Safe in India

Satyagraha · Feb 26th, 2008, 23:32

One thing which i can say about my travels in India, is that i almost always felt SAFE. There werre the odd occasions when i did feel uncomfortable, but that's pretty good going for about a 9 month adventure through about 10 of India's states!

Yes you are continually harassed, yes you will invariable experience the whole gamut of emotions, but you learn to deal with it. Either that, or you leave, which is also an option but then you miss out on what india has to offer.

As the saying goes - you got to take the rough with the smooth.

So just to allay any questions of safety - india is a safe place to travel in.

I say this as my thoughts turn once again to travel, i wonder if i will be able to have that great feeling of safety again.

machadinha · Feb 26th, 2008, 23:50

Hm. Nice to hear from you, Satya.

Weren't you the one to get yourself in iffy situations with various characters though? I take it you managed to get out of those alright (and good for you!)?

It's an honest question mind, should be instructive to others.

Satyagraha · Feb 27th, 2008, 00:22

Hi,

Yes i did get into some 'situations' but its all part of the experience and i wouldn't change it in the world for some sterile, planned, calculated approach to travelling.

I went with the flow and ocassionally reason stopped me and said wait a minute, lets change the direction of the flow here...! hehe

pquekel · Feb 27th, 2008, 15:45

Three times, each time approx two months, travelling on my own through the southern states of India and for me it felt safe too. Being a middle aged male white, carrying a backpack ánd credit cards, helped of course, but an open attitude was perhaps most important. Even in strange situations good luck never left me. One evening in July 2001, I walked back from a restaurant at the waterfront in Fort Cochin, where I had my dinner and a couple of Kingfishers, to my guesthouse in Burgerstreet. Maybe the beer had gone to my head, but when a man called me out of the dark if I cared to watch dolphins from his 'net', I said yes and followed him on the wooden construction that was build into the water as we know those Chinese nets. The funny thing is that I only had my sun glasses with me, and they serve me right during a sunny day, but in the dark they leave me practically night blind when I have to look further than let's say ten meters.
The dolphin man liked to babble and asked if we could share a bottle of beer. I said yes again, gave him some money and he took his bicycle to get it, leaving me behind with the idea that he maybe would not come back and...so what?! After some minutes he did come back, the beer was some sweet sherry like stuff, we drank it, the man pointed at the dolphins I couldn't see even if they really were there, and the whole thing repeated itself with another bottle or two. If I liked it, the next day I could go to Vypeen in the boat of his family, the dolphin man said when I decided it was time to go to bed, feeling really drunk. When I tried to find my way over the timber, walking just in front of the man,I slipped and would have disappeared in the water if he did not grab me by my arm or shoulder and help me to reach main land safely.

Feb 26th, 2008, 23:32	#1
Satyagraha Big Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: London Posts: 58	Safe in India One thing which i can say about my travels in India, is that i almost always felt SAFE. There werre the odd occasions when i did feel uncomfortable, but that's pretty good going for about a 9 month adventure through about 10 of India's states! Yes you are continually harassed, yes you will invariable experience the whole gamut of emotions, but you learn to deal with it. Either that, or you leave, which is also an option but then you miss out on what india has to offer. As the saying goes - you got to take the rough with the smooth. So just to allay any questions of safety - india is a safe place to travel in. I say this as my thoughts turn once again to travel, i wonder if i will be able to have that great feeling of safety again.

Feb 26th, 2008, 23:50	#2
machadinha Not Your Guru Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: yörp Posts: 10,149	Hm. Nice to hear from you, Satya. Weren't you the one to get yourself in iffy situations with various characters though? I take it you managed to get out of those alright (and good for you!)? It's an honest question mind, should be instructive to others. __________________ Reading tips, all picked up at IndiaMike : INDAX's A Comprehensive Guide To India / Dinoj Surendran's Desi Humor / ITHVC on Culture Shock & Travel Health / JetLag Travel Guides For the Undiscerning Traveller / India Travel Links

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Feb 27th, 2008, 00:22	#3
Satyagraha Big Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: London Posts: 58	Hi, Yes i did get into some 'situations' but its all part of the experience and i wouldn't change it in the world for some sterile, planned, calculated approach to travelling. I went with the flow and ocassionally reason stopped me and said wait a minute, lets change the direction of the flow here...! hehe

Feb 27th, 2008, 15:45	#4
pquekel Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: The Netherlands/Eindhoven Posts: 158	Three times, each time approx two months, travelling on my own through the southern states of India and for me it felt safe too. Being a middle aged male white, carrying a backpack ánd credit cards, helped of course, but an open attitude was perhaps most important. Even in strange situations good luck never left me. One evening in July 2001, I walked back from a restaurant at the waterfront in Fort Cochin, where I had my dinner and a couple of Kingfishers, to my guesthouse in Burgerstreet. Maybe the beer had gone to my head, but when a man called me out of the dark if I cared to watch dolphins from his 'net', I said yes and followed him on the wooden construction that was build into the water as we know those Chinese nets. The funny thing is that I only had my sun glasses with me, and they serve me right during a sunny day, but in the dark they leave me practically night blind when I have to look further than let's say ten meters. The dolphin man liked to babble and asked if we could share a bottle of beer. I said yes again, gave him some money and he took his bicycle to get it, leaving me behind with the idea that he maybe would not come back and...so what?! After some minutes he did come back, the beer was some sweet sherry like stuff, we drank it, the man pointed at the dolphins I couldn't see even if they really were there, and the whole thing repeated itself with another bottle or two. If I liked it, the next day I could go to Vypeen in the boat of his family, the dolphin man said when I decided it was time to go to bed, feeling really drunk. When I tried to find my way over the timber, walking just in front of the man,I slipped and would have disappeared in the water if he did not grab me by my arm or shoulder and help me to reach main land safely.

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