India
Asia
January 15th, 2018

There are many clichés when it comes to a trip to India. You can talk about diversity, culture, food ... or even about the crazy traffic, Indian bureaucracy, the heat...but one of these clichés, you find true as soon as you arrive: there are a lot of people here.


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But the people are so nice, that one of the best things about going there is just that: meeting people. You don’t even have to make that much of an effort, they’ll approach you most of the time!


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A group of Indians asks to take selfie with Fabio / Two men take a picture with us on a boat in the Ganges.


But the overall impression we had about the Indians is that, in general, they’re joyful and full of character, at the same time as they’re conservative and religious. As an example, the temperature was almost always above 90°F/35°C and everyone in the street was wearing pants! 

Four religions 

Travelling with a guide makes all the difference. Before we got there, we thought the country was almost all Hindu, but we found out that a lot of them follow Islam, Catholicism and even a religion we didn’t know, SIKH. Because it’s so different from our reality, Sikhism caught our eyes. To go inside the temples, for example, they ask us to cover our hair and not wear shoes.


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It's a beautiful religion, with a unique vision of divinity. Anyone, regardless of race or religion, can eat in the temples. Food is offered to all visitors and devotees alike.


                                                                   Just wait for your turn


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                      Our guide was SIKH and his knowledge was enriching.


Another thing you have probably heard, is truly important: prepare before travelling. In addition to doing research, looking at photos and watching videos (YouTube helped us a lot), it’s paramount that you keep an open-heart and mind to a different experience. Understand that it is a country full of energy, that will awake your curiosity and your senses, from the first moment you realize the impact of poverty or taste the unique spices, to when you experience the impressive cultural and historical background. To be carried away by unpredictability is to accept India as it is, and the result often warms the soul.


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It’s important to keep in mind the size of the country: it’s the 7th largest in the world, so don’t try to see everything at once (it’s impossible). The trip, however, is becoming more and more comfortable. It's a distant destination for us, so we chose to fly Qatar, which has good connections from Sao Paulo and is really one of the best airlines in the world. And that’s not my opinion, this ranking made by Skytrax, takes into account the evaluations of other travellers in the world, and they’ve put Qatar at the top.


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Well, the travel time we had was not that long — 15 days — so we decided to do the classic itinerary: Delhi, Agra, Jaipur (the famous Golden Triangle) and Rishikesh.


As the days go by, you end up getting used to the noise of the streets, and São Paulo looks sounds like a haven of tranquillity.


Now among all the clichés, my favourite was to get to know the local cultural traditions, visiting temples and palaces. In Old Delhi, we went to the Jama Masjid Mosque, a landmark right in the middle of the narrow streets, and also to Qutub Minar, the world's tallest brick minaret and a UNESCO world heritage site. The best part was going there at the end of the day, with a beautiful light and a cooler temperature.


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India is a constant surprise, there are so many landscapes that the trip feels like an endless roller coaster. Our journey to Rishikesh was one of the highlights as far as adventure is concerned, as we boarded a small propeller plane. 


(All this because the traffic made us miss the train)

But nothing that a beautiful sunrise in the mountains wouldn’t compensate! Located in the south of the Himalayas, Rishikesh is surrounded by the beauty of the hills and is cut by the Ganges, being considered the "gateway" to the river that flows everywhere.



It’s one of the sacred cities of the country: Indians believe that the meditation practised here, leads us to salvation. It’s also home to many important centres of Hindu thought and spirituality, the famous Ashrams, in addition to being named the Yoga capital of the world. Also, the ceremonies! In Rishikesh you can truly grasp the strength of India's spirituality.


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At night, we went to the Ganga Aarti, a ceremony of purification and thanksgiving. It happens every day in the holy cities of the country: besides Rishikesh, in Haridwar and Varanasi. It's a beautiful moment to see up close, with lots of light, fire and music. The Aarti is a way for the Hindu to say thank you for the light received. Regardless of understanding Sanskrit or Hindi, the power of gratitude is universal: it was the perfect opportunity to thank the universe for being here!


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From there we returned to Delhi, this time in time to catch a train to the see the main postcard of the country, and one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. Yes, the Taj Mahal! Our trip to Agra was super laid back, despite the intense heat and a broken car in the middle of the road! Small details that happen only to reinforce the idea of ​​accepting the unpredictable.


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The quick trip to Agra is worth every minute, because the Taj Mahal is truly that much and more. To get into the mood, the tour begins at the Agra Fort, where Shah Jahan spent the last years of his life, remembering the happy life he had alongside his beloved Mumtaz Mahal, while the building was completed. He only saw the construction finished from afar, for he was jailed in the fort, and after his death he was buried next to his wife, inside the mausoleum.


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The construction is perfectly aligned, in addition to the minarets being identical on both sides, it was built with the best white marble in the world (it never darkens!), and it’s full of the most beautiful gemstones ...very hard to put into words — here are some photos of our visit:


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And of course one thing it couldn’t miss: a crowd of people! It’s India, after all. One incredible detail that you only notice after someone tells you, is that the Taj was built on a marble platform, and this elevation from the ground makes the background be just the sky. Beautiful!



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Agra is the ideal moment in this post to address another famous topic when it comes to India: the food. Up until we got here, everything went well. We ate different dishes full of spices, almost always opting for the vegetarian option.


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Here, we had two different experiences, both of them valuable: I kept on eating the local food with strong flavours and unique ingredients, without any problems...


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And Fabio decided to take a break on the gastronomic adventures to lighten his irritated stomach.


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Our last stop was the charming and rich capital of the state of Rajasthan. Jaipur gets the nickname of Pink City because of the colour of the buildings, but for me it has to do with the local hospitality. Cute and organized, the city was one of the few that were planned in the country. Wide avenues, palaces, fortresses, walkways, bazaars ... some of the best shops to buy fabrics are found here.


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The city is even cooler at a high speed, crossing paths with tuk-tuks, cars, motorcycles, buses ... just call an Uber and choose the category "Uber Moto". Worth the adventure!


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The pilot was very respectful and only crossed 3 red lights and honked significantly less than everyone else. 

The truth is that we only scratched the surface in this trip. It is impossible to see the whole of Indian life and the weight of its history at once, but it’s a constant learning experience visiting it. You will surely return with plenty of special stories to tell and unique photos to show. Ideally, a trip to India should first and foremost consider the kind of things you personally like doing. It’s already a pretty exotic destination, so spending more time in fewer places will help get more out of each one, and help to avoid a little of the stress a country so populous can generate.

No matter where you go though, the happiness of the people you often encounter in difficult situations is so contagious that at the very least it will make you think about how much we really need to lead a full life.


We imagined and it became true. Where will our imagination take us next?


Notes:

Would you like to make a trip like this?  Get in touch and I'll be delight to help! info@imaginereal.com.br 

For your reference this trip of 15 days to India starts at USD 5.200 per person. Including flights, luxury accommodations, transfers, and some private tours.