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Muslim Temples in India?
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You missed the lede bro.UW_Doog_Bot said:
I had most of mine previously from traveling all kinds of other places. I got a whole series of things done at a travel clinic here in LA for $75. Might be more expensive in more rural areas.oregonblitzkrieg said:UW_Doog_Bot said:
TYFYS. You and Hondo. Great tips. I'm going to buy liquor as soon as I get there. Did you get vaccinated too?oregonblitzkrieg said:I'm headed off to Delhi, Kathmandu and Mt. Everest in early November and I want to walk through a muslim temple while in India where 100% of the people are Muslim and everyone praying to Allah and in awe of the temple. Would prefer to walk through one where they come from all over India to visit, where it's a big deal to them and there's a crazy trek just to get there. Got any suggestions @2001400ex ?
Had malaria meds for the South. Did not bother to take them for the North but it depends on season. Be aware you have to start them ahead of time otherwise they will not be effective in time for your trip. Malaria meds are fucking crazy man. Think about the worst nightmare you've ever had. You will have worse ones on malaria meds. I thought they were kind of entertaining though. Kind of like having a really bad psychedelic trip. Your attitude may vary. Not everyone is as Gonzo as I am.
Definitely get Hep A/B shots if you haven't or boosters if you need to. You shouldn't be doing anything that exposes you to Hep C so long as you aren't there to shoot Afghani heroin or get a cheap tattoo.
Have all of the typical measles, mumps, rubella, diptheria, tetanus ones. You've probably had chicken pox. If not you should get that vaccine.
I had yellow fever and typhoid already done. Neither is a bad idea but also not required. Also kind of depends on where else you may go in the next few years. Lots of places will require you to have it to get in now that you've been to India so if you have other travel plans you might as well get it over with now. I had to have it for Africa and then India would have required it from me anyways since I had traveled to Africa so it was better to do it before either.
Rabies this one is the second most argued over after probably malaria. Don't touch the animals! Ok, well I did, a bunch actually. I rode camels, horses, & elephants. Had essentially an adopted stray dog for an extended period(Huge no no). Fed the monkeys and mice at temples. Held cobras(not rabies but fml that was stupid) etc. I didn't get rabies. This does put you at high risk though and lots of stray animals in India are carrier animals for rabies(i.e. they won't display signs of infection but will infect you) The vaccine is pretty nasty too though. If you get bit 100% you need to get the treatments immediately in India. Decide what your own level of acceptable risk is but at least do so with some knowledge.
As a note on the animals, please think about the people handling the animals and what they are doing with them. There are some very well taken care of animals that you can ride or interact with but there are also some truly cruel and inhumane things that go on as well. Do your best to support the good ones and not the bad ones.
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Great info, good stuff, thanks. I'm taking Singapore Airlines through Singapore and Hong Kong. Been on some shitty airlines so I know what you mean. Aeroflot was probably the worst. The whole inner framework of the jet shook when it landed and the people cheered if they had half expected not to make it to their destination. Never been left in a country I didn't intend to visit though, that's crazy. I've heard stories about monkeys pickpocketing tourists in India, that's pretty funny if true. I've heard that the malaria meds are different and can make you really sick, will probably skip those.UW_Doog_Bot said:Don't fly Air India. I'll make my own thread about that whole story. TLDR they abandoned my ass in another country I hadn't even planned on going to. This is apparently a very common thing for them to do.
Do plan it so your layover is a few days in another country if you can. Nothing like getting 2 trips for the price of one and breaking up a long flight with a nice stop over in a nice place like Hong Kong or Tokyo.
Don't smoke weed in India bc it's trash but if you are apt to it try the hash. Not my bag bc of work(drug testing) but it's supposed to be very high quality especially in Nepal.
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I was lucky and flew Emarites. Thru Dubai.oregonblitzkrieg said:
Great info, good stuff, thanks. I'm taking Singapore Airlines through Singapore and Hong Kong. Been on some shitty airlines so I know what you mean. Aeroflot was probably the worst. The whole inner framework of the jet shook when it landed and the people cheered if they had half expected not to make it to their destination. Never been left in a country I didn't intend to visit though, that's crazy. I've heard stories about monkeys pickpocketing tourists in India, that's pretty funny if true. I've heard that the malaria meds are different and can make you really sick, will probably skip those.UW_Doog_Bot said:Don't fly Air India. I'll make my own thread about that whole story. TLDR they abandoned my ass in another country I hadn't even planned on going to. This is apparently a very common thing for them to do.
Do plan it so your layover is a few days in another country if you can. Nothing like getting 2 trips for the price of one and breaking up a long flight with a nice stop over in a nice place like Hong Kong or Tokyo.
Don't smoke weed in India bc it's trash but if you are apt to it try the hash. Not my bag bc of work(drug testing) but it's supposed to be very high quality especially in Nepal.
I took the malaria shot and didn't have a problem. Arm was sore for a couple days, think from tetanus shot. Not sure which one made it sore. -
Staying away from the droogs too, I don't want to be spending the rest of my life behind bars in a foreign prison. They are draconian about drugs in other Asian countries, sounds like India and Nepal are a little more lax.
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I've heard that's a really nice airline.2001400ex said:
I was lucky and flew Emarites. Thru Dubai.oregonblitzkrieg said:
Great info, good stuff, thanks. I'm taking Singapore Airlines through Singapore and Hong Kong. Been on some shitty airlines so I know what you mean. Aeroflot was probably the worst. The whole inner framework of the jet shook when it landed and the people cheered if they had half expected not to make it to their destination. Never been left in a country I didn't intend to visit though, that's crazy. I've heard stories about monkeys pickpocketing tourists in India, that's pretty funny if true. I've heard that the malaria meds are different and can make you really sick, will probably skip those.UW_Doog_Bot said:Don't fly Air India. I'll make my own thread about that whole story. TLDR they abandoned my ass in another country I hadn't even planned on going to. This is apparently a very common thing for them to do.
Do plan it so your layover is a few days in another country if you can. Nothing like getting 2 trips for the price of one and breaking up a long flight with a nice stop over in a nice place like Hong Kong or Tokyo.
Don't smoke weed in India bc it's trash but if you are apt to it try the hash. Not my bag bc of work(drug testing) but it's supposed to be very high quality especially in Nepal.
I took the malaria shot and didn't have a problem. Arm was sore for a couple days, think from tetanus shot. Not sure which one made it sore. -
The definition of what "drugs" are is a little more relaxed over there even if the punishments are draconian for "hard" drugs.oregonblitzkrieg said:Staying away from the droogs too, I don't want to be spending the rest of my life behind bars in a foreign prison. They are draconian about drugs in other Asian countries, sounds like India and Nepal are a little more lax.
You can definitely do hard time for a minor heroin charge but I also watched a guy buy a pair of bricks of ketamine with no prescription at the local pharmacy. Go figure.
Hash is ubiquitous everywhere there. Smoke hookah with Israelis or arabs if you find a decent hookah place.
Speaking of, do read, or audiobook some things before going there. It will vastly improve your experience imo.
Recommended to check out,
Shantaram (Indian mob in Bombay)
White Tiger (Cant describe without giving it away but highly recommended) -
I'm going to try to find some mystical sounding, cobra charming Indian music too to get me inspired.UW_Doog_Bot said:
The definition of what "drugs" are is a little more relaxed over there even if the punishments are draconian for "hard" drugs.oregonblitzkrieg said:Staying away from the droogs too, I don't want to be spending the rest of my life behind bars in a foreign prison. They are draconian about drugs in other Asian countries, sounds like India and Nepal are a little more lax.
You can definitely do hard time for a minor heroin charge but I also watched a guy buy a pair of bricks of ketamine with no prescription at the local pharmacy. Go figure.
Hash is ubiquitous everywhere there. Smoke hookah with Israelis or arabs if you find a decent hookah place.
Speaking of, do read, or audiobook some things before going there. It will vastly improve your experience imo.
Recommended to check out,
Shantaram (Indian mob in Bombay)
White Tiger (Cant describe without giving it away but highly recommended) -
Oh yeah, if you are going to skip malaria meds and don't plan on staying in higher end places I would take a mosquito net and some paracord. Actually, do that regardless of malaria meds if you are staying anywhere cheap that isn't at super high altitude. Shit was a life saver in Goa and Tamil Nadu and packed down really small. Plus you can donate it when you leave.
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UW_Doog_Bot said:
So the most obvious derp of this is to go to the mosque of the Taj Mahal as since the Taj is a tomb/monument it also has a mosque. It's also probably one of the most likely places for them to actually tolerate you and let you into such a place since you aren't Muslim but it's a very tourist friendly area. Definitely pay the 500 rupees(like $10 when I was there) for a guide. It's worth it if nothing else because you skip a bunch of the lines. Agra is kind of the worst shithole though so I wouldn't do much other than see the Taj and maybe the fort and then gtfo to do other things. Plan this as basically a day trip with a lot of travel time.oregonblitzkrieg said:I'm headed off to Delhi, Kathmandu and Mt. Everest in early November and I want to walk through a muslim temple while in India where 100% of the people are Muslim and everyone praying to Allah and in awe of the temple. Would prefer to walk through one where they come from all over India to visit, where it's a big deal to them and there's a crazy trek just to get there. Got any suggestions @2001400ex ?
Other places in the North you should visit:
Jaipur/Udaipur ~ I would definitely trade a lot of time in Delhi to spend more time in these two places. Udaipur specifically though it's a further journey away from Nepal. Book your rail tickets in advance as they fill up. Delhi is kind of a shithole and is a lot of the reason tourists have a bad opinion of India as it's pretty much the fucking worst. I worked there and hated 95% of it compared to the rest of India. Jaipur is like a less bad Delhi and has some redeeming qualities and places to visit but Hondo isn't wrong that it's also kind of a shithole. Udaipur is tough to sum up. TLDR it was a city that was built on an artificial lake in a feet of engineering that would still be a marvel to this day. Hands down the most beautiful city I spent time in in India. Do yourself a favor and spend the extra cash to stay somewhere on the water with a view. Udaipur among other things is called "The Venice of the East".
Jaipur the pink city
Udaipur the blue city
If you want something that isn't Muslim but probably more astounding go to the Sikh's Golden Temple, Harmandir Sahib, further North. It is the most sacred site for the Sikh's and all are welcome to pilgrimage there. I have a feeling this will give you more the experience you are looking for.
Heard nothing but good things about Nepal and had plans to go there but ended up with a job back in the States instead before I got to go there. I could ask some friends for recommendations that did backpack there though.
Other Tips:
Remember that India is HUGE and a lot of Americans make the same mistake Euros make coming to the US which is to try and see the whole damn continent/sub continent in one visit. You end up spending 81% of your time traveling and most travel through India is uncomfortable at best. If you ever take an extended bus trip do yourself a favor and buy two seats so you don't have to sit next to someone. Sometimes you'll get lucky and have a nice travel companion but most of the time you are better off not having someone next to you that is asleep and sharting themselves for 8 hrs.
If you are going to eat meat look for Halal/muslim friendly places as the butchering rules ensure at least a reasonable amount of hygiene. Hindu's don't really eat meat and the food handling is suspect. Eating bad meat is one of the top ways to get really sick in India. This is also a problem for cheese. True story, the only thing that made my mother super ill while working in India was Dominoe's.
A good indicator for how clean the kitchen might be is how clean the bathrooms are. Even in an upscale looking Western Hotel if the bathrooms look shitty you can bet the food handling is too. The only time I got sick in India was when I violated this rule and told myself things would be fine because I was eating at an upscale restaurant. Meanwhile, I never got sick at all the little mom & pops I ate at that were modest but more or less clean.
Immunize your system from the local bacterium by starting off with the smallest amount of water/ice in a decent scotch/whiskey. Proceed to work your way up from there. If you are only there for a week or two you can do the whole bottled water even for brushing your teeth bit but odds are if you are eating the food you are coming into contact with the local bacterial fauna. Better to do it on your own terms than on theirs. Buy your booze from local "liquor" shops as it will be 1000% cheaper than your hotel. Drink it liberally with your meals. This has been my system all over the world and I have lived in some fantastically shitty places without getting sick while also drinking the local water.
Local bars and clubs aren't really a thing "to do" in India. You are better off getting drunk and socializing at the tourist hotels if this is your thing. Indians in general view drinking as a vice and most bars are full of patrons from two towns over doing their best to avoid being noticed drinking. Women aren't generally allowed to go out the way they do in the western world. Clubs are full of men. The exception to this is if you can find a group of Indian men who are traveling themselves or have spent time in the West. They will party their asses off with you like you are a celebrity. Otherwise, your time is better spent focusing on other things to do.
Don't be afraid, take Tuk-Tuks everywhere. They are cheap and small enough to squeeze through traffic and streets that cars won't. No AC though...
Do have tea at local tea shops and enjoy local pastries for tea time. This is one of the best left over things from the British and Indian tea is some of the best in the world. See rules regarding bathrooms above though.
One more note on bathrooms, get used to squatting now and/or plan your shits for while you have a western style toilet. Also bring some toilet paper with you from your hotel in your bag when you can. Toilet paper is a luxury item in most of India so it's not always available.
Haggle at shops, don't haggle with hotels or drivers even if the prices seem high. I could explain this further but just generally it means your shit is less likely to get stolen. First and last deals of the day are important in the eyes of shopkeeps for luck so plan your purchases accordingly.
Local guides are almost always worth paying a little cash for as you'll probably end up saving whatever they cost you in avoiding some other local trap or pitfall. Be aware though that they will probably steer you towards their friends and relatives for business. This is how things work. Pick your poison.
My vote is that the record shop should be the travel board as well bc it's part of the "higher culture" section of the bored. I'm happy to be your resident idiot abroad more so than a Rick Steeves. LMK if you would like further rec's. TLDR.gif
Lonelyplanet.com has nothin on you.
TYFYS -
Singapore Airlines is amazing.
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Goes without saying. Mosques and mountains are for the gayest of the gays.Swaye said:
Thank you. That's all I needed to know in this or any thread about travel to foreign lands. Where are the women I pay to put my dick in?UW_Doog_Bot said:
Goa. The end.Swaye said:All this travel talk and nobody has even talked about the best place to get hookers. You people disgust me.
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Does Indian pussy smell like curry?
axing for a fren.
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You don't have sex with Indian pussy in India. You do that in countries that Indians vacation to. You have sex with white college age girls exploring their spirituality, cheap Israeli girls backpacking on holiday, and Russian Prostitutes. YWIA.PurpleThrobber said:Does Indian pussy smell like curry?
axing for a fren.
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I know something gayer than that: An Arizona Wildcat who thinks he's a quook. It's ok though, you're our mercenary quook. We? accept you.Mosster47 said:
Goes without saying. Mosques and mountains are for the gayest of the gays.Swaye said:
Thank you. That's all I needed to know in this or any thread about travel to foreign lands. Where are the women I pay to put my dick in?UW_Doog_Bot said:
Goa. The end.Swaye said:All this travel talk and nobody has even talked about the best place to get hookers. You people disgust me.
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Door no 3 for me plsUW_Doog_Bot said:
You don't have sex with Indian pussy in India. You do that in countries that Indians vacation to. You have sex with white college age girls exploring their spirituality, cheap Israeli girls backpacking on holiday, and Russian Prostitutes. YWIA.PurpleThrobber said:Does Indian pussy smell like curry?
axing for a fren.
