last days of nightmare journey

crazyfatchick

I wanted to say thanks to everyone who answered my posts last month and early this month. I haven't had a chance to write until now.

The trip has been a nightmare (maybe just a bad dream). While my friend's family was incredible and the wedding activities great, the rest has sucked.

First our flight was delayed for 26 hours, then the connection was delayed by 2 hours and the last connection was delayed by 3 hours. In London, little old ladies in saris were pushing and shoving me out of the way to get on the plane to Bombay.

I was in Hyderabad for 12 days and saw nothing of it. Not true - I did go to the museum. Never got to step foot outside the house by myself and everyone was busy so some days I never left the house.

Her parents set up a trip for my last few days - horrible! I arrived in Delhi this morning after a two hour flight. Was met by someone from Southern Travels India and drove straight to Jaipur. I fell asleep on the way there and the driver went to lunch and didn't bother to wake me. I woke up not sure of where I was and had no clue where he was. Took 20 mintues for him to come back. Then the guide they arranged for me in Jaipur spent the lousy few hours I have here trying to get me to shop. I thought I was here for part of tomorrow, but no. I am leaving at 7 am to go to the taj mahal and then straight back to delhi for two days. what a waste.

to top it off, I woke up on the plane with a headache that hasn't gone away, a sore throat that has gotten worse, and a runny nose.

Oh well, enough whining. Gonna try to enjoy what's left.

chAos

Too bad you had a rough time.
Hope it ends on a better note for you, at least.

Rasika

Sorry to hear about your experience. Yes I ws afraid, from what you said, that you may not be able to go out on your own in Hyderabad, Indian families are sometimes like that. But I hope the wedding itself was an interesting and fun experience.

I avoid taking guided trips exactly for the reasons you mentioned. Bus tours are better, but I never take a car with driver kind of deal.

Hopefully you will enjoy Delhi - I think it's a great city, just make sure you have time to chill and soak the atmosphere.

Nick-H

A shame, indeed. Do you think you might give it another chance?

Or is it a year or two too early for that question?

Hal

Go to Lodhi Gardens in Delhi and spend an afternoon there just wandering around. It will clear your head. Where are you staying in Delhi?

Sorry you had such a hard time. We would have sent a rescue mission to get you out of the house in Hyderabad if we'd known.

crazyfatchick

OK. The Taj Mahal was worth the hassle and the hotel had a shower and I spent 30 minutes in there and finally felt clean.

The guide in Agra was alot better but I was alot more myself today so I didn't take and **** from him and told him straight off that I wasn't going to and that I really didn't care about the local crafts so don't bother.


I'm not sure where I am staying in Delhi just that I am heading there as soon as I get out of this cafe. Gardens sound good though. Maybe I can sit and read for a while.

If I had been able to get some private time on the Internet, I would have begged you guys to find me and rescue me!

The wedding was amazing and my friend's family treated me like royalty. I thought about the trip as a whole on the ride here today and since the cold seems to be lessening I feel better on a whole and therefore better about the trip.

Speaking of trips - I tripped in the Red Fort and landed on my knee - the one I had surgery on just 6 weeks ago. It is swollen and bruised - the surgeon won't be happy when I get back.

Well, gotta run.

steven_ber

Hey, glad you're feeling better.

I'm doing nothing in Delhi and would have come to rescue you if you'd asked, the problem would have been, who'd rescue you from me.

We're having a Delhi meet-up friday evening (about 6pm, and at least a dozen indiamike members), why don't you join us, we're a bunch of misfits and could do with a bit of normality joining us, oh dear, they'll probibly lynch me now, so that may be worth seeing.

If you fancy a coffee some time tomorrow, let me know, It'll be a pleasure getting away from the miserable tourists in Paharganj.

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Kingstonian

Glad to hear you've perked up now - go and see Steven if you can - I've generally found him willing to stand you a drink! ( sorry Steven, haven't forgotten I still owe you one or two. Or three?)

steven_ber

Here's the details of the meet-up tonight.

You're welcome to join us, just reply to the meet-up thread and other's will advise you about the best way the fing the place.

New Delhi Meetups

Good luck.

crazyfatchick

THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!!

I just got back to the hotel and was wondering what I was going to do with myself tonight. I couldn't stand the thought of staying in this place but didn't fancy going out on my own at night.

I'm going to reply to that meetup right now!

steven_ber

Things didn't get much better for CFC, she spent her final day in India with me, poor girl.

Anyway, we had one of those days where, if it could go wrong, it did.

We hadn't slept the night before, so standing all the way from Delhi to Matura wasn't a great way to start, but we couldn't get any seats.

We got a taxi to Vrindavan and went for a walk, but the temples of Vrindaven are not great compared to others in India, we then got lost, that was OK, but EVERYWHERE we walked CFC was the centre of attention, people just kept staring at her, I've no idea why.

We then got the taxi driver to take us to Deeg, so he first went to Mathura, then somewhere else to get some gas, somewhere else to buy some drugs, then on towards Deeg, however, about 90 minutes after leaving Mathura we were getting really concerned about the time, and found out we still had another 10kms to Deeg and the road had just became aweful, we had to turn back and forget about Deeg, somewhat surprisingly, we got back to Mathura in record time, instaed of 90 minutes, it took about 30 minutes.

Mathura is a very big junction in India, all trains from Delhi to Mumbai and the south pass through Mathura, so finding out we had a 2 hour wait for a train was a major blow, and we were now struggling to get back to Delhi in time for CFC's flight out of hell.

We eventually got on a train and got the side berth seats in Sleeper Class, but then the train crawled and crawled, this was extremely frustrating as a taxi wasn't really an option, but we just got to her hotel in time, and I hope she had an uneventful flight home.

I feel bloody aweful about the way the whole day went, and would have done anything I could to change it, but sometimes India just gets the better of you.

Even though we both kept falling asleep for short naps, I enjojed CFCs company very much, she's a great lady and fun to be around, and it's always interesting to travel around with a tourist attraction.

I don't think CFC will come back to India, and I can fully understand why, but it's Indias' loss, CFC has all the necessery ingredients to have fun wherever she goes and with whomever she travels with, I hope her future travels are a whole lot better than this trip.

karuna

Oh hell, that's such a shame!

Do come back to India, CFC. I now feel oddly responsible for making sure you have a good time! It IS possible.

Btw, I am in Hyderabad right now, and have gone right back to being a tourist attraction, which I really am not in Delhi anymore. It's quite nice for billyshake I think- the stares he usually gets are now aimed firmly at me. What IS it about us crazy fat chicks?

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zoltan

Sorry to hear things went so bad. And without glossing over, these sorts of things can happen.

If you get the chance, go to India with someone else next time (do make sure there is a next time).

As for the driver situation, write to the company - complain !!!

India does have a lot to offer and for some (esp. 1st timers) it can really be hard to complete but I think it's worth it.

Cheers
Zoltan

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Rasika

This is what worries me with some of the itineraries that first-timers post here, zig-zagging around the country as if transport will run with swiss punctuality.

But I am not saying this about this case here, Steven! Seems like bloody bad luck. And CFC, trips to India are not always this bad, I hope you can find out.

shaleen

just a little good advice could have made the trip from hell to heaven. didnt she took expert advcice from here