India. Packing and Arrival…

In the mind of the average viewer India often associated with stereotypes: the dirty streets everywhere, at every step unsanitary conditions, many poor and homeless, and cow — man’s best friend. But, according to an unemotional global macroeconomic indicators, India is among the top ten countries whose housekeeper growing rapidly. Also India — a powerful exporter of software, financial and technological services.

How did the Indians manage to combine low standard of living with the rapid development of technology? The answer is as simple as it is incomprehensible to people with stereotypical way of thinking like “if bad, it is bad everywhere”. India — a country of contrasts toughest and these contrasts meet you at every turn — both in culture and in nature. But all this we have yet to learn, so — go!

Route, as such, we did not have, were only guidelines. The first control point of our trip was the city of Delhi — the capital of the tour, we have identified 3 days. Then the plane we had to go to the south of the country, where the ferry should have reached Sri Lanka. For everything we had 3-4 weeks.

The initial itinerary:

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Prepare for the trip is easy.

Visa. Going to the embassy, ​​get a passport, photo (almost any, as long as it did not at night and not the back), a copy of the first page of the passport and the first and second — civil. And most importantly — $40 in cash, unlabeled notes. To simplify your life, the site can take the form of embassies, just print it and fill (not worth a bother, if something is not right, the Embassy correct). The visa is usually issued the next day (the day of submission of documents not be given a visa, even for extra money). Embassy preferably as much to smile — lack of proper dental occlusion and greatly increase your chances of getting a visa.

Tickets. We were flying watching country, so we approached any option direct flight from Ukraine. This option Kyiv plane was already bankrupt Delhi Aerosvit soonest.

Almost all our things:

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In fact, New Delhi — is not a separate city, but rather — district of Delhi, which is the official capital of India. In short, everything is easy.

Delhi. View from above:

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Arrival. After leaving the plane, the first thing experienced — strange smell, the smell of burned forest. Also, we expected a crowd of Indians — whether security staff, or just staff is unclear, but they were very many. Perhaps as a reminder that India’s population of over 1.2 billion. People.

At the airport gate carpets everywhere:

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At passport control you will need to pass a piece of paper — a small questionnaire which give the plane. So, everything would be fine, but you need to specify the address where you live, so it is better to write the address of a hotel, because then have to ask the neighbors.

Passport control:

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First we went to change our Ukrainian dollars on their Indian rupee. At the airport, as we expected, the course was not as attractive to part with all our stocks. So we just exchanged some money.

When selecting the taxi has to make a difficult choice between comfort and flair official carriers informal. We preferred color and boarded the Indian “Moskvich” — in such a wonderful transport calmly climbs to 6 people. But if there is a strong desire — and can move a group of 7 and 8-and 9-s…

— It is my responsibility, — said our new friend:

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With the future place of residence, we decided in the plane, with us sitting nice Russian-speaking Indian who advised rayonchik near the center, where you can stop for a reasonable price. We had not booked a hotel. As you know, extreme spontaneity and light — the basic ingredients of our trip. That’s what we told the taxi driver “Bring us into the city center!”.

The first deception or traditional Indian game “dilute white”.

The first act of the play began in a taxi. Do not get fooled by friendly questions like who you are, how much will be in the city, where then, and other cues to distract attention. Know it’s all part of an established mechanism for pumping money from gullible tourists (as it turned out later, it is common practice in Delhi. Rickshaws and taxis driven mainly in “their” point — whether the “cheapest” hotel or in the shops for tourists.

On the way our driver spoke often call on local, incomprehensible to us, dialect. As we have guessed then, probably warned his accomplices group of unsuspecting tourists from Ukraine. After some time, vyvidavshy all our plans and reaching psychological portrait, pronyrlyvyy taxi driver started telling about the festival, which will last three days (just as much as we were going to be held in Delhi), and therefore — all hotels are occupied and housing in the city has risen considerably. Also, our driver said that night work only state (“goverment”, as he described) hotel. I am ashamed to admit, but we believe it. When we got to the city center, we are expecting another party performances that he stopped our taxi and said that there are all asleep, and hotel accommodation nowhere. It seemed a bit odd, but we did not have the same value. Our Indian offered us a “state cheap hotel” — well, why not, the state… cheap… go!

He brought us to the hotel, he, apparently — at least a five-star. Against the background of neighboring buildings stood around looking somewhere like Bentley showroom at Zaporozhye — had really cheap look. And then began the second act of the play. First, we have shown the price — very nice zalaminovanyy paper, where prices ranged from Rs 4999 per room (100 bucks). Take room at such prices we certainly were not going (as planned to stay for 5-10 dollars per person) and thinking what to do next. It then came to us uneasy feeling that something is going on around it. Employees reception seems also experienced confusion in our minds and instantly offered a slight discount. Price still was “unaffordable” and… we decided to walk to the subway — the only place where we thought the night would be safe. But it was closed and we were told (oh, these resourceful citizens of India), it is far away.

Before entering the hotel:

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Rooms by local standards were good — though not five star, but somewhere about three and those — Indian. We slept in their sleeping bags (like the early days in India). Teeth cleaned with water from a bottle. When we went to bed, the clock was six in the morning.

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