Travel to India. How to go to India for six months: personal experience. Applying for a visa through Visasam

I moved to India at the beginning of 2010 and have been living here to this day. Of course, you have to periodically come to Russia because of the limited time of stay on a visa. At first, a visa was issued for one year, but now, for some reason, it is issued only for eight months. Let me tell you more about the beginning of my journey.

Around 2005, I became passionately interested in yoga, and as you know, from yoga to India and its culture is just a couple of steps. About a year after my all-consuming penetration into the culture of India, I met a girl - the same fan of yoga and meditation as I am.

A year later we got married and in December 2010 we left for India together. Stock Money we had a very small one, I would even say, most likely, modest. It was decided to earn a living by freelancing, because jobs with official wages in India are almost impossible to find. In general, after some time of our residence in India, this system began to bear fruit, and now I can say with confidence that this is the absolute truth - in India you can live on $50 a day.

But it's better to start in order. There were a lot of people on the plane on the way here, and what, to say the least, it was packed to capacity. Although such a crowd of people at this time of the year is not at all surprising, because during Russian winter in India, the warmest time, and, consequently, the most touristic. On the plane they were fed with buns and coffee, which was very nice in itself. So, we flew in comfort. At that time I was an ardent supporter of everything Indian, so neither I nor my wife did any vaccinations before departure, and I will tell you that it is completely in vain. But more on that later.

It should also be mentioned that before traveling to India, you should take a large, or better immediately, huge first-aid kit from home. Many of the usual Russian man there are simply no medicines in India, for example, good antibiotics, enterosorbents, no-shpa and citramone.

So we ended up in India. And this country met us ... mmm ... specifically. Arriving immediately in Goa, we went towards the ocean. The time is 6 am, the whole village is sitting on the beach… why do you think? I don’t even know how to put it literally, I’ll probably say this: “all the locals, well, or almost all, sit out of great need right on the ocean. But then I didn’t care at all, I was on top of bliss from the mere thought that I was in India.

Naturally, at first we had to look for housing. I wanted, of course, something completely inexpensive and preferably close to the ocean. And here it is - a house in Bramakan ... It was just a miracle - a 10-minute walk from the sea, behind a mountain, an empty hut, standing alone in the jungle. We found the owner, who lives in the city, he arrived on a moped, gave the key and said - live, do not worry ... so we did ...

Cashew trees whirl intricately, and flowers exude a delicate aroma! Nothing disturbs the peace and gives complete freedom for meditation. Only a lonely silent neighbor passes by a couple of times a day to let an artificial river into his area. The sacred lake was very close to our new home, and the linen with the powder in it is washed at the same time as the ritual washing.

Again, it didn't strike me as odd at the time. Everything is fine, everything is as it should be, I am nirvana. These were the thoughts that lived in my head at the time. I smiled all the time and was absolutely happy. But this did not last long. Literally before the first food poisoning, which occurred a few hours after the first meal in India.

At first, I felt as if piranhas had settled in my stomach. Then, within five days, I had to use all the remedies for diarrhea brought from Russia. An unforgettable sight, I tell you. And this despite the fact that with such total dehydration, it was natural to drink water only from a bottle. I'll tell you straight away Indian water. Drinking it raw, rinsing your mouth after brushing your teeth, or even just washing your face, I would not advise anyone. All of the above should be done with bottled water. Fortunately, it is sold everywhere, but I want to warn you, be sure to pay attention to the fact that the bottle is tightly closed, and the local seller would not open it, even in front of you. Otherwise, you cannot avoid poisoning. It’s me who is so smart now, but then I was completely not so knowledgeable in such trifles as it seemed to me.

Let me tell you about our hut. As you can see in the photo, this is a structure consisting of walls and a roof, the floor in our house was stone, there was no door. True, there were only jungles around, so it did not cause any inconvenience. Naturally, there were no facilities for a toilet and shower. And if we managed quite simply without the latter, then without a sanitary facility, especially during the period of illness, it was, to put it mildly, uncomfortable. In general, except for the above, we were satisfied with everything. Every day at dawn we chanted mantras, meditated almost constantly, and ate mangoes and coconuts. Speaking of coconuts. These are the only fruits in India that are safe for Russians to eat, especially during the adaptation period.

We lived in such a hut for about three or four weeks, and then went to visit Russian friends and lived with them for a whole month. They spent the winter in India with the whole family. Since they lived with children, it is natural that their living conditions were at their best. Food and water were also radically different from what we had in the first weeks of our stay in India.

There, both my wife and I got stronger and almost completely adapted to life in India, or rather, I would say, it seemed to us at that time. We ate mainly rice, stewed vegetables and flatbread. They only drank boiled water. Fruits, on the advice of new acquaintances, began to be soaked in laundry soap, and before eating they were peeled and poured over with boiling water. There was never any poisoning during the period of residence in the house of the Russian family.

Every morning we started with yoga. Then, after a small breakfast, they usually played the violin or crawled on the Internet. Our new acquaintances even had it at home, there was no need to go to an Internet cafe.

I also want to say to all those who are going to move to India, remember that I only met an ATM there once, and even that did not work, so I advise you to arm yourself with cash. I also want to warn newcomers against theft of local residents. Everyone steals here, and not only people, but also monkeys. And monkeys in India are considered sacred animals, however, as well as cows and snakes. Monkeys are not punished for stealing. If a person is bitten by a snake, then she is put in jail. This is the paradox of India. And by the way, the deceased after being bitten by a poisonous snake is not burned, but simply put on a raft and sent to sail, most often to the Ganges. This is done because it is believed that this person did not die, but simply fell into a very deep sleep. I will tell you that it is an extremely unpleasant sight to see swollen corpses next to a crowd of people bathing or washing clothes. But this is the whole of India, a country of absolute paradoxes. The Ganges River is considered sacred by them, and many pilgrims come to it specifically for ritual bathing. As for me, despite all my then immersion in the world of India, I could not bring myself to put at least one toe into this, to put it mildly, not very clean water. Although this water really disinfects a lot, and there is a completely normal explanation for this - there are huge deposits of silver under the bowels of the water, and it is this that contributes to at least some purification of the local reservoir.

India is a country where children are very much loved. Here they are touched on the cheeks, this is something like our Russian “pat on the head”.

During my entire stay in India, I managed to see little girls running to school barefoot, and already adult students and female students studying right on the ground.

India still never ceases to amaze me. Everything is somehow wrong here, a slow and very measured course of life, the constant laziness of local residents, dirt and feces on every corner, snakes and monkeys, creepy insects and very well-mannered dogs. Yes, they are well-mannered, they never bark and lie very neatly everywhere. Hungry, skinny, but with some kind of proud expression on their faces. I once treated one dog, so he took a piece of cake from me with such an arrogant look, no tail wagging, nothing like that is observed in local dogs.

After staying with Russian friends, my wife and I decided to live closer to the mountains. The beauty there, of course, is indescribable, although no, just completely described, however, not only described, but also ... Further, I think that you guessed what I want to say. This case here is almost everywhere, it happens, and there is nowhere to step. Solid public toilet.

And on the mountain next to the cave convent. There was a heavy downpour and we asked an old nun to wait it out.

She joyfully signed us in, fed us and put us to bed ... and in general she did everything somehow joyfully, constantly singing mantras and saying nothing more. So we lived in this monastery for some time. I have not been able to learn the names. drinking water had to be extracted from a closed well through a narrow hole. Although I jumped a little. The difficulty of obtaining water had to be faced somewhat later. In the monastery, they eat right on the floor from some plates that look more like pieces of cardboard.

Everyone is fed here, or maybe it's just that we were so lucky. I couldn't figure this out, and maybe I didn't really try. A smile constantly plays on the faces of the nuns, often toothless, but certainly very joyful and open. Every morning there was a service in the monastery, the nuns sang beautifully and looked at us cheerfully.

I would like to clarify that all the time described above, we lived on money from freelancing and on small financial savings accumulated back in Russia.

After the monastery for some time we rented a room for 100 rupees. Leaving the house, the ocean was visible. In the heat, it's just bliss. True, there the locals constantly asked us to photograph them.

But this, however, did not bother us in any way, and we were happy to photograph both the kids and, in general, everything that we saw around. Now we are so used to everything that we don’t always carry a camera with us, but then everything was a curiosity and I wanted to capture everything.

Now I will talk about how we moved in India for the first time. Life in India is the absence of any rules traffic. And the longer I live here, the more I am convinced of this. Oncoming traffic practically does not exist, whoever has a larger car is the main one. Drivers constantly press the horn. The noise is such that there is nothing to compare with, perhaps. Once, during the next move from the northern part of India to the south, we noticed that the pass was closed, there were no cars. And then a jeep full of people and knapsacks goes to the eyeballs. It drives past, then backs up, the driver shouts - get in! Where??? Nothing, let's rock! And in fact, in some way still unknown to me, we were able not only to get into this, in general, not a very large car, but also to get there safely. As calm as it is possible in a country like India. I even remember such a case when we spent the night in almost the same conditions that I have just described. It was something... The locals are sexually unsatisfied and it shows in everything. They keep trying to touch or stroke your woman. It was for this reason that the night for me at that time passed completely without sleep.

Public transport in India is also packed to capacity, although it is somewhat similar to Russian buses at rush hour. Nobody ever pays for a ticket, at least we have never paid, and we have not seen anyone from the locals do it. In transport, too, dirt is everywhere. Women are better off public transport in general, try not to ride everything for the same reason as described above. Once we got into some kind of baggage car, where the Indians were crowded in three layers! I ended up between the shelves…or rather between the asses… The girls were sitting upstairs sandwiched between men who ate them with passionate glances!

So you can ride in India only with extreme sports and nothing else. We lived in northern India for quite a long time, we also rented a small house without amenities for little money. Everything suited us there, only a strange shadow sometimes covered the view. I did not immediately realize that a monkey had come to us.

We ate there, mostly fried bananas, which we ourselves safely cooked.

Now I hate bananas, especially fried ones, but then it seemed like the food of the gods. Bananas in India are not at all the same as in Russia, there are a lot of different varieties, and those that we are used to in our homeland are not eaten in India even by sacred animal cows.

Now I will tell about our living in India at the moment. I got a pretty lucrative contract and now I live in India for work visa with his wife of course. We live in big city, in comfortable conditions, but I am still under constant fear of poisoning myself with something or picking up something infectious. And we don’t even think about children until the end of the contract. After all Small child puts his hands in his mouth all the time, and in India it can even be deadly.

Even in the city, it would seem, among luxury and wealth, every morning I see beggars or people from the lowest caste on the side of the roads. Someone just lies on the ground, someone sleeps in dwellings built of cardboard and tarpaulin.

And the children, according to my initial observations, are now very happy here in India.

They absolutely do not care about the concerns of adults. By the way, small children here not only put dots on their foreheads from the evil eye, but also bring their eyes up. How they manage to do this is still a mystery to me.

In cities, as in villages, all the locals love to be photographed, as I mentioned above. And they even ask for it. Agree that it is difficult to imagine Russian people, for example, on a bus, who would come up to you and ask you to photograph them as a keepsake.

Now I will summarize a little my chaotic story about India. If you decide to move here, then be prepared for constant poisoning and fear of getting infected with something. Living in India requires you to make all the necessary vaccinations before moving. A lot of them, full list any infectious disease specialist in the clinic will give you. Stock up on antibiotics for the first time, there are few of them in India. It also does not hurt to take the so-called "homeless packages" from home. They will help you survive in the extreme conditions of India. Remember that you may have to live in huts and just under open sky, and theft in India is very flourishing, so you always carry documents and money on you. Be afraid of snakes and monkeys. The latter, too, like people, are engaged in theft. They very cleverly seize all your belongings, and then carry them to the market and exchange them for food. And don't be surprised, that's exactly what happens. Do not drink freshly squeezed juices in India, although this is a great temptation, you should not do this, otherwise unpleasant consequences for your health are possible. One more piece of advice: nowhere, even in five-star hotels, in any case, do not drink tap water, do not even rinse your mouth with it. Buy drinking water only in bottles. In restaurants and cafes, never order dishes from raw vegetables and do not eat if the order is brought to you slightly warmed up. Food in India should be hot, better scalding. Believe me, I am already an experienced person in this matter and I will not advise bad. Another wish from an experienced resident of India - be sure to carry a flask of alcohol with you everywhere, the stronger the better. I'm not advocating drinking, I'm just saying that if you drink a small sip before and after each meal, you will be less likely to spend the next day hugging a white friend. And of course, when you move to India, bring as much antidiarrheal as possible.

Airplane is the most real way to get to India from Russia. Most of state borders India passes through the sea, the other - through hard-to-reach mountainous areas. In addition, there is political tension on the borders with China and Bangladesh. By sea to get far and long. Plus, it's not safe at all. So flight. On it we will stop in our choice. The largest number international flights arrive in Delhi and Mumbai, as well as Kolkata, Chennai and Bangalore. These airports serve the northwest, West Coast, northeast, southeast coast, central and southern parts of the country, respectively.

The price of air tickets to India depends on the season: the most expensive is from November to March, when in the country « high season”and the weather is most comfortable. Prices decline moderately from April to May and from August to October. Most cheap flights— in June and July. By the way, in October-November, Indians from all over the world flock to their homeland to spend these days of Diwali with their families. That's why ticket prices go up! Business in general.

Tourists heading to Goa or the coast of Kerala are advised to contact a travel agency, where specialists will offer a ready-made tour package, including a charter flight along with accommodation. This is the most best option. But it must be borne in mind that the Indian authorities have set a limit on the duration of the stay of tourists who have arrived charter flight- no more than 28 days. Moreover, the tourist is also obliged to fly by charter.

A flight to India from most cities in Russia is possible only with a transfer, so the average travel time is more than 10 hours. With a direct flight from Moscow, for example, the travel time is reduced by about 2 times, but the cost increases proportionally!

Tourist routes along the "golden triangle" of Delhi - Jaipur - Agra in the north-west of the country begin in Delhi (New Delhi Airport). A round-trip flight from Moscow with a transfer in Astana will cost about 24,000 rubles, the journey will take from 10 to 12 hours. For comparison, Air India performs a direct flight in 6 hours, but the cost of a round-trip ticket is about 36,000 rubles.

On Andaman Islands at east coast India's Port Blair Airport. From Moscow, you can fly here by Lufthansa together with Air India. With transfers in Frankfurt and Chennai, the flight takes as much as 35 hours, the cost of round-trip air tickets is 45,000 rubles.

In Kolkata, a metropolis in the northeast of India, flies Etihad Airways. With an intermediate landing in Abu Dhabi, you will spend 18-19 hours in flight, a ticket will cost about 35,000 rubles.

The same Etihad Airways flies to the city of Bangalore in the south of the country. 12-15 hours and you are there. The issue price is 26,000 rubles.

You have long dreamed of going to India, the land of dreams, fairy tales and legends. You are not afraid of the terrible stories of others that it is dirty there, there are many poor people and you can get very sick. Then this enchanting country is waiting for you! Of course she wants special attention and training, here their laws, culture and traditions, which must be observed. This region can be endowed with a variety of epithets ad infinitum, but no matter what dreams and desires lead you there, a few tips will never hurt.

1. Choose the best time to travel to India

India is beautiful at any time of the year. It is considered that the most right time for recreation, this is the period from October to March. However, if you choose the highlands of the country, then the summer months are also great.

2. Advance ticket purchase

If you have not yet managed to purchase the treasured pieces of paper, then this can be done without leaving your own sofa. Today, many sites specialize in finding the best deals for all airlines at once. In addition, you can independently determine convenient departure dates and find tickets with a big discount. Moreover, air carriers regularly arrange various promotions and discounts. It is also worth taking care of housing in advance. in advance, and your vacation will not be overshadowed by anything.

3. Vaccinations against diseases

Do not panic, you can do just fine without vaccinations, observing simple rules hygiene. Remember to wash your hands, fruits and vegetables. You should not immediately eat what you bought from street vendors if the product has not been cooked. Also, do not drink water from the tap and other sources, it is better to buy bottled water. To get used to the local food a little, you can dine at first in restaurants of European cuisine.

4. Travel India on your own

As soon as you get used to it a little, you can safely leave the crowd of tourists and go on a solo voyage. India is a country that does not tolerate templates and clichés. She is ready to reveal to everyone something of her own, personal, unknown to anyone.

5. The aroma of India is unique!

No matter how you prepare yourself for smells, at first they will follow you everywhere. The smell of garbage dumps is closely intertwined with the aromas of spices and incense, forcing you to constantly wrinkle your nose. No need to worry, very soon you will learn not to notice stench and will be able to feel only the fragrance of flowers and aromatic resins.

6. Incredible number of people

India is home to a billion people, from constant pandemonium ripples in the eyes and dizzy. In such an environment, you get tired very quickly, so change your place of stay more often, go to the countryside, mountains or forest.

7. Communication and language

Don't worry if you don't know Hindi, here English language everyone knows. If you have difficulties with this language, then sign language will help you. Most importantly, smile and be polite and the Indians will always help.

8. Photo for memory

There is a belief among Indians that a photo with a European brings good luck. Feel free to take pictures with local residents when they ask you to.

9. Indian Bazaars

Do you want to feel the whole flavor of this country and its inhabitants? Then the famous Indian bazaars are what you need. Delhi's Chandni Chowk market is ideal, but small bazaars are also not inferior in their colorfulness and originality. Here it is necessary to bargain, as a rule, prices are already inflated by almost 10 times! Try not to leave all your money there on the first day, believe me, it is quite possible.

10. Be careful of beggars and beggars

Often, they gather together, as soon as you sacrifice one, you will immediately be surrounded by a whole pack of beggars.

11. Don't forget there are a lot of monkeys in India

There are a lot of them here, they even build temples for them, but you should not relax if you do not want to lose your things. There are Indians who specifically train monkeys to steal expensive equipment from tourists. Always be on the lookout!

12. Capture beauty

India is permeated through and through with mystery, beauty and amazing things. At every step, you can safely press the camera button, you will not make a mistake with the frame. Most importantly, be patient for subsequent analysis of your photos.

13. Forget about the guide

No one standard route cannot replace your own desires and observations.

14. Don't try to see all of India in one day.

In an effort to gallop across India in a few days, to see and taste everything, you are more likely to bite off a piece of everything, but you will not feel the taste. The country is incredible and you will not be able to go around it even in a couple of months. Explore all the most interesting places, make up your route, or rather, forget all the schemes and just trust your feelings and desires.

Do not believe anyone's stories, advice and feelings. Let India show itself from all sides and then you can draw your own conclusions!

And may your trip to India be wonderful with!

Crazy, confusing, dirty, poor, sultry, unbearable, noisy, frightening. All this India is one of the most ancient and colorful countries in the world. What to expect from her? What to prepare for? How to choose a resort? For those who are just about to plunge into this bright fairy world- 5 short and useful tips. Welcome!

Seriously think about what interests you more - white sandy beaches or mysterious temples; What would you like to do - elephant trekking or shopping. Read all the most useful information about the regions of the country and start creating your own itinerary through the beautiful mesmerizing India.

Most popular tour across the country - the classic "Golden Triangle". Yes, beaten up. Yes, traveled and yes, crowded. But it is he who, in just a few days, is able to give the most complete picture of India, its culture and sights. Starting in Delhi, it will take tourists to the beautiful Taj Mahal in Agra, show the temples of Fathipur Sikri and pink city Jaipur to return to the capital again for an amazing day in the Delhi markets.

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Looking for something special? Please:

best shopping: Delhi
beaches: Goa
tiger watching madhya pradesh
trekking: Himachal Pradesh
religious shrines: Varanasi
Relaxation and Ayurveda: Kerala
diving: Nicobar
parties: Mumbai and North Goa

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So many travelers try to cram all of India's beauties, monuments, museums, regions and beaches into one trip to India... don't be one of them. Visiting one place at a calm, relaxed pace will bring much more pleasant impressions than visiting 10-15 cities in a hurry. Less stress - more understanding, as well as time to communicate with the locals.

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Avoid tap water and fruits and vegetables washed in tap water. No ice, salads, fruits that have not been cooked, washed or cleaned by you yourself.

Some tourists become vegetarians while traveling in India - and this is not a bad idea. A questionable piece of meat can do more harm than lightly cooked vegetables. Also, many Indians are vegetarians, so here huge selection"green" foods. But if you can't refuse meat, make sure it's well cooked. If in doubt - go to a restaurant when good hotel, you definitely can't go wrong.

Toilets in India, of course, can easily compete with their counterparts at provincial Russian bus stations, but they are unlikely to cause harm to health. In any case, you should always carry soap or wet bactericidal wipes with you.

One billion and another 100,000+ inhabitants... that might be too much for some travelers. However, in India you can always find cozy desert corners. If you get tired of noisy big cities or crowded resorts, head south to

Hello friends!

It's winter outside, right now it's snowing in flakes. The first wintering in -10 for the last 3.5 years. A little unusual, but there is an opportunity to gather yourself together and do things that there was not enough time for on the roads. With this article, I decided to unpack my Indian experience a bit and talk about what is needed in order for an independent trip to India to pass without shock therapy.

writing about India with such pictures is the very thing

I have a total of more than a year behind me, spent within this wonderful country. Here is a small one. Read, there are many cross-references to interesting materials:)

India is a country of victorious chaos. Written and unwritten rules here work in completely different planes, and more often they do not work at all. Everything here is ruled by the Gods and the omnipresent Mad Heart. There is much in common with the Russian mentality. The same faith in one's own exclusivity, ingenuity and the ubiquitous maybe.

Chaos and dirt are the main features of any Indian corner. But it's so cozy

Here it is very easy to "erase your personal history" and become "Nobody" (with a capital letter and in the full sense of the word). Get lost, dissolve and be reborn. Among the ancient filthy streets, cows and crazy ascetics with eyes red from hashish.

As my good friend once said: people go to India and Nepal to treat souls.

How to start preparing for the trip?

With the acceptance of the fact that most likely, all your planning will go to hell. In India, the very concept of time is very vague. And if the planes fly according to a completely familiar schedule, then the trains can be late for a day (I'm not exaggerating !!!).

4-5 hour delay railways India is considered normal. Therefore, always have a margin of time.

In a typical Indian slipper

Travel planning

Despite the quite expected destruction of all the plans built, it is necessary to prepare for the trip. You should start at least with tickets and visas). And let travel reviews on this wonderful country say otherwise)

Visa

It is possible to apply for long-term tourist visas for India, up to 5 years (formally, the law has been adopted, but I have not yet seen real precedents). Most often it is possible to obtain a visa for 3 or 6 months. If you ask hard, they can give you a double. The cost is about $100.

The main thing - in the occupation column (type of activity), do not indicate "photographer" or "journalist". They don’t like them there :) For there is nothing to trample on the holy land with your vision with a bunch of dirt, shit and crippled beggars.

In addition, Russians can obtain an electronic visa for a period of 2 months.

It is forbidden to work on a tourist visa, so if you suddenly want to get a job, this can be fraught with problems.

Tickets

I recommend buying tickets, especially for trains and buses, in advance. 1-1.5 months before the trip. And if at the very least you can get tickets for buses even at the last moment, then for trains it often happens that there are no tickets.

I have Good friends who develop routes and buy tickets for Indian trains and buses. I recommend. Their experience is more than 10 years of traveling around India and their approach to business is very professional. They will select tickets, connections and the best route.

Housing

Despite the huge number of accommodations in popular booking systems, you can get burned badly. In India, the concept of "quality of service" is very lame. Even in 3* hotels you may encounter dirty sheets and pubic hair in the pillows. Therefore, it is better to search on the spot, or to agree on some already verified other places.

cobra caster

first aid kit

The stomach and immunity of a Russian person is poorly adapted to the conditions tropical climate. In India, the phrase "Don't let yourself get sick" should sound like a mantra.

Therefore, the must-have items on your trip should be:

Activated carbon
Ointment for insect bites (I recommend "Rescuer". It helps very well to relieve itching after any infamy)
Pancreatin. Spicy food can hit the pancreas hard. And she, according to doctors, practically does not recover.
Furozolidone. miraculous and cheap remedy for any kind intestinal infections.
Sun cream.

It is useless to take any sprays and ointments from mosquitoes from home. They have absolutely no effect on the Indian fauna. In India, there are many grocers where you can easily buy such things.

It would be nice to have travel insurance. Only, as elsewhere in Asia, it does not cover possible injuries from riding scooters and motorcycles. Be vigilant and careful.

It happens that they ask about vaccinations before the trip. I have never done them, but if you are very afraid of malaria or dengue fever, it is better to play it safe. There are a lot of mosquitoes here. I once had a case of a mosquito bite, after which I had a fever for a long time.

Money

If you plan to travel with cash, take dollars or euros. Exchange for rupees can be found in almost any tourist place: from to Kanyakumari.

There are many "ascetic merchants" here

I prefer to travel wild with bank cards. ATMs can be found even in remote villages, where such technical innovations against the backdrop of hand mills seem completely surreal.

It is best to withdraw money from SBI (State Bank of India) and Canara bank ATMs. They don't charge cash out fees.

Traditions you need to know to be safe

The whole of India is conservative and traditional. Therefore, in order not to suddenly find yourself in an uncomfortable (and even dangerous) position, you need to be vigilant and know some traditions.

For women

I will single out this point especially, because spermotoxicosis in men in a society with repressed sexuality reaches very dangerous forms.

Be modest with local men. Polite, but without ingratiating smiles. Otherwise, it may be taken as an availability signal.
Close your charms. Tight clothes and flashy makeup also send a “signal”.
It is better to respond to attempts to shake your hand with a “nameste” bow with arms folded at the chest.
Large gatherings of people are best avoided.
A selfie with an Indian ladies' man often results in your photo being posted on Facebook with the caption "me and my girlfriend." This happens with enviable constancy, regardless of the state. Even more often, 1 selfie turns into a whole selfie session with everyone.

Of course, you should not fall into paranoia, but being on the alert is useful.

More calm in this regard are the Buddhist regions of India: Sikkim.

For everyone else

In India, aggression is perceived as something very out of the ordinary. That is why our not the most prosperous compatriots love to flaunt their "Indian victories" so much. Hindus simply fall into a stupor, which can sometimes lead to very deplorable situations.

Don't let yourself be fooled

India is the land of the victorious heart. Here, since ancient times, they have learned to sweeten the outstretched ears of novice simpletons with eloquence. (here they are called “fresh chicken”: literally “fresh chicken”). Therefore, attempts to deceive here will be constantly. The good news is that 99% of such attempts are childishly naive and harmless.

It is better to relax immediately and even if a deception is discovered, maintain a cheerful mood. Consider that this is a game whose price is 50-100 rubles. Agree, not a high fee for a new interesting experience).

Hindus, when you catch them cheating, most often break into a smile, shake their heads and say “okay”. They say, "it didn't work, okay." You can't even take offense at them.

Indian Divorce in Varanasi

However, vigilance must not be lost! Persistence is possible and even necessary. Only, without aggression. The latter is completely out of favor here. She is offensive and destructive.

The most common divorces are as follows:

Taxi in Delhi. "Are you in India for the first time?" If you answer in the affirmative, there will be a performance: “oh, your hotel burned down. But I know one thing very, very much a good place". In general, they will bring you to a place where a taxi driver will rely on a small magarych. The price will be called 2-3 times higher than the market price.
"The roads are blocked and there are no places." Another old as the world razvodka, found mainly in Delhi. Usually the same taxi drivers to whom you inform that you are going somewhere to the north answer this way, like.
Ear cleaners. Divorce is older than the Mahabharata. Sometimes these comrades can, as if by chance, "absolutely free" pull a horse and half a chicken eaten in the morning out of your ear. When I saw the cleaner working in the ear of a cute white girl, I realized that this divorce would live on for a very long time.
Pressure for pity. “I have 5 children, and today I know the business ... please, give me tips.” In general, a classic story of service personnel: from rickshaw drivers to waiters in a cafe.
Well, and another +100 all sorts of small divorces.

Determining a divorce is quite simple: if someone offers you their services “just like that”, most likely it is not free. This is very common in tourist places like Goa. On the road and in the villages, I have not seen this. On the contrary, only a sincere desire to help, which I was repeatedly convinced of during our and after, on the way