Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
|
|
|
Mar 25, 2014 - 11:59pm PT
|
Try to work Varanasi into your itinerary. Amazing place with deep cultural significance.
Yeah, Varansi is cool. I did Calcutta, Darjeeling, to Varanasi. Calcutta is a sh#t-hole, but worth seeing.
Never been to Delhi. Although my folks used to live there. Didn't have great things to say, but they came from Hong Kong And Milan, Italy.
The trains there are a trip! I woke up with 2 buddies in a cabin with 12 Indians (family) sharing our bunks. Umm...
Once you get into the country like Darjeeling and Varanasi, things get more tame, or wild, but sh#t you'd prolly like better.
I only got one weird rash on my leg from something unidentified. Also, when you enter the hills, you enter the different governance of India. At least that's how it was in 1986. Socialist part of the country, may have changed now.
Up in the mountains near Varanasi, the drugs were easy to score too FWIW. I was in high school at the time. Just be careful, some people will try to set you up!
Stay out of the f*#king Ganges!!!! If you have to touch it, wash up!
|
|
Delhi Dog
climber
Good Question...
|
|
|
Mar 26, 2014 - 12:09am PT
|
Depends on where you go in blue.
Up river in the hills the Ganga has some very nice boating/fishing/swimming.
And, shoot the Indian's will tell you it's fine-pure holy water. Heck they should know right? They drink it and bath in it, and float away in it.
:-)
|
|
bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
|
|
|
Mar 26, 2014 - 12:14am PT
|
And, shoot the Indian's will tell you it's fine-pure holy water. Heck they should know right? They drink it and bath in it, and float away in it.
:-)
I think they have some inherent immunities working in their favor.
|
|
NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
|
|
|
Mar 26, 2014 - 12:22am PT
|
The most sick I have ever been was in India... and every time I went, trying to be careful about what I eat and drink (being sheltered by my Indian in-laws), I still mimicked a firehose. That was just became the normal health baseline for each trip. I used to consider that I was fairly tough, drinking water from public glasses in Russia and not getting sick when others were sick enough to abort their trip, but India is a different matter.
I guess I never stayed more than 4-5 weeks (always in an urban middle-class setting), and never gave up trying to be careful, to just develop a proper immunity. Maybe start practicing now, and figure out whatever drugs the travel docs recommend?
And be prepared for a sea of humanity like you've never seen before.
|
|
Delhi Dog
climber
Good Question...
|
|
|
Mar 26, 2014 - 12:36am PT
|
"I think they have some inherent immunities working in their favor."
and endless amounts of parasites.
|
|
bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
|
|
|
Mar 26, 2014 - 12:43am PT
|
I've been stabbed by Malaria, Typhoid, and Gamma-Globulin shots more times than I'd like in my travels.
Maybe it's better now?
f*#k...is it any wonder I avoid the 3rd world now? Although, India is prolly much better now. Maybe?
Turkey and Egypt were pretty nasty too....
EDIT: and endless amounts of parasites.
Well, yeah, once you adapt to them. For some reason, those bugs just utterly mess with Western immune systems. For a while.
|
|
Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
|
|
|
Mar 26, 2014 - 12:50am PT
|
The most sick I've ever been was in India. I had been traveling about one month in Nepal before, including doing the Annapurna Circuit, so I assumed I had built up some immunities. So I blithely ate some somosas that someone was selling out in front of the Red Fort. Big mistake. An even bigger mistake was taking some imodium so I could take a six hour bus ride the next day. I felt like an inflated intertube of puke and diarrhea, ready to burst at the seams, which is pretty much what happened when the imodium wore off. Really, really ugly.
|
|
Guernica
climber
bright places
|
|
|
Mar 26, 2014 - 12:57am PT
|
My 2 rupees worth of advice is that if the concept of public cremations strikes a chord in any way within you, you must absolutely make it to Varanasi. Hard to explain the vibes amidst all the filth, beauty, and craziness, but that one city alone (one of the oldest in the world if I'm not wrong) would be a worth the trip all the way there.
And, uh, beware the opium lassis...
|
|
bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
|
|
|
Mar 26, 2014 - 01:00am PT
|
What we did, while leaving from Hong Kong on a class trip for our Senior year, was to take as many crackers and Peanut Butter as possible. We knew this was going to happen.
It worked pretty well. We ate minimal local foods. One of the foods one night was after we scored like 2 ounces of weed. We ate the weed with the PB and crackers in weed-sandwiches.
Good times...
I'm serious about the jar of PB though. And Crackers. Actually serious about that weed too, but that is to taste. Optional...
|
|
John Duffield
Mountain climber
New York
|
|
|
Mar 26, 2014 - 10:51am PT
|
I did see a rat run across the floor in the hospital in Leh. My visit cost only 1 cent though, so it was ok. The prescription was $8.00. The U.S. Doc I showed it to, said it was exactly the correct medication and to keep taking it. But here it would cost $120.00.
Here's a typical Indian street scene in Leh. Leh is a great place to get acclimatized. It's a mountain town with plenty of dayhikes.
|
|
Brandon-
climber
The Granite State.
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 26, 2014 - 02:20pm PT
|
So, plan on GI dysfunction?
Great advice so far, thanks!
My GF wants to visit Dharmsala(sp?) to hear the Dalai Lama speak, but that's way in the north, and I'd like to visit the south primarily. Is that feasible in a few short weeks?
|
|
John M
climber
|
|
|
Mar 26, 2014 - 02:32pm PT
|
I really dig that so many people have traveled and know about places beyond where they live. I grew up in a town where people did not travel more then 75 miles from their homes their whole life. My health isn't that great, so places like India or Africa are mostly just a dream for me. I love photos and stories because it makes it more real.
I spent part of last night looking through Delhi Dogs photos. Great stuff. Love the people shots and the streets scenes.
|
|
HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
|
|
|
Mar 26, 2014 - 06:21pm PT
|
Dharamsala
I haven't been there. However my ex-wife and a neighbor friend have both been. It sounds like a marvelous place to visit. It's in the Himalaya "foothills" at 1500 meters. Spectacular surroundings (from the pics I've seen).
I have visited two Tibetan Buddhist temples in Nepal. Definitely worth the time and effort. And don't be in a hurry (d'oh!)
|
|
Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
|
|
|
Mar 26, 2014 - 08:24pm PT
|
Stay out of the f*#king Ganges!!!! If you have to touch it, wash up! God yes. You've got all manner of human activity washing into that river, not to mention the corpses being cremated at its edge. One of my best moments was riding in a boat upriver just taking in this awesome slice of humanity. It was really chill and riveting at the same time.
Then there's the water. It's remarkable all the people bathing at the ghats and kids swimming it in. One of them splashed me and the water hit me in the face. Really, really gross, especially if you let your imagination run wild with whatever pathogens might be dripping off your chin. I think that was the only time I got really angry the whole trip.
|
|
sempervirens
climber
|
|
|
Mar 26, 2014 - 08:39pm PT
|
Yeah. I enjoyed many refreshing swims in the Ganga during my stays in India in the 80's. I did see a lot of things going into that river, vultures, bloated cow carcasses with vultures on them, washing vehicles with lotsa suds, etc. Faith? I had faith that I could survive and thrive swimming. I did not have faith in surviving drinking that water, and did not drink from the river, no faith.... no survive, eh. But there's a lot of healthy Sadhus and Hindus who drink and thrive. My swimming had only positive effects. Excessive smoking of hash is another story. Anyway,go to India.
|
|
WBraun
climber
|
|
|
Mar 26, 2014 - 08:54pm PT
|
The Ganges is the purest river on the planet ......
|
|
Delhi Dog
climber
Good Question...
|
|
|
Mar 26, 2014 - 10:04pm PT
|
^^ pretty much the Hindu belief right there.
Thanks for checking those images out John and for the kind words.
Brandan, Dharamsala is a pretty neat place though if you've been to Nepal you've pretty much been to Dharamsala. As far as seeing HHDL you'll have to check the dates on his website to even see if he'll be there then. And actually Macloud Gang (sp?) is the town where his residence is and is the place most people talk about when they say Dharamsala ( a large town down in the valley not the place most end up visiting). Also most of his teachings up there are in Tibetan so that might be a challenge though you can get translations through a local radio setup. Better to hit him up somewhere else when his teachings are in English. We've been with him several time now including up there and it is a pretty cool experience as is the Karmapa Lama.
You can take a plane up there then taxi up the hill and stay in some fairly inexpensive places so yes it is doable from the south but it will cost you a bit of coin. Go online and check.
Of course there are always trains...
South India as mentioned is mellower then north and there are plenty of cool things to see. However much depends on the weather and the time of year you plan on going. Hot, rainy, may be likely. The best time down there is your winter. Still the north ( and east and west!) have much to offer so don't necessarily count that out.
You can see and do a lot in one month.
Let me know when you have more Q's
|
|
bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
|
|
|
Mar 27, 2014 - 08:41pm PT
|
The Ganges is the purest river on the planet ......
Yeah, spiritually maybe! That why they throw their dead in there. Not so healthy for people with immune-systems not adapted to that.
All I'm saying...
|
|
sempervirens
climber
|
|
|
Mar 27, 2014 - 09:00pm PT
|
Delhi Dog, Thanks for the photos, they're full of heart, like India.
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!