Incredible India, here we go again!! (page 5 of 6)

hello After so many years spent in India, I’m lucky I’ve never met an Indian like you!!! You seem really strange to me.... but are you even actually Indian???? And isn’t it more like *you* we should be wary of????

Apparently, you can’t even understand or appreciate the difference between online photos and personal photos!!! Your heart isn’t that of an Indian....

Yes, it’s true—I don’t spend my life on forums....it doesn’t interest me. I was just drawn to the topic and the title.

After that, think what you want..... and I’m a woman.

hello so many years spent in India, and luckily I haven’t met an Indian like you!!! You seem really strange.... but are you actually Indian???? and isn’t it more like *you* we should be wary of????

Apparently, you can’t even understand or appreciate the difference between online photos and personal ones!!! Your heart isn’t that of an Indian....

yeah, it’s true I don’t spend my life on forums....it doesn’t interest me. I was just drawn to the topic and the title.

After that, think what you want..... and I’m a woman.

Still, it’s weird how the style and spelling of this second message are so different from the first... NO COMMENT

Oh Marien, you're such a sweetheart when you look out for me (and especially my Commercial interests 😉). Yeah, I do advocate for openness to others and try to see "people" as good at first glance, but that doesn’t mean I’m naive or get scammed every five minutes 😛. So Fonfan, beyond the fact that your profile is really "unclear," I don’t quite get your request! All you have to do is go to Google, type "India" then "images," and you’ll find tons of photos you can download—probably even prettier than mine, for that matter! Still, thanks for stopping by, and I’m glad if my story brought a little comfort to your heart. Have a great day, everyone—I’m off to work soon

I just thought your photos were much closer to mine than your anonymous online photos. But I get that you might fear scams since some negative people are warning you directly... If they think that way... it’s because they’re the ones with bad intentions!!! I really hope you get to experience all the amazing moments I had in India over many years. MY FRIENDS FROM KERALA had such a better mindset and hearts full of love.... The complete opposite of this person who dares to judge me. You see, this just makes me even less inclined to check this forum.... Take care.

Hi Christelle, Thanks for this "travel journal"—I read it with so much joy and it gave me tons of ideas for my next trip in January... Hang in there for your return to work! March will be here before you know it! Sylvie

Thanks Sylvie, it's really nice of you to remind me of my upcoming trip 😉.

I wish you a wonderful journey, but given your love for Asia, there’s no doubt about it!

See you next time on VF

Thank you so much for your detailed and lively account. I read it with great pleasure. I’ve shared it with the friends who’ll be joining us next January, following the exact same route. Wishing you more great travels! See you soon

Oh, thank you Maria! I’m so happy to inspire your first post and to be read in Portugal—a country I love so much, especially for the warm welcome you get there 😄 (I went there 5 or 6 times as a kid with my parents and twice since I’ve been an adult 😉. I definitely plan to go back, especially to check out Porto, which I’ve been dying to see!) Have a great trip yourself! Christelle

Thanks for the dream, I visited Agra in March 2016 and there were few, if any, tourists😉

Good evening, reading you just gave me a wonderful moment... what a beautiful experience! I went to India at the beginning of October; I should have stayed for 6 weeks... but I fell victim to "India syndrome" (a feeling of suffocation and oppression), so I came home after just one week. It was a project I’d been preparing for many months (English classes, lots of reading, exchanges on forums or in person with people who’d traveled to India, etc.)... I landed in New Delhi and stayed at a hotel in the city. I thought I’d take a day to settle in and then head out. My original plan was to use public transport, get as close as possible to the locals, and visit the north and south... In the end, the hotel manager suggested a tour, and I visited New Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur. It wasn’t how I’d imagined it—with a guide, a driver, etc. At first, I told myself it was a good compromise to start my trip. I really enjoyed all the visits. It’s true that with a guide, exploring monuments and cities is so much more interesting. India is truly a land of contrasts... I’ll go back to India, that’s for sure. I still have a lot to learn before I return... Thanks again for sharing!

Good evening Florence

I’m even happier you enjoyed my travel journal because I almost chimed in on your post "India between dream and reality." I followed it closely but didn’t know what to say. I had just come back still in a state of bliss, while you were feeling pretty rough.

Anyway, I thought your message was really brave (few people share their "difficulties") and also eye-opening because it shows that India isn’t "just another country."

I hope you’re feeling better and that you’ll go back… or not. Travel should be a pleasure, not "torture," so don’t force yourself if you don’t "feel it." Maybe other countries will suit you better, and I totally get how much India can shake you up.

Have a great evening and see you next time on VF 😉

Hi Florence, I’m happy to hear you’re feeling better. Having traveled across India for many years, if you ever go back, I’d recommend starting with Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka. When you’re ready to plan the trip, get in touch—we’ll try to help and give you some great tips to make you love this extraordinary country in every way. But keep in mind, it’s not for everyone… there are so many places to visit, after all. Wishing you all the best and have a great day! mariejo

Thanks Solene for these images and words. I clicked on the last post your local sweetheart shared on VF, and just like that, one thing led to another, I stumbled upon your pages and spent the morning reading you, reminiscing about our own trip to North India six years ago. We're off to discover South India in... 3 weeks! Kudos for your wit and humor. A little thought also for Loulou, who we can sense between the lines. Best, Jacques

Hi Christelle,

Thanks for this beautiful travel journal—it really makes me want to discover India. Your writing is so full of good vibes, and it’s such a pleasure to read.

For me, the chance to visit India was a bit of a missed opportunity. Back in 2013, I had the chance to spend two weeks in the Calcutta region, but it didn’t work out at the last minute. I still keep reading up on this country and its fascinating, complex cultures, which really draw me in. I’m hoping for another opportunity to go, especially to the South.

PS: For anyone who wants the photos from the travel journal, they can simply right-click on the image and choose "Save image as" to save them to their computer. Hope that helps...

Keep up the great work! !

Thanks so much, Jacques, for your really kind message. You’re gonna love the south of the country. Wishing you an amazing trip, and I’m counting on you to come back and tell us all about it! 😉 Christelle

Thanks to you too, Damien. You're right to study the question carefully before diving into this country. And your 2013 mishap might actually be a good thing because starting India in Calcutta is a bit like risking wanting to run away screaming 😛. I took it really gradually over nearly 10 years—first Goa, then Kerala, then Tamil Nadu... and this year, my first time in the North. It’s only now that I feel ready to go absolutely anywhere, and I’m not going to hold back in the years to come 😎. See you next time on VF! Christelle

Hi Marien33,

Silly question, but how do you pronounce—phonetically speaking—"veenda" and "eniki veenda"? Since it seems super useful, might as well take a quick lesson :)

I’m leaving in 15 days for a month in northern India. It’ll be my first trip to India, so I’m both incredibly excited and can’t wait, but obviously a little nervous at the same time!

Huge thanks to Solene40 for that amazing travel journal—it’s really reassuring! And thanks to you too, Marien33, for all your comments. I’m new to this forum, but reading different threads has been so helpful.

Have a great day, everyone! :)

Hi Christelle, and thank you for this travel journal—I devoured it from start to finish! I only spent 6 days in this country, and the 3 weeks I’m planning to go back for at the end of the year already seem too short... Anyway, I have one goal: I want the same photo as yours (with my back, of course!!!)!!! Hoping the scaffolding will be gone by then... See you soon! Bruno

Silly question, but how do you pronounce—phonetically speaking—"veenda" "eniki veenda"? Since it seems super useful, might as well take a quick lesson :) I'm leaving in 15 days for a month in northern India. It’ll be my first trip there, so I’m both incredibly excited and can’t wait, but obviously a little nervous too!

Unfortunately, there’s no chance this Malayalam phrase, only spoken in Kerala, will be of any use to you in northern India... Try these in Hindi instead: - Mujhe chor do, pronounced roughly "moojay chol doh" (let it go, drop it) - Nahi chahie, pronounced "neh-hee chah-hee-ay" (I don’t need it) - Chalo yahan se, pronounced "chuh-lo yah-han say" (move from here) - Chal put yahan se, pronounced "chul poot yah-han say" (get lost from here)

Effectiveness tested and approved 😉

Haha, love it, thanks Pagal 😉