Gypsy Collisions

I was at Mehtab Bagh, on the opposite side of the Yamuna River across from the Taj Mahal. That's where they bring tourists to watch the sunset, and as I walked through the gardens towards that incredible marble building, it took my breath away. Even from a distance, it was breathtakingly beautiful. I think I literally held my breath in awe of its beauty and in disbelief that I was actually there.

I walked to the end of the gardens, as close to the edge as possible. There, I asked some (other) Asian tourists if they could take my photo. The selfie stick just wasn't cutting it.

On a side note, Indians get really confused when I tell them I'm American. They say, "Oh, you look Japanese or Chinese." I try to tell them that I'm Filipino American; that my family is Filipino but I was born in America, but initially the concept seems to baffle them. I had to explain to my driver that many cultures exist in America. Okay, getting off topic, so back to the story...

I walked to the right side of the gardens (facing the Taj) because that's where the sun sets; the light is better on that side. As meandered in that direction, I struck a conversation with a young guy from England. His name is Josh. He's doing a full on Southeast Asia tour, which, when he's all done, will have been 2 years long. After that, he'll be going to Australia on a work visa as a civil engineer.

We talked about how traveling alone sometimes makes us each nervous: me, because I'm a girl and extremely little; him, because he's blonde and well, white.

I told him how I schedule my returns from my trips according to my friends' weddings, and he told me how all of his are having babies. And we kind of laughed because here we were, gypsying around and watching the sunset in Agra.

I faced the river, watching the sun go down over the Yamuna River and that glittering building, and when I turned around he was gone.

One of my favorite things about traveling is the people I get to meet from everywhere. You run into these wandering souls and share a moment in each other's journey. For a just a few minutes, your worlds collide, then you continue on your separate paths. Sometimes I think about these people and wonder where they are now and what ever happened to them. But then I just smile a little, because it always takes me back to the trip that I met them...

Like that one time I watched the sunset over the Taj Mahal.

Josh, the English Gypsy

Basics: India

First thing's first: make sure you get your Visa before you book your flight to India.

Oops.

An Indian Tourist Visa on arrival is available for US passport holders, and the turnaround is really quick. When you apply online, the application requires a minimum of 4 days, but I applied on Feb 6th and my app was processed by the 7th. So for those of you in a bind, this is as good of as option as you're gonna get.

While the application was quick and easy, once I got to India it wasn't difficult, just annoying. It took a lot longer than the people who got their visas the old fashioned away. By the time I was finished (and I was only 5th in line), my entire flight had already gotten through customs. There were only three guys working the booths for Visas on Arrival, and the government officials moved painstakingly slow. MAYBE they were just trying to be thorough, but it felt like they were doing that because they could.

Since I'm traveling in Delhi by myself, I booked through a company that did everything: driver + car + hotel + guide. They even booked by flight out of Delhi to Mumbai. Easy peasy, and according to TripAdvisor and my own research, they were definitely fair in their pricing. I'll post the name of the company once the tour is over, I'll let you know the company name and whether or not they lived up to their reviews!

Here are some tips I've read and gathered from friends so far:
- Don't drink the water. Don't even brush your teeth with the faucet water. Stick to bottled water (make sure the seal isn't broken). Oh, and be mindful that you don't open your mouth in the shower.
- Be careful when it comes to fruits that don't peel and salads since it's washed with their water.
- It's best to stay away from brothy foods. Sure, that curry looks tasty, but if you're not sure how long it's been sitting there, you're better off leaving it alone. Once it starts cooling off, you're more likely to get Delhi belly.
- Tea is okay since it's boiled.
- Stay away from milk and other dairy products (Edit: Yassi and raita are okay. These curds have the good bacteria that we want.)
- If you're traveling solo, when being picked up by your driver, give them a "safety question" ahead of time to make sure it's really the person who's supposed to pick you up. I spoke with the person arranging everything, and told him that I'd ask my driver where I'm from, and told him the answer I expected.
- I have unlimited text and data on my phone, and on G+, I allowed my friends to see my exact location.
- If you're not with the same driver the whole time and just grabbing a taxi, I read that you should talk on the phone telling someone where you are and where you're heading to so that the driver knows that someone is expecting you.
- And apparently, don't let this random cab driver's friend just jump in the car to hitch a ride. Tell them that his friend can't come, or get out.
- Bring toilet paper and wet wipes, but avoid flushing it down the toilet as much as you can. These toilets aren't made for that so you might clog it. And beware of "the hole.
- Check the exchange rate and avoid changing your money at the airport and hotels They have the worst rates. I was able to exchange my money at my tour guide's office just about at the current rate.
- I'm reading different things about tipping your driver and guide, so I'll let you know once I cross that bridge, but one thing all the websites agree on is tip 10-15% at restaurants, don't confuse service charge (gratuity included) with service tax (levied by the government so you should tip)

Most importantly...
If you're feeling uncomfortable, listen to your gut!