I'm not going there again,,,,,,,,

blissjunkie · Mar 10th, 2007, 07:57

Just came across this thread and I have to say i'm rather concerned.
I have 3 weeks 'till departure, and now I see that one of the most posted on threads on INDIAMIKE is full of negatives.
Hopefully this is moreover due the experiences people had in the places rather than the inherent awfullness of them.
I've sat on breathtaking beaches all mentally moaned over something minute to allow negative minds to ruin the experience.
Been some grotty old places with a peacful heart and seen past the grime.
remember after all, everything is a projection of the mind!

Maheswara_shishya · Mar 10th, 2007, 08:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by blissjunkie

Just came across this thread and I have to say i'm rather concerned.
I have 3 weeks 'till departure, and now I see that one of the most posted on threads on INDIAMIKE is full of negatives.
Hopefully this is moreover due the experiences people had in the places rather than the inherent awfullness of them.
I've sat on breathtaking beaches all mentally moaned over something minute to allow negative minds to ruin the experience.
Been some grotty old places with a peacful heart and seen past the grime.
remember after all, everything is a projection of the mind!

I would gather its all about personal perception and just being in the wrong place at the wrong moment.

noflylist · Mar 10th, 2007, 08:56

Will never go to Kashmir for its all pervasive scamming mentality by tourist related people

dino2333 · Mar 18th, 2007, 23:09

Baga and Calangute in Goa, but I loved Bogmallo Beach area as it is much less commercialised - a well kept secret!!!!!

Papaji · Mar 18th, 2007, 23:33

To the Paljor Gakyil guest house in Mcleodganj (HP) I think, cause the last time I went there after a long gap of 2 years, they didn't rent out a room to me. They said that all the rooms were full, even though I knew for sure that all except a few were unoccupied.

I used to be regular at that place for I liked the atmosphere there. The rooms were basic and clean and economical. I had built fond memories around that place. I used to love to sit at the terrace and observe some or the other westerner tourist sitting quietly and reading a book, or simply sitting, or chatting away. I liked the place and the people who used to stay there. The owner of the place took a keen interest in the place, was what it appeared to me.

This time I went there the staff had changed.. they didn't recognise me.. and they didn't let out a room to me.. the owner always discouraged Indians, especially Punjabi fellows to take a room there..

not going there again.. for that matter not going to anywhere close to Mcleodganj.. have seen that place so many times.. am bored of it now

ranjan154 · Mar 19th, 2007, 14:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Papaji

To the Paljor Gakyil guest house in Mcleodganj (HP) I think, cause the last time I went there after a long gap of 2 years, they didn't rent out a room to me. They said that all the rooms were full, even though I knew for sure that all except a few were unoccupied.

I used to be regular at that place for I liked the atmosphere there. The rooms were basic and clean and economical. I had built fond memories around that place. I used to love to sit at the terrace and observe some or the other westerner tourist sitting quietly and reading a book, or simply sitting, or chatting away. I liked the place and the people who used to stay there. The owner of the place took a keen interest in the place, was what it appeared to me.

This time I went there the staff had changed.. they didn't recognise me.. and they didn't let out a room to me.. the owner always discouraged Indians, especially Punjabi fellows to take a room there..

not going there again.. for that matter not going to anywhere close to Mcleodganj.. have seen that place so many times.. am bored of it now

Your bitter experience might have caused disappointment to you, but that thing must not discourage to visit Macleodganj again. Keep heart my friend, life is like that only. You may find nicer place than this particular place.Keep trying.

the opoponax · Mar 26th, 2007, 03:31

almost every city on my itinerary so far is on this list.

let's see. arrive in delhi. head up to leh via shimla and manali (but i might stay in vasisht instead, which is less israeli rave-ish?). head back down after a few weeks via amritsar or maybe dharamsala, then on to haridwar and/or rishikesh with maybe a bit of trekking up gangotri way, stop in lucknow if time allows, probably varanasi, maybe calcutta if my friend who lives there is game and i can line it up with durga puja, and then back to delhi via bundhelkand, khajuraho, and agra... 2 months of "never again"?

so far the only places i want to see that no-one has mentioned in 19 pages of gripes are calcutta and orccha.

who wants to bet that on my return, i LOVED everything else, and add those 2 to the list here?

bosquef · Mar 26th, 2007, 18:49

My travelling partner dragged me to Agra kicking and screaming. I anticipated hating it for all the reasons described above. And worst of all... we were spending Christmas there! Couldn't we spend Christmas someplace nice instead of getting hassled and ripped off to see some overrated love monument?

Well... The truth is I loved Agra. The first morning, when we walked to the gate and saw the Taj's hefty entry fee, long lines, etc., we just kept walking. A little boy and his dog started helping us to identify the trees lining the wall. Monkeys were playing in the trees. We got down to the river, and looked up and saw the Taj shining down on us, 100 feet away, through a barbed wire fence. The security guards with guns, our boy, and a couple dogs, were are only companions. Across the river someone was herding buffalo down to the water to drink. The Yamuna was choked with trash. My travelling partner, a botanist, was trying to identify and sketch trees. Soon the security guards with big guns were trying to help her. Then a Sadhu came out of his ashram, and started explaining to us the ayurvedic uses for all the trees, and which were holy to which God. We walked into his ashram at the base of the Taj on the banks of the Yamuna, and he showed us his ancient well, and his ancient shiva lingam. His assistant played music for us on his tambura, made out of a 1 gallon plastic oil container. We tried to pray to Shiva, and left an offering of a small amount of cash. We walked along the river, alone except for cattle herders. We ran out of water, and turned around, and walked back to our cheap, decent hotel in Taj Ganj, and got some cheap food. In the evening, we sat on the rooftop, watched the sunset glistening on the taj, and the pigeon herders instructing their pigeons. The whole day no one tried to rip us off, except the water salesman who wanted me to pay 20 instead of 10 for a litre of mineral water. The next day we went into the taj. The security guy took away my friend's flashlight and another friend's yoyo. I guess Yoyos and flashlights aren't allowed at the Taj. All you complainers need to walk 10 minutes away from the tourist hub, and you'll find beautiful, fascinating India staring you in the face. The same has been true of every place I've been. If you are willing to take a little time, you will find beauty in all of these places. Even the notoriously overcrowded Kovalam Beach is spectacularly beautiful and not very crowded during the off season, which lasts for 8 months a year.

seventies'hippy · Mar 26th, 2007, 19:10

Nice experience bosquef,
It just goes to show as with any of the comments above, don't be turned off going some place just because you've heard this or that about it, Go check it out yourself, you might be pleasantly surprised,,,,,,,,,,,,

capt_mahajan · Mar 26th, 2007, 21:02

bousquef, nice post.

Sometimes its not the place, but your attitude, which makes you have a good time.

pantelis · Mar 27th, 2007, 02:42

it looked sooo horrible

Sama · Mar 28th, 2007, 01:11

nice story, bosquef! and your blog is very interesting, too!

yesterday I went to see my doctor, a Bangalore native. She had not seen me for 2 years, since before my first trip, so she asked me all about it. Told her I had been to India twice already since I last saw her, and when I was telling her some of my stories, I got all teary-eyed, and she hugged me and told me how much she misses India, that she's been here too long.

She told me she has another patient who went to India and came back and told her how she hated it, she was never going back because of all the poverty and dirt. My dr. said she told her, "didn't you see anything good? all you saw was the bad?" My dr. told me that that woman did not see the beauty of India, as I did, that she was blind, and I was not.

everything in the universe is yin/yang, but to me, India especially so -- the light inside the dark, and the dark inside the light.

julesa · Apr 1st, 2007, 16:04

we saw this american girl at sam's cafe in Paharganj totally flip out over her burger which wasn't prepared properly (not in a bun or something) "how can you call that a burger?! it's not a burger, this food is disgusting!" (accompanied by childish food spitting action)

my girlfriend and i looked at eachother, after 6 weeks in india on our first visit, and felt pity for her. maybe she just landed and hadn't got into the right mindset yet. i hope so, for her sake.

IntrepidBerkeleyExplorer · Apr 2nd, 2007, 04:12

I would disagree with anyone who suggests missing either Agra or Varanasi. The opportunity to see the Taj, and photograph it, despite my video camera being jailed, is a pleasant memory. To me it's the most beautiful building on our planet. Filming the variety of activities at Varanasi's gats from a small boat remains a highlight of all my trips. Nothing else like it in the world, far as I know.

Nick-H · Apr 2nd, 2007, 13:34

Quote:

how can you call that a burger

I nearly behaved similarly in a Chennai fried chicken place: no chicken, just bone inside very thick and burnt batter. Disgusting.

I just kept quiet and never went back.

But guys, if you get the urge for fried chicken in Chennai, avoid the place in Alwarpet called rooster-something, or something rooster, OK?

Mar 26th, 2007, 03:31	#277
the opoponax Maha Guru Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Brooklyn, via New Orleans Posts: 1,052	keepin' on the sunny side... almost every city on my itinerary so far is on this list. let's see. arrive in delhi. head up to leh via shimla and manali (but i might stay in vasisht instead, which is less israeli rave-ish?). head back down after a few weeks via amritsar or maybe dharamsala, then on to haridwar and/or rishikesh with maybe a bit of trekking up gangotri way, stop in lucknow if time allows, probably varanasi, maybe calcutta if my friend who lives there is game and i can line it up with durga puja, and then back to delhi via bundhelkand, khajuraho, and agra... 2 months of "never again"? so far the only places i want to see that no-one has mentioned in 19 pages of gripes are calcutta and orccha. who wants to bet that on my return, i LOVED everything else, and add those 2 to the list here?

Mar 26th, 2007, 18:49	#278
bosquef Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Indiana (USA) Posts: 48	I loved Agra in spite of it all.... My travelling partner dragged me to Agra kicking and screaming. I anticipated hating it for all the reasons described above. And worst of all... we were spending Christmas there! Couldn't we spend Christmas someplace nice instead of getting hassled and ripped off to see some overrated love monument? Well... The truth is I loved Agra. The first morning, when we walked to the gate and saw the Taj's hefty entry fee, long lines, etc., we just kept walking. A little boy and his dog started helping us to identify the trees lining the wall. Monkeys were playing in the trees. We got down to the river, and looked up and saw the Taj shining down on us, 100 feet away, through a barbed wire fence. The security guards with guns, our boy, and a couple dogs, were are only companions. Across the river someone was herding buffalo down to the water to drink. The Yamuna was choked with trash. My travelling partner, a botanist, was trying to identify and sketch trees. Soon the security guards with big guns were trying to help her. Then a Sadhu came out of his ashram, and started explaining to us the ayurvedic uses for all the trees, and which were holy to which God. We walked into his ashram at the base of the Taj on the banks of the Yamuna, and he showed us his ancient well, and his ancient shiva lingam. His assistant played music for us on his tambura, made out of a 1 gallon plastic oil container. We tried to pray to Shiva, and left an offering of a small amount of cash. We walked along the river, alone except for cattle herders. We ran out of water, and turned around, and walked back to our cheap, decent hotel in Taj Ganj, and got some cheap food. In the evening, we sat on the rooftop, watched the sunset glistening on the taj, and the pigeon herders instructing their pigeons. The whole day no one tried to rip us off, except the water salesman who wanted me to pay 20 instead of 10 for a litre of mineral water. The next day we went into the taj. The security guy took away my friend's flashlight and another friend's yoyo. I guess Yoyos and flashlights aren't allowed at the Taj. All you complainers need to walk 10 minutes away from the tourist hub, and you'll find beautiful, fascinating India staring you in the face. The same has been true of every place I've been. If you are willing to take a little time, you will find beauty in all of these places. Even the notoriously overcrowded Kovalam Beach is spectacularly beautiful and not very crowded during the off season, which lasts for 8 months a year.

Mar 26th, 2007, 19:10	#279
seventies'hippy Maha Guru Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: UK Posts: 2,127	Nice experience bosquef, It just goes to show as with any of the comments above, don't be turned off going some place just because you've heard this or that about it, Go check it out yourself, you might be pleasantly surprised,,,,,,,,,,,, __________________ . . . My Photo Gallery

Mar 27th, 2007, 02:42	#281
pantelis Hello Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Greece Posts: 289	Yes Patna it looked sooo horrible __________________

Mar 28th, 2007, 01:11	#282
Sama a pain in the asana Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: the India inside my heart Posts: 5,468	nice story, bosquef! and your blog is very interesting, too! yesterday I went to see my doctor, a Bangalore native. She had not seen me for 2 years, since before my first trip, so she asked me all about it. Told her I had been to India twice already since I last saw her, and when I was telling her some of my stories, I got all teary-eyed, and she hugged me and told me how much she misses India, that she's been here too long. She told me she has another patient who went to India and came back and told her how she hated it, she was never going back because of all the poverty and dirt. My dr. said she told her, "didn't you see anything good? all you saw was the bad?" My dr. told me that that woman did not see the beauty of India, as I did, that she was blind, and I was not. everything in the universe is yin/yang, but to me, India especially so -- the light inside the dark, and the dark inside the light. __________________ *My India, 2005-2008* BE THE REVOLUTION

Mar 10th, 2007, 07:57	#271
blissjunkie vaguely shuffling towards enlightenment Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bangkok Posts: 96	Just came across this thread and I have to say i'm rather concerned. I have 3 weeks 'till departure, and now I see that one of the most posted on threads on INDIAMIKE is full of negatives. Hopefully this is moreover due the experiences people had in the places rather than the inherent awfullness of them. I've sat on breathtaking beaches all mentally moaned over something minute to allow negative minds to ruin the experience. Been some grotty old places with a peacful heart and seen past the grime. remember after all, everything is a projection of the mind!

Mar 10th, 2007, 08:56	#273
noflylist Account Closed on User's Request Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Houston Posts: 840	Will never go to Kashmir for its all pervasive scamming mentality by tourist related people

Mar 18th, 2007, 23:09	#274
dino2333 Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: England Posts: 4	Baga and Calangute in Goa, but I loved Bogmallo Beach area as it is much less commercialised - a well kept secret!!!!!

Mar 18th, 2007, 23:33	#275
Papaji Showing up again.. Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: New Delhi Posts: 98	To the Paljor Gakyil guest house in Mcleodganj (HP) I think, cause the last time I went there after a long gap of 2 years, they didn't rent out a room to me. They said that all the rooms were full, even though I knew for sure that all except a few were unoccupied. I used to be regular at that place for I liked the atmosphere there. The rooms were basic and clean and economical. I had built fond memories around that place. I used to love to sit at the terrace and observe some or the other westerner tourist sitting quietly and reading a book, or simply sitting, or chatting away. I liked the place and the people who used to stay there. The owner of the place took a keen interest in the place, was what it appeared to me. This time I went there the staff had changed.. they didn't recognise me.. and they didn't let out a room to me.. the owner always discouraged Indians, especially Punjabi fellows to take a room there.. not going there again.. for that matter not going to anywhere close to Mcleodganj.. have seen that place so many times.. am bored of it now

Mar 26th, 2007, 21:02	#280
capt_mahajan (in charge of navel affairs) Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: India Posts: 10,597	bousquef, nice post. Sometimes its not the place, but your attitude, which makes you have a good time.

Apr 1st, 2007, 16:04	#283
julesa Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: melbourne australia Posts: 297	we saw this american girl at sam's cafe in Paharganj totally flip out over her burger which wasn't prepared properly (not in a bun or something) "how can you call that a burger?! it's not a burger, this food is disgusting!" (accompanied by childish food spitting action) my girlfriend and i looked at eachother, after 6 weeks in india on our first visit, and felt pity for her. maybe she just landed and hadn't got into the right mindset yet. i hope so, for her sake.

Apr 2nd, 2007, 04:12	#284
IntrepidBerkeleyExplorer Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Berkeley, California, USA Posts: 8	My memories are very positive I would disagree with anyone who suggests missing either Agra or Varanasi. The opportunity to see the Taj, and photograph it, despite my video camera being jailed, is a pleasant memory. To me it's the most beautiful building on our planet. Filming the variety of activities at Varanasi's gats from a small boat remains a highlight of all my trips. Nothing else like it in the world, far as I know.

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