Tales from a first time traveller to India

SHIMLA · Apr 30th, 2005, 07:56

Great job, parabol64 !

Please continue. Such threads are worthy of always being on the front page.

DoDi · Apr 30th, 2005, 08:24

thanks parabol64! I'm really hooked on your travelogue... please continue

Radha · Apr 30th, 2005, 20:38

Yes, please do continue.......don't want to hurry you along but did you get to Udaipur as part of your Rajasthan tour. We had a great time in Jaipur but absolutely loved Udaipur.

Also, your first expereince of India - arriving at Delhi so late - does indeed sound cool, calm and collected. We arrived much earlier and experienced a real baptism of fire. It was totally frantic, electric and crazy, but in the best way possible. Thats what I love about India generally I guess!

parabol64 · Apr 30th, 2005, 21:09

EDITOR'S NOTE: This post has been promoted to the Articles section. You can read it in it's entirety here:

Tales from a first time traveler to Rajasthan India

parabol64 · Apr 30th, 2005, 21:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Radha

....don't want to hurry you along but did you get to Udaipur as part of your Rajasthan tour. We had a great time in Jaipur but absolutely loved Udaipur.

Unfortunately we didnt go to Udaipur.
We thought it was too out of the way for us to be able to fit it in our tight schedule. Also we were told lots of the charm has gone with the lake drying etc. But I dont really believe that.

seventies'hippy · Apr 30th, 2005, 22:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by parabol64

Days 6-7-8: Pushkar
We felt that unless you get stoned all day (which we didnt) there isnt really much to do in Pushkar. Once you've been up and down the market a few hundred times, it gets a bit tedious. So three days were definitely enough. If you're on a tight schedule, two days are sufficient.

You can always check out some temple people, the ghats or local families,
not all pushkar people are on the make
----------
The most memorable thing we saw in Pushkar was a mutated cow! It had an extra leg growing out of its back, right out of its spinal cord.
Did'nt the setting of the place itself leave a memory, Like where it is exactly over the snake pass from Ajmer, nestling where it does between the pyramidic mountains on the edge of the desert, the lake etc,,,,,,,

edsita has a photo of this beast in her gallery

A note about the food

Yes with all of Pushkar being strictly vegetarian anything which normally requires an egg, ie omellettes don't come upto scratch.
Shame you didn't try any street stalls anywhere though,,,,,,,,,,,,,

============================

parabol64 · May 6th, 2005, 01:46

EDITOR'S NOTE: This post has been promoted to the Articles section. You can read it in it's entirety here:

Tales from a first time traveler to Rajasthan India

tia126 · May 6th, 2005, 02:16

Thanks so much for your travel tales...I just joined the forum and plan on meeting up in India with a friend later in the year. I want to see a lot of the same places you have visited, so I'm enjoying every installment immensely!

nadreg · Jun 17th, 2008, 10:25

EDITOR'S NOTE: This post has been promoted to the Articles section. You can read it in it's entirety here:

Tales from a first time traveler to Rajasthan India

kristinm · Jun 30th, 2008, 09:49

Such a shame you didn't try the street food!Its fantastic - explosions of taste and spice which vary from one stall to the next so you never have the same experience twice. As our waistlines evidenced we found the food around Rajasthan a highlight and ate almost constantly (literally) without getting sick... But the times we ate in LP type places we were disappointed as you were - I think that what they think tourists want is a bland westernised version of the 'real' thing.

Opps now I see how old this thread is - never mind though, its all good for future traveller eh?

deerkm · Nov 23rd, 2008, 00:15

Jaisalmer would have been a great addition to your itinerary. We found it better than Jodhpur in many ways, especially the food. We were pretty disappointed with the food scene at Jodhpur and it was at Jaisalmer we could taste some authentic Rasjasthani food - absolutely great tasting! It was at the smaller places, though, that the food tasted the best.

vegan · Aug 4th, 2009, 10:19

I was amused by your comments on Indian food in India. I am an Indian who lives in the USA and can understand your frustrations. I too have difficulty eating in India since most food is deep fried in who knows in which oil; healthy choices are limited.

Chapatis in India were made from atta (whole wheat flour) but nowadays in restaurants it is mostly made from maida (white bread). Rice is white rice. Most vegetables and dals near Delhi have paneer (cottage cheese) added to them. Being used to health food restaurants in the USA where whole wheat bread, brown rice, non-oily dals and veggies are the norm, I too have had difficulty eating out in India.

One tolerable option is government-run restaurants which seem to serve decent food or eating at the guest houses (in one GH in Ladakn the farmer-owner served me whole wheat bread, dal and veggies, all grown in his farm!) In Rishikesh I visited a couple of places serving tofu dishes and the food was gourmet-quality even though they can't be termed 'Indian.'

Regarding your comment about London's Indian food being better than India's Indian food, the question is about authenticity. India's Indian food is real Indian food by definition while London's food is altered to suit the Western palate. Most Indians don't eat chicken tikka but how many Indian restaurants in London or New York DON'T serve chicken tikka - a favorite of people from West. Or beef being served in Indian restaurants in the USA? I have eaten palaak tofu curry in Berkeley but is it real Indian food even though I prefer that because I don't eat paneer.

As a vegetarian Indian I like 'Chinese' dishes like veg chowmein, veg chopsuey served in Indian restaurants in India but does it mean that this food is better than the real chinese food served in China which will have little resemblence with Indian vegetarian version of their food?

india is in me · Aug 29th, 2009, 16:35

As a person who's currently planning their first trip to Rajasthan, I found your travel tales inisghtful and interesting to read. Thanks for that.

But, as a person who has been to India before (just not to Rajasthan).. I was sad to hear that you didn't try the street food!!! You missed out on some amazing taste sensations... in my experience the best indian food WAS from the street.. and while the snacks were often deep fried in Kolkata and Jharkhand there was plenty of yummy delicous curry/daal and all kinds of noodles/rice and thalis available on every corner.

PLease tell me you at least tried Chai from the street? I think chai from the street was one of my favourite parts about india.. Mmmmmmm mmmmmmm. Can't wait to get back just to sip it on the sidwalk once again.

Apr 30th, 2005, 07:56	#16
SHIMLA Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Yangon, MYANMAR Posts: 4,126	Great job, parabol64 ! Please continue. Such threads are worthy of always being on the front page. __________________ Whoever said money can't buy happiness didn't know where to shop !

Apr 30th, 2005, 21:09	#19
parabol64 Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: London Posts: 19	Tales from a first time traveller to India - Cntd. EDITOR'S NOTE: This post has been promoted to the Articles section. You can read it in it's entirety here: Tales from a first time traveler to Rajasthan India Last edited by nadreg : Jun 17th, 2008 at 10:24.

May 6th, 2005, 01:46	#22
parabol64 Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: London Posts: 19	Tales from a first time traveller to India - Cntd. EDITOR'S NOTE: This post has been promoted to the Articles section. You can read it in it's entirety here: Tales from a first time traveler to Rajasthan India Last edited by nadreg : Jun 17th, 2008 at 10:25.

Jun 17th, 2008, 10:25	#24
nadreg Administrator Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: NY, USA Posts: 2,137	EDITOR'S NOTE: This post has been promoted to the Articles section. You can read it in it's entirety here: Tales from a first time traveler to Rajasthan India __________________ In pursuit of the Only truth: I Am!

Nov 23rd, 2008, 00:15	#26
deerkm Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Navi Mumbai Posts: 5	You didn't see the best places in Rajasthan! Jaisalmer would have been a great addition to your itinerary. We found it better than Jodhpur in many ways, especially the food. We were pretty disappointed with the food scene at Jodhpur and it was at Jaisalmer we could taste some authentic Rasjasthani food - absolutely great tasting! It was at the smaller places, though, that the food tasted the best.

Apr 30th, 2005, 08:24	#17
DoDi Nodal Agent Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: I live in my cube. Posts: 215	thanks parabol64! I'm really hooked on your travelogue... please continue

Apr 30th, 2005, 20:38	#18
Radha Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Sydney Posts: 6	Yes, please do continue.......don't want to hurry you along but did you get to Udaipur as part of your Rajasthan tour. We had a great time in Jaipur but absolutely loved Udaipur. Also, your first expereince of India - arriving at Delhi so late - does indeed sound cool, calm and collected. We arrived much earlier and experienced a real baptism of fire. It was totally frantic, electric and crazy, but in the best way possible. Thats what I love about India generally I guess!

May 6th, 2005, 02:16	#23
tia126 Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Washington DC Posts: 2	Thanks so much for your travel tales...I just joined the forum and plan on meeting up in India with a friend later in the year. I want to see a lot of the same places you have visited, so I'm enjoying every installment immensely!

Jun 30th, 2008, 09:49	#25
kristinm Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Beautiful Bondi (not Bundi!) Posts: 1,603	Such a shame you didn't try the street food!Its fantastic - explosions of taste and spice which vary from one stall to the next so you never have the same experience twice. As our waistlines evidenced we found the food around Rajasthan a highlight and ate almost constantly (literally) without getting sick... But the times we ate in LP type places we were disappointed as you were - I think that what they think tourists want is a bland westernised version of the 'real' thing. Opps now I see how old this thread is - never mind though, its all good for future traveller eh?

Aug 4th, 2009, 10:19	#27
vegan Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: USA Posts: 123	Food for foreigners I was amused by your comments on Indian food in India. I am an Indian who lives in the USA and can understand your frustrations. I too have difficulty eating in India since most food is deep fried in who knows in which oil; healthy choices are limited. Chapatis in India were made from atta (whole wheat flour) but nowadays in restaurants it is mostly made from maida (white bread). Rice is white rice. Most vegetables and dals near Delhi have paneer (cottage cheese) added to them. Being used to health food restaurants in the USA where whole wheat bread, brown rice, non-oily dals and veggies are the norm, I too have had difficulty eating out in India. One tolerable option is government-run restaurants which seem to serve decent food or eating at the guest houses (in one GH in Ladakn the farmer-owner served me whole wheat bread, dal and veggies, all grown in his farm!) In Rishikesh I visited a couple of places serving tofu dishes and the food was gourmet-quality even though they can't be termed 'Indian.' Regarding your comment about London's Indian food being better than India's Indian food, the question is about authenticity. India's Indian food is real Indian food by definition while London's food is altered to suit the Western palate. Most Indians don't eat chicken tikka but how many Indian restaurants in London or New York DON'T serve chicken tikka - a favorite of people from West. Or beef being served in Indian restaurants in the USA? I have eaten palaak tofu curry in Berkeley but is it real Indian food even though I prefer that because I don't eat paneer. As a vegetarian Indian I like 'Chinese' dishes like veg chowmein, veg chopsuey served in Indian restaurants in India but does it mean that this food is better than the real chinese food served in China which will have little resemblence with Indian vegetarian version of their food?

Aug 29th, 2009, 16:35	#28
india is in me Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Melbourne Posts: 65	Indian street food As a person who's currently planning their first trip to Rajasthan, I found your travel tales inisghtful and interesting to read. Thanks for that. But, as a person who has been to India before (just not to Rajasthan).. I was sad to hear that you didn't try the street food!!! You missed out on some amazing taste sensations... in my experience the best indian food WAS from the street.. and while the snacks were often deep fried in Kolkata and Jharkhand there was plenty of yummy delicous curry/daal and all kinds of noodles/rice and thalis available on every corner. PLease tell me you at least tried Chai from the street? I think chai from the street was one of my favourite parts about india.. Mmmmmmm mmmmmmm. Can't wait to get back just to sip it on the sidwalk once again.

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