time, if I take an SLR at all, (It will be tough for me to resist) I will only take one lens. My camera kit was my second piece of luggage and in my opinion "stressing" over it diminished my freedom of movement. My first piece of luggage was also pretty bulky. That didn't help either. Next time, I will take far fewer cloths.
My flashlight was my most valuable piece of luggage short of my shorts. (I mean, undies) I highly recommend an LED headlamp. They are compact and leave your hands free when you put them on your head. My headlight is a cheapy I got at the supermarket, not the sporting goods store type, which are much more expensive. The cheap headlight works just fine. Where I was staying the power outages were frequent enough that a flash light of some sort was a must. But even in more developed areas of India a light will come in handy.
When you pack light, it's easier to take public transportation without stressing about your "stuff". If you keep a SMALL bag of your valuable stuff (camera, phone, etc.) with you, the only thing in your bigger bag is your cloths.
By being Adventurous, I mean, traveling via public transportation and not being afraid to do a little walking. I'm sad to admit that this is something I never actually did while I was in India. I only ever rode in Taxis and Auto-Rickshaws. The rest of the time I drove a rental motor bike. If you give yourself time you can save a lot of cash by riding on the bus or train. Very nice air conditioned "luxury" bus rides are available. You don't need to ride in the super packed "cheap" bus. Ride a taxi or rickshaw from the bus stand to your final destination.
Speaking of rickshaws... you need to be careful of those guys. Actually, taxi drivers as well. Even though technically the business is regulated they try to get away with all sorts of B.S.. Make sure you get a commitment on the price up front, and don't let them yank you around by taking you to gift shops, etc.
It's possible to find very cheap accommodations in India. 3 star hotels and up cost a little less than what you'd expect to pay in the USA. ($25-35) But "guest houses" and hostels are much cheaper, about $5-15 a night. You could probably find even cheaper places to stay, but you might be taking your chances with the bed-bugs.
The trick when traveling in India is to find a good middle-ground between Adventure and Comfort. On the one hand, it's quite possible on a western budget, to travel and eat like a king. But then you don't really interact with any "real" Indians or see anything. Of course, the other extreme, which would be to travel and eat like an average Indian, is not such a good idea. (packed buses and trains. bed-bugs, cholera, and dysentery, anyone?) In my opinion, the best is somewhere in the middle. The entire spectrum of experience is available. How do you want to travel?
suggestions to maximize your travel options:
1. Pack Light. Try to fit everything in one bag, preferably a big back pack. Bring a flash light!
2. Give yourself plenty of time. Time is more valuable than money when traveling in India.
a) Try to be as cheap as possible if you have the time. Make you money go as far as possible.
3. Be adventurous. (but not stupid)
It's pointless to bring too many cloths to India. If you need more stuff you can get really nice cloths there for cheaper than what they cost at home. Don't even bother packing socks unless you are going to be someplace cold. (you wont need them)
I didn't follow the "pack light" rule, and I think it cost me some options. I took a Digital SLR and a fairly large kit of lenses. I took too many cloths. Next time, if I take an SLR at all, (It will be tough for me to resist) I will only take one lens. My camera kit was my second piece of luggage and in my opinion "stressing" over it diminished my freedom of movement. My first piece of luggage was also pretty bulky. That didn't help either. Next time, I will take far fewer cloths.
My flashlight was my most valuable piece of luggage short of my shorts. (I mean, undies) I highly recommend an LED headlamp. They are compact and leave your hands free when you put them on your head. My headlight is a cheapy I got at the supermarket, not the sporting goods store type, which are much more expensive. The cheap headlight works just fine. Where I was staying the power outages were frequent enough that a flash light of some sort was a must. But even in more developed areas of India a light will come in handy.
When you pack light, it's easier to take public transportation without stressing about your "stuff". If you keep a SMALL bag of your valuable stuff (camera, phone, etc.) with you, the only thing in your bigger bag is your cloths.
By being Adventurous, I mean, traveling via public transportation and not being afraid to do a little walking. I'm sad to admit that this is something I never actually did while I was in India. I only ever rode in Taxis and Auto-Rickshaws. The rest of the time I drove a rental motor bike. If you give yourself time you can save a lot of cash by riding on the bus or train. Very nice air conditioned "luxury" bus rides are available. You don't need to ride in the super packed "cheap" bus. Ride a taxi or rickshaw from the bus stand to your final destination.
Speaking of rickshaws... you need to be careful of those guys. Actually, taxi drivers as well. Even though technically the business is regulated they try to get away with all sorts of B.S.. Make sure you get a commitment on the price up front, and don't let them yank you around by taking you to gift shops, etc.
It's possible to find very cheap accommodations in India. 3 star hotels and up cost a little less than what you'd expect to pay in the USA. ($25-35) But "guest houses" and hostels are much cheaper, about $5-15 a night. You could probably find even cheaper places to stay, but you might be taking your chances with the bed-bugs.
Monday, November 06, 2006
Home
I'm home now. My little sister managed to not burn down my house or kill any of my chickens. In fact, she actually spiffed the place up while I was away.
The flights home were murder. I' was in the air for like 24 hours. Fortunately, I was able to nap though parts of the trip. I usually don't sleep so well on airplanes. But in this case the flights were so long there really wasn't any choice.
Now that I'm home I feel a sort of home sickness. It's like reverse-home-sickness. Auroville was starting to feel like home. I assume this sort of thing is normal, and it will pass. I mean, California is a damn nice place to live, so why would I miss India?
I've had some many experiences over the last couple of months, it's going to take me a couple of MORE months just to integrate them into myself. One of my friends said to me yesterday "I've heard that going to India changes people." I have to agree. It will be difficult for me to ever look at things the same way.
While I was India I met several ex-patriot Americans and many other western ex-pats. All of them love India (and/or Auroville. Many of them are Auroville lovers) I was able to get the "inside scoop" on living in India as an ex-pat. Interesting stuff. As I've said, I have a lot to think about. But right now I must admit that I believe I'll be going back to India again. If not to stay, at least for another long visit. There is just too much to see there for one visit to be enough. There are other places I want to see first though, so India will probably need to wait for a while.
The flights home were murder. I' was in the air for like 24 hours. Fortunately, I was able to nap though parts of the trip. I usually don't sleep so well on airplanes. But in this case the flights were so long there really wasn't any choice.
Now that I'm home I feel a sort of home sickness. It's like reverse-home-sickness. Auroville was starting to feel like home. I assume this sort of thing is normal, and it will pass. I mean, California is a damn nice place to live, so why would I miss India?
I've had some many experiences over the last couple of months, it's going to take me a couple of MORE months just to integrate them into myself. One of my friends said to me yesterday "I've heard that going to India changes people." I have to agree. It will be difficult for me to ever look at things the same way.
While I was India I met several ex-patriot Americans and many other western ex-pats. All of them love India (and/or Auroville. Many of them are Auroville lovers) I was able to get the "inside scoop" on living in India as an ex-pat. Interesting stuff. As I've said, I have a lot to think about. But right now I must admit that I believe I'll be going back to India again. If not to stay, at least for another long visit. There is just too much to see there for one visit to be enough. There are other places I want to see first though, so India will probably need to wait for a while.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Heading Home
Today is my last day in India and Auroville. I just got news that my dad was admitted to the hospital yesterday complaining of pain shooting up his neck and jaw. At first it was believed that he'd suffered a minor heart attack but after the doctors checked out his condition it turned out it was "just" a partially blocked artery. Actually, my dad is quite lucky. It COULD have lead to a heart attack if he hadn't gone in to the doctor and done something about it. (My dad is a hypochondriac, so that would have been highly unlikely... there are people that ignore that sort of thing, though) The doctors scheduled him for surgery and installed a stint to open up the artery. My dad is now stable and scheduled for release from the ICU today.
All I can think about now is how much it would have sucked if my dad had died while I was on the other side of the world... and only about two weeks from when I was to see him and most of the rest of my family at my brothers upcoming wedding. WOW. What a close call.
All I can think about now is how much it would have sucked if my dad had died while I was on the other side of the world... and only about two weeks from when I was to see him and most of the rest of my family at my brothers upcoming wedding. WOW. What a close call.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)