India in a Nutshell

India Random Facts:

-$1 US = 46 Indian Rupees

-A big bottle of water is 20 Rupees

-India’s population is roughly 1.15 billion! India is poised to surpass China as the world’s most populous nation sometime around 2030

-India’s percentage of the world’s population: 17%

-Percentage of families living in a one-room home is 42%

-In 2008, India’s received 5.37 million foreign tourists

“The Golden Triangle” (New Delhi - Agra - Jaipur) Supurlatives:

Most Memorable Experience:

Krista: Seeing the majestic Taj Mahal. It was a very peaceful experience in a country of chaos.

Scott: I don’t think I’ll forget a minute of our time in India - we were always fully alert in our surroundings. But I’ll opt for the cliché answer and say seeing the Taj Mahal against a blue sky. It was one of those things I never though I’d see.

Favorite Indian Dish:

Krista: Chicken tikka and warm naan bread.

Scott: All of them! Loved the food. But I’m ready for a Big Mac.

Most Problematic Situation for Tourists:

Krista: Staring locals and begging children. The local men will stare at you (females) when you are in the car and walking down the street which is extremely unnerving. Homeless children will bang on your car window begging for money.

Scott: Tourist scams are everywhere, even in nice hotels, and are deflating. In general, the tourist infrastructure is a 1 or a 2 on a scale to 10. (But for us, it was worth it!)

Number of Americans we met in 8 days: one (from Boston!)

Favorite Form of Transportation (we took a lot of them):

Krista: Our last private car - an SUV with seat belts

Scott: Absolutely the autorickshaw. The driver told me I looked like Michael Jackson and he said Krista looked like Shakira and that he would have married her if I didn't. The ride was terrifyingly fun, too.

Biggest Surprise in India:

Krista: I was shocked by the cows, goats, camels, pigs, monkeys, and dogs roaming the streets in the traffic. Also, I was surprised how much I enjoyed the food!

Scott: I expected the intense poverty, but I was consistently memorized by its scale.

Most Helpful Advice for your Trip to The Golden Triangle:

Krista: Only stay in nice hotels and take private car service everywhere you go. Be careful who you trust and remember that even the smallest task in India can be infuriating.

Scott: You will likely need every ounce of patience you have to travel in India - from widespread scams to unreliable transportation - so bring a healthy dose of that. Don’t do the self-guided route like us - go to a good travel agent.