I’ve been watching flight prices (and paying off debt and saving) and the time has come. I’ve booked a flight and will be spending most of February in India. I’m flying in to Delhi and the rest of my itinerary is, as yet, to be determined. I’ve let folks at work know I’m going so I may be doing work there also – trying to build a business there which would hopefully give me an excuse to go there more often later. But all told I should get at least a couple of weeks for me and maybe a week for work but possibly here and there (have a few days off, go to another city and have a meeting, take a few more days off…)
I am over the moon excited! Maybe I’ll see some of you there!
Go Outside Today 
It’s a great news ☺️
I think so too! I’m very excited. I’m also hopeful that what I do for work can help me find my way back there more often. In 2016 my company sent me on business for over 100 days – to a place I don’t really like spending time. Imagine if I got sent for that long to somewhere I actually wanted to be!
Wow that would be so amazing. All the very best for that. Hope to see you in India soon 💜
Hey, that’s the best time to be in Delhi. The weather will be just perfect and you’ll get to see the Mughal Garden if you haven’t seen it already.
I haven’t seen it and will definitely check it out. Last time I was there I was only there a short time. Maybe 4-5 days and a couple of those I was pretty severely jetlagged. After that I fit in five other cities. I spent more time traveling and less time exploring. This time, aside from whatever work throws at me, I plan to stick mostly to Delhi and Jaipur and the vicinity. I’d rather have more days really getting to know a city, exploring neighbourhoods and talking to people than just passing through.
Oh wow!! We’ll be waiting for the travel posts soon!
Delhi in Feb will be grand. I foresee weeks of delicious food and heritage.
So I’m seeing! Warm but not hot, and flowers just starting to bloom. I’m pretty excited. It will be a different trip for me as well. I know some of the places and how to get around and even a few people. Last time was an exciting trip but a little lonely having basically nobody I knew for thousands of miles around.
If you know the basic layout, it helps. Delhi can be overwhelming what with the autowallahs trying to rip you off. But the winter walks to explore the old monuments are great – for the old city is stuffed to the gill with old buildings. Most have been taken over by squatters but some are still not too bad. Khan Market is my favourite for a nice cuppa coffee or dinner/lunch spot. I know the loneliness of travelling alone but I am sure you will find spots to tide over the feeling. If time allows you, Mcleodganj is a wonderful equivalent of Goa in the hills… it will be cold but beautiful.
Thanks for that. I didn’t spend nearly enough time there last time and really had only one good wandering day – in the Mehrauli Archaeological Park and adored it.
By the end of my time there I figured out how to work with the autowallahs. I knew what the prices should be but also didn’t sweat too much about paying a little more. Arguing about a buck or two Canadian seemed petty (but 10x the fare? No thanks 🙂 – and the funniest was in Pune where they tried to tell me it would be 300rs to go literally across the street!). And once I made that clear and that no, I didn’t need to go see any more “local crafts” then we got on well. On the flip side, whether it was French in Quebec City or Hindi in Delhi, taxi drivers can be great to practice speaking with.
Hah keep the spirits up then ‘cuz there will be plenty of practice. I might be an Indian but I hate the practice of ripping off someone just because they are a foreigner. Though they do it with Indians all the time too. There is the ethics of it, you know. I hated the feeling of while I was in Sri Lanka so I got the bitter taste of it and did not care for it.
Mehrauli Archeological Park sounds lovely. I used to cover heritage as a beat when I worked with the Times of India and I used to go around trampling around exploring vague monuments and writing stories on them. The strange characters that hang around…at any rate Delhi will give you stories and plenty of matter to work the imagination 🙂
As for French, I will take it any day in Quebec over Hindi in Delhi.
You need Hindi phrases to show them you mean business, I can dole out plenty.
I bet! I found just the surprise of my firmly saying “Jao!” when they asked for even more money than we agreed on worked pretty well, helped in part, I’m sure, by the amused laughs (and repeated “Jao!”s) of the cyclerickshawallas nearby).
The funny thing is that once I know the fair price, I’m happy to pay that plus a good tip. But if I’m pressured, I will pay as little as possible *and* no tip. At least with me, specifically, it makes no sense to try to cheat me.
I am proud of you then.
There is a famous Hindi movie, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, where the father says to the daughter, ‘Ja Simran…ja jee le apni zindagi’ (Go Simran…go live your life). Simran is the daughter. So I will say the same to you 🙂
Also – very cool about the heritage beat. That sounds fascinating. And you’re absolutely right – stories and imagination fodder. Just a few days there gave me so much. Imagine what a few weeks would do.
Mayhem in every sense.
Wow great I’ll visit through your eyes then
Aw yay, you booked your trip to India!! I’m so happy for you!
I’m extremely excited. And ramping up my Hindi practice. Yeah, you don’t really need it to enjoy it but it adds a fun element for me and it’s great to have a goal.
This sounds like a lot of fun!
Hey you were going in February and it’s now mid-July … how was the trip? Did you set up any business?
There are a bunch of entries linked from the link at the end of the comment. No plans to set up a business but likely doing more work with our India offices in the future. Thanks for commenting!
https://serendipityencouraged.wordpress.com/travels-to-india/
ah wondered as I lived there four years, a fascinating place!
Lovely – I’m a little jealous, I admit!
I wouldn’t be, it was very tough in more ways than one!