For whatever reason, I decided to travel alone along the Golden Triangle of Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur. This was a daunting task. The ship was docked in Kochi, a large city in Kerala, in the southwest part of India, and I had to get up north, travel a sizable distance around the area, and make my way back down. This was further complicated by my bank freezing my account upon getting a one-way trip to Delhi, and I had to beg them to allow me to purchase my return ticket back. All of this had to happen within a span of roughly five days, so I was definitely sprinting through the place like an Olympic runner. And I guess the whole idea of being in a very different country on the other side of the world by myself with no form of communication was pretty scary, too.
Regardless of the odds against me, I went out into India with my plane tickets, one change of clothing, a camera, and a small journal. I came to realize that these few things, a money belt full of rupees (which, in American dollars, does not amount to much), and a wandering soul were all I really needed on the journey.
There were the big things. I saw the Taj Mahal. I walked around Agra Fort. I got lost in Amber Palace. And those were absolutely majestic. But what I probably enjoyed more were the little things. Getting driven around in rickshaws and dragged to their friends' shops against my will. Finding a secluded restaurant in a back alley serving some of the best food I've ever had for the equivalent of a buck-fifty. Speaking with an Indian family who wondered where I came from while on the train. Being questioned by swarms of men why I was at a Bollywood movie even if I didn't understand Hindi and then being asked to take multiple pictures with these aforementioned men. Amongst many other things.
For a semi-brief rundown of the logistical details of my trip, on day 1, I left for Delhi and arrived in the evening to Paharganj, a backpacker's paradise around New Delhi Railway Station where I purchased a ticket to Agra set to leave at the crack of dawn. After a brief stay at a hotel hidden in a tiny alley, I woke up the second day to catch the train where I was seated next to what seemed like the only other tourists on board, a Japanese duo. Of course, this was a sight to behold; I can't imagine how often you encounter three Asian dudes chillin' next to each other on the train.
After some funny banter and exchanging contact information with each other and the Indian family gawking at us, I got off the train and was immediately grabbed by an older taxi driver with a horrible dye-job (which was a common occurrence). He insisted on driving me around all day, to which I agreed, and he took me to the Taj and Agra Fort and a whole bunch of places in between like a marble carving workshop, a jewelry store, and a tea shop. Right as I was leaving Agra Fort, actually, I ran into a large SAS trip full of my friends which made me smile because I was already quite restless and delirious at that point. Eventually, at my request, he took me to a travel agency where got a train ticket to Jaipur and was somewhat forced to book a hotel room.
I left for Jaipur that evening and reached it at about midnight. A rickshaw driver took me to my pre-booked hotel where I found out that there was no vacancy. The hotel concierge assured me that there was a hotel down the street which had room, and he said he would take me. I didn't realize that I would be taken on the back of his motorcycle. At this point, I was convinced that my life was going to end. Surprisingly, he safely took me to the other hotel which is where I took my only shower during the trip.
The next morning, I met up with my rickshaw driver of the previous night who showed me a journal full of testimonies of other tourists to make me feel that I was in the right hands. I still felt that he was taking advantage of me, which I despised, and I did not want to be brought to store upon store like in Agra. He took me to lunch and coaxed me into a textile showroom. I eventually begged him to leave me in the Pink City where I wandered for hours until retiring to a noisy but cheap hotel room near which I found a Western café where I got to recharge. I felt ridiculous paying 120 rupees (a little less than $2.50) for a latte and a brownie, but I thought I needed it for my sanity. To put that price in perspective, my train ticket from Delhi to Agra was only 20 rupees more.
Day Four was also spent in Jaipur, and it was very simple and laid back, and it was by far my favorite day. I went to Amber Fort where I lingered for a while. I was incredibly inspired (and another blog post will be written specifically about what I pondered while there). After some time passed, I found myself at one of the most historic cinemas in the city to watch a hilariously bad-but-amazing Bollywood film. After, I headed to the railway station to take my final train, an overnight one back to Delhi, where I would be taking my flight back to the south in the afternoon.
Upon reaching Delhi, I looked around Connaught Place, a circular plaza in the center of the city, though everything was closed. I somehow made it back to Paharganj where I ate breakfast and shopped for last minute souvenirs until I went to the airport and headed back to Kochi.
Throughout the time, I spent a lot of time journaling because I was alone and had nothing else better to do most of the time other than turning on the Bollywood music video channel on the television and writing about my day. It was incredibly soothing. It became a trend at the end of my journal entries to write something along the lines that I was "still surviving." It kept me going because there were many times when I was worried, anxious, and scared. Most importantly, it was weird that I was feeling so lonely in one of the most crowded countries in the world. Happily, I can say that this attitude changed by the end of my trip. It was rough traveling alone, but I felt that I needed an experience like this one, and looking back at it, I know it was the best decision. Despite all the stress, it was worth it. I felt that I learned much more about myself than the country I was in, and I'm very satisfied that this happened in India.
One of my favorite moments was at the end of my time in the country was when I met Sen (www.livingleftunlabeled.blogspot.com), an amazing woman who has already been traveling around India for a month and a half and anticipates staying for about half a year. Upon arriving back to the ship, I went to Fort Cochin with a few other SASers for dinner and stumbled upon a tiny hole-in-the-wall type restaurant serving traditional South Indian fare. As we entered the established, Sen was about to leave, but we struck up conversation about traveling around the country and around the world. As I chowed down on some dosa, I listened to the woman vocalize all of the thoughts about traveling that had already been festering in my mind. This was the moment that I realized that I was truly not alone. Her insight was just what I needed to continue with a refreshed outlook on this whole experience. Meeting her, just one of the people I've had the opportunity to get to know, even briefly, just comes to show how small our world is, the connections we're making, and the power of the stories we all have. We all have tales like Sen's, and it's our duty to tell them with as much confidence as she has because we have no idea of the impact they may have on people as just like her story has helped me.
Of course, my trip in India would only end in true Paul fashion. For my last day in India, I was supposed to attend a group cooking demonstration with women from Kerala, but I somehow slept through my alarm. I woke up and realized that my trip had already left me, so I stayed in bed and ended up waking up by the time my trip had arrived back six hours later. I didn't realize how incredibly exhausted I was. I think it was pretty well deserved. Some may think it was a day wasted, but for me, it was just a small part of the entire experience as a whole.
I would hate to say that one port has been more remarkable than any other because it diminishes the wonder that I experienced each one, and those things can't be compared. However, India has been exceptionally transformative, and it has really been such a wonderful country to see. I know for sure that I will make it back to India one day, and I will be more prepared and excited than ever. There's so much more to see in India, and the world, and I'm ready for it. And I'm still surviving.
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