Moving to India-Starting Varanasi

Oatheum

Hi everyone I'm new here.
I am 27 years old and moving to India in July (gonna get wet) So far my plans consist of a flight from NYC to moscow then bombay. I only intend on staying in Bombay for a day or two, then the idea is to take a train from Bombay and end up in Varanasi. I will stay there until I have a reason to leave and I am hoping to get the tourist visa only offered to americans on the website. A 6month to ten year visa. We will see.
Deciding to do this has not been easy, but none the less I am going. My intent is to find a place where the living and culture is a 180 from my American life.
I recently read a article about a bombing at a temple and train station in varanasi and this seems to bother my family more then me.
In the travel sections of the forums I came to the conclusion that passing through a place to see the sites and living in one are completely different ideas. So I figured this forum would be the best to post my questions.
How have the expats in india gotten along? How long have you been there? Are any of you in Varanasi? What is the most important thing you wish you would have brought with you (ha!)?

Thanks and take care,
Jason

Oatheum

Also I've never left the USA so I would thanks everyone greatly for any advice that can be given.

Vaccines when to get them and what I should keep up with while there. My vaccine history doesn't really exist anywhere so I would like to play it safe.

My intent is to stay for 2-3 years.

jyotirmoy

U have written that u want to experience a life which is 360 deg out of sync with American way. Well in my field of work 360 deg shift is actually coming back to the same phase!!! 180 deg would be what u meant...
U said about staying 2 to 3 years which is a lot of time. Have u given a thought to what would u persue during this time?

Oatheum

ha thanks... didn't notice that - a long day. So far my intentions are to plan to not have a plan - Many things will not change. I will write/play guitar/persue photography. I do have thoughts of getting in a boat and going up stream, backpacking/trekking, I would like to make an attempt to help starving children, learn more about spiritual matters. Buy a motorcycle, go see tigers, be an all around free spirit I suppose, with an equally open mind. I want to learn Hindi and about a culture I know nothing about. Even with all the above for the moment my plans are simple, get to bombay, get to Varanasi, and goto where ever it is I intend on staying. I am still looking into that, at first I am sure I will be in a guest house.

Shaktipalooza

whatever you do, please don't pull a disappearing act on your family. it's very rude and ends up clogging the forums with relatives looking for so and so who was last seen there and there.

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Digital Drifter

Americans! In excess, even in metaphors!

For vaccines, get a list of doctor recommendations of vaccine shots for visiting sub tropical, third world countries. Take some of them in the USA, some here in India. Specially those where the potency is to kick in after a few days or so. Others, like the tetanus jab can be had in India for a fraction of the fees there.

I believe some vaccine brings about a fever? high temperature? for a few days. Having them while at home might be a good idea.

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ferml

Hi Jason,

I'm from Austin and my first trip outside the US was last year to Delhi. Four months ago I moved to Gurgaon (outside of Delhi) for work. My original plan was to stay for 6 months to fulfill my dream of living in another country. Now it looks like I'll be extending that for another 6 months. It's been a hard decision for me to decide to stay, but I know if I leave now that I'll regret it. Plus the opportunity for personal growth is amazing, for me, anyway.

India is definitely a 180 from the American way of life. However, because I'm here for work a lot of things are provided to me for free. Sometimes, I feel lucky that those things are in place, other times I wish it weren't that way.

Responses to your questions and general comments...

- I have met a number of expats while I've been here (through India Mike). All of them are incredibly nice. You'll find more Europeans than Americans though. I don't know if that's because of the distance or if Americans just don't travel as much.

- I also had no record of my vaccinations so I started a full set of them about 2 months before I was scheduled to arrive. I'm sure Boston has some kind of health center dedicated to traveler's needs. You could probably just call any random doctor and tell them what you are looking for and they can provide you with a reference.

- I can't think of much that I wish I'd brought with me... Camera batteries. The rechargable ones here suck.

- If you haven't already, you should buy the Lonely Planet book "India".

- WRT learning Hindi, I recommend "Teach Yourself: Hindi" as well as the Rosetta Stone Hindi series. You might want to hold off starting to learn the language until you get here though... so you avoid the mistake of learning the wrong sounds, however, it might be useful to start learning the script now.

That's all I can think of for now.

Jennifer

PortieOwner

Is India really 180 from life in America? I have not really found that to be the case. Life there might be 20-30 degrees "off" from normal here but no more than that.

Portie

bebe

Hi Jason,

Like you, I am new to India mike too though not new to India. Although I visited India 11 years ago, I can still feel the spiritual influence in my heart and soul. It just feels like a place that is so real - so 'now' - very meditative indeed...

I don't know what advice to give you but I really admire what you are doing and believe that this is what travel is all about - 2-3 years is a very good time to feel out the dimensions..

i would personally suggest getting involved in different kinds of social projects (if that floats your boat) and also to travel to rural parts of India. I would like to take my camera for sure.. though this can be contradictory to being in the moment...

bebe

getting a 10 yr multiple entry visa would work the best, and i plan on getting that myself.. it actually pays for itself in 2-3 trips in a 10 yr span.

On hindi, try to listen to hindi music/movies to get familiar w/ the language. you will learn the most by obviously being in India, and conversing.. so dont worry too much. take a book of catch phrases..

vaccines - u r better off getting all the necessary stuff before you go. most medications start a a month or so before your trip and continue when u come back.. check your hospital's or dr's travel center and let them know all the details.. Hep A is prob advisable. Definitely Typhoid and Malaria. and polio vaccine. dont get too scared.. just precautions.. and shots u should get anyways..

From a health perspective and coming out of the US for the first time, India can be quite dirty - esp the water.. so u have to research all the precautions. but dont let the horror stories discourage you.

bebe

lot of good advice.. i was wondering if you could tell me more on gugaon.. I heard it has become very urbanized. what kind of opportunites are there for Americans with regards to getting exposure to the culture, economy, etc.

I am a consultant from san francisco and am interested in non-profit and ngo type work and projects.

Merchant

You do know that the 10 year visa only allows you to stay in India for six months at a time. You have to leave and collect exit/entry stamps for another six months' stay.

It's really just a six month tourist visa that doesn't expire for ten years.

ferml

Yeah, Gurgaon is pretty urbanized. Mostly businesses, apartments, and malls. In terms of exposure to the culture, my personal take is that that has more to do with YOU than with your location. That's not to say that I think location is irrelevant. I just think that putting yourself out there is more important than location.

All that being said, if interacting with locals and what-not is a high priority for you, Gurgaon would certainly not be your first choice, or your second or third choice for that matter.