North India travel, late 2010 to early 2011.

2011-01-03 記
Topic: インド観光

Kolkata

I decided to go on a trip to India for about a week.

Because this trip to India was decided at the last minute, I was in a chaotic state until the departure.

First, the airline tickets.
I checked Rakuten Travel and, luckily, there was a direct flight (Air India) that seemed to have seats available a week before, so I made a reservation. However, at the final payment stage, it showed "fully booked." This kind of thing has happened many times with Rakuten, and I thought, "Again?"

So, I looked for other options, but couldn't find any. I found that Korean Air (via South Korea) to Phnom Penh (Cambodia) was available for 71,000 yen and had only 1 seat left (out of 4 segments), so I tentatively booked it. If there was no other option, I could always go sightseeing at Angkor Wat.

From there, I combined AirAsia and Kingfisher Airlines, and finally arranged it as follows:
12/23 Narita (13:55 departure) -> (Korean Air) -> Seoul, South Korea (16:35 arrival, 18:50 departure) -> Korean Air -> Phnom Penh, Cambodia (22:40 arrival, overnight stay in the city)
12/24 Phnom Penh, Cambodia (10:00 departure) -> (AirAsia) -> Bangkok, Thailand (11:05 arrival, 16:05 departure) -> (Kingfisher Airlines) -> Kolkata (17:30 arrival, direct to hotel)
12/25 Sightseeing in Kolkata (museum), overnight train (Train No 3005/Amritsar Mail, First AC (1A) class, 19:10 departure)
12/26 Varanasi (9:12 arrival, 14 hours of travel)
(Visit the standard tourist attractions in this area)
1/3 Delhi (11:55 departure) -> (AirAsia) -> Bangkok (17:25 arrival, 18:25 departure) -> (AirAsia) -> Phnom Penh (19:40 arrival, 23:40 departure) -> (Korean Air) -> (next day 1/4) -> Seoul (6:40) -> (Korean Air) -> Narita (11:25 arrival)

It's a tight schedule, but I think it will be okay.

For the overnight train, I tried to book it through the IRCTC Reservation System (http://www.irctc.co.in) many times, but almost all of my credit cards were rejected. However, I was able to book it with Cleartrip (http://www.cleartrip.com), which seems to be an agency, in one go.

The former allows you to choose from various payment methods, and I tried various payment sites such as American Express and Citibank, and tried various credit cards I have, such as Saison American Express, Rakuten VISA, Saison Master, and Mizuho VISA, but they were all rejected, which was very "Indian."

Even though the reservation was made, it was in the WaitList 2nd position (meaning I'm on the waiting list), so I can't be sure until it's confirmed.

A visa is required for Cambodia, and it can be obtained at the airport, but considering the need to prepare a photo and wait in line, I decided to obtain an e-Visa for an additional 5 dollars (total of 25 dollars) beforehand.

When I obtained the e-VISA for Cambodia, the payment confirmation page showed "Failed," which made me think, "Huh?" However, the email I received at the same time said, "Payment completed." It's confusing. I received another email, and it said, "Your application is currently pending and will be processed within 3 days." It seems I just have to wait. It's a confusing display... I printed the receipt from the confirmation page and will bring it with me.

December 24th

Arrival in Kolkata (Calcutta), India.

Upon entering the building after arriving at the airport, I was immediately subjected to immigration. I needed to obtain a visa first, so I looked around for a visa counter, but couldn't find one. I intended to ask an officer, but before I could, I explained that I wanted to go through immigration and obtain a visa. An officer was called over, and the visa process began. First, I filled out a form, and then I was told that I needed 60 US dollars equivalent in Indian rupees. I was taken by an officer to a nearby exchange counter. I exchanged money, presumably at a less-than-ideal rate, and paid approximately 2,500 rupees. After showing a photo and a copy of my return airline ticket, I received a stamp and a handwritten visa. This temporary visa seems to be a source of potential problems, such as hotel refusals. Let's see what happens.

While obtaining the visa, I was instructed to leave my luggage near the immigration counter, which I did. However, someone, possibly an officer or a passenger, attempted to take my luggage. To clarify, when I returned from the exchange counter, I saw someone I didn't recognize carrying a bag that looked familiar. I looked back at where I had left my luggage, and it was gone. If someone had taken it, it could have been stolen or lost. The person was seen greeting an officer with one hand, so it's likely that it was an officer. However, if it wasn't an officer, it could have been a theft. Even if it was an officer, the lack of proper management could have resulted in the luggage being misplaced. This incident highlights how the visa issuance process is not functioning smoothly. It was a close call.

The visa issuance process involved a few simple questions about my destination and return flight, after which the visa was issued.

I then went outside and exchanged a few thousand yen for rupees before arranging a prepaid taxi. The cost was approximately 240 rupees (about 480 yen). Although the price includes small change, it seems that even in a formal place like the airport, they don't give change in small denominations.

The prepaid taxi stand is about 30 meters from the exit, but it was dark, so I wasn't sure at first. I looked around for a place where taxis were lined up, and I saw a sign that said "prepaid," so I got in a taxi from there.

I had heard that there were taxi drivers on the way to the prepaid taxi stand who would try to take you to a different location and say, "The prepaid taxi is this way." However, many drivers asked me if I was looking for a taxi, but no one said, "This is the prepaid taxi stand." So, they were just regular touts. They might be surprisingly honest (?). I had heard that India was extremely corrupt, but I also heard that "Kolkata is a rural area and relatively simple," so the latter might be true. Perhaps for first-time visitors to India, starting in a rural area like Kolkata is the best way to get accustomed to the culture.

The taxi looked old and rundown, but it ran surprisingly well and drove briskly. The roads were unpaved, so there was a lot of dust. I was a bit worried because the taxi was heading quite far from the airport and into the countryside. However, I was able to confirm that I was heading in the right direction by using the MapDroyd app on my Xperia smartphone, which uses GPS and displays a map. The GPS function of my Garmin, which I use for hiking and biking, is stronger, so I sometimes had to hold the Xperia closer to the window to get an accurate location, but even being able to occasionally confirm that I was heading in the right direction was enough.

The Xperia is great, but the MapDroyd app is also wonderful because it can display an offline map (free) without connecting to the network, which is like Google Maps.

I finally arrived at the hotel, but the famous Sudder Street was a dusty, small street. I don't understand why it's so famous, but there must be something special about it. I stayed at a hotel called Bawa Walson Spa 'O' tel, which I had booked from Japan. It cost almost 7,000 yen, which is quite expensive for India. The hotel lived up to its price, with a calm and sophisticated atmosphere.

By the way, I've noticed that in other countries, taxi drivers usually leave after dropping off their passengers. However, for some reason, the taxi driver in this case waited at the front desk until I finished checking in. I deliberately ignored him, so nothing happened. Perhaps he was waiting for a tip, or maybe he was waiting for an incentive from the hotel. It was a strange behavior.

During check-in, an employee suddenly said, "This is the first time we've seen this type of visa." I have a feeling things might get complicated. The employee showed me to my room, and after I put my luggage down, I asked, "Do you have internet?" The employee said, "It costs 175 rupees per hour," so I declined. However, I decided to try it out and plugged in the cable, and it worked without any problems. What was that all about? Was it a way for the employee to earn extra money? Or is it being monitored, and I'll be charged later? However, when I asked at the front desk, they said the same thing. Hmm.

December 25th.

It started to get a little cold at night, so I put on a fleece, but I woke up feeling fine in the morning. I took a shower and then had breakfast. The breakfast was a buffet style with a mix of Indian and continental dishes.

After checking out, I left my luggage at the front desk and went for a walk around town.

Banarasi.

December 26th.

Early in the morning, I arrived at the Varanasi Junction station. Although there was no detailed information, I was able to determine the location using GPS, so I was able to wait with peace of mind. About 10 minutes before the scheduled arrival, the conductor notified me, but it was questionable whether I could have made it if I had been sleeping until then. However, since the arrival time was delayed by about an hour, I should have been prepared to get off at any time.

The platform was dirty, but unlike Kolkata, it was less crowded and felt more spacious. At that moment, a person trying to solicit business appeared. I initially thought I would ignore him, but he said that an auto-rickshaw to the Ganges River would cost 50 rupees. When I confirmed, he said that even for two people, the total cost would be 50 rupees, not 50 rupees per person. So, I decided to go to the Ganges River with him, along with the person who was in the same room as me.

Driving felt more aggressive than in Kolkata. Cows were freely walking on the roads, and it seemed that the driver honked at humans but not at cows. I somehow understood that we were heading towards the river, but I wasn't sure exactly where we were, so I frequently checked with GPS. The driver asked me various questions, and when he asked "Where is your hotel?", I replied "It's not decided yet," just in case. I felt that if I answered differently, it would lead to trouble. While we were chatting, he suddenly said, "Do you have a girlfriend? Do you have an Indian girlfriend? I have four girlfriends. I spend time with one of them every three hours." The conversation then took a strange turn. Soon after, he said, "How about it? Do you want one?" "Hey, are you suddenly trying to arrange a prostitute?" When I said, "I don't want an Indian girlfriend," he said, "She's very slender and cute. Why are you rejecting her?" But since I wasn't interested, he stopped talking about it. Just when I thought we were about to reach the river, we suddenly turned into an alley. "Hey, are you trying to do something illegal?" I thought, "Please, don't..." Then, we stopped in front of a hotel in a back alley. The name sounds familiar... So, was it just a hotel introduction? Or is it actually a brothel? I couldn't tell because I didn't go inside. I think he offered me a price of around 300 rupees. Since I wasn't interested anyway, I decided to go back to the main road. I checked the location with GPS, and I headed north towards the Ganges. He seemed to have a guesthouse nearby, so we separated there.

I was able to reach the Ganges smoothly by following the GPS. This time, the GPS has been more useful than I expected.

We continued heading north along the Ganges River, and as expected, there were many people trying to solicit boat rides. The Indian man who shared a room with me last night said that the round trip to the other side cost 50 rupees. Some people said 50 rupees, while others said 300 rupees. Even if it's 50 rupees, there's a high probability that once you reach the other side, they will say "you need another 50 rupees to return" (I've seen many travelogues like that).

Then we walked to the central district and continued heading north. We saw a cremation ground and then returned.

In the evening, a boat that goes back and forth between the north and south banks, but not to the other side, cost 40 rupees, so I decided to try it. At first, they said it was 50 rupees, but when I asked for details, it was 10 rupees to go south, 10 rupees to return, 10 rupees to go north, and 10 rupees to return, totaling 40 rupees, so I got on. Of course, they asked for more, but I'm used to it by now. Their actions are predictable, and their attitude is so natural that I don't even notice it. It seemed that people who looked like Indians were also being asked for more, so perhaps 10 rupees one way is probably the appropriate price.

At night, there was some kind of ceremony, so I went to watch it.

December 27th.

In the morning, I woke up at 5:00, got ready, and went to see the sunrise and the people praying there.

I bought something that looked like a strange decoration there. At first, they said it would cost 1000 rupees in total, but when I said, "I don't need it. I don't want it. I'll only buy one for 1 US dollar (about 42 rupees)," the price for a set of 24 went down to 100 rupees (about 190 yen). It seems they don't want to sell them individually. The person said that some shops sell them for 2000 rupees. They asked me to help a student, but I didn't believe it, so I ignored them. However, I thought that 100 rupees (about 190 yen) might be a reasonable price, so I bought them. When I looked at them again, I thought they were quite well-made.

There are so many interesting things to see and do, but there are also a lot of persistent touts.

I've been rejecting them firmly, and so far, they haven't been as aggressive as the ones I encountered in New Market, Kolkata, who would follow you relentlessly. Even the student vendors trying to sell cloth and tea weren't as annoying as those in Kolkata. So far, India is much easier to travel in than I expected. In fact, I found Egypt more difficult, with its aggressive taxi drivers and rude touts.

While visiting a crematorium, an elderly man (or rather, a frail, almost skeletal beggar) attached himself to me and started explaining things. I just kept saying, "I know, I know," but then he asked me, "Would you like me to introduce you to an old man who is about to die?" I thought it was a scam, as described in the guidebook, and it turned out to be exactly that. He said, "It costs money to burn wood, and the price varies depending on the type of wood. This particular wood costs 600 rupees per kilogram. Please donate." I declined, as I have no interest in visiting someone who is about to die, and I also declined to donate money for the wood.

The boat ride to the other side of the river was negotiable, and I could easily get it down to around 100 rupees. An Indian man I met on the train said it costs 50 rupees for an hour, but the guidebook says it's 80-100 rupees, so that's probably the tourist price. I'm not really interested in taking a boat, but I might if I'm in the mood.

December 28th

Today, I went to visit mosques and other sites in the suburbs with a travel agency. I didn't haggle much, but I rented an auto-rickshaw for 6 hours for 500 rupees (about 950 yen). It's worth it because I don't have to waste time negotiating the price, the driver will wait for me during the sightseeing, there's no guarantee that there will be an auto-rickshaw at each sightseeing spot, and the driver will take me close to each location, so I don't have to explain where to go. Even if I negotiated each one individually, the total would probably be about the same, but with a fixed price and through a travel agency, I feel more secure. In Japanese terms, it's incredibly cheap to rent a vehicle and a driver for 6 hours for less than 1000 yen, but I suppose that's normal in India.

First, I visited the Durga Mandir.

Next, I visited the Tuisi Manas Mandir.

Then, I visited the Vishwanath Temple, which is located within the Banaras Hindu University. There was a separate parking fee of 10 rupees.

After that, I crossed a bridge and visited the Ramnagar Fort (also known as the Fort Museum).

Next, I went to Sarnath, which is a bit further out. This is where the Buddha gave his first sermon.

First, I visited a Tibetan monastery, and then I went to the Mulgandha Kuti Vlhar temple.

When I stopped at the parking lot of the Mulgandha Kuti Vlhar temple, a suspicious-looking guide approached me and offered to show me around. He initially said the price was "whatever you feel is appropriate," but then quickly said "200 rupees for 1 hour." I declined, saying, "I don't need a guide. I have a guidebook." He immediately lowered the price to 100 rupees. If he was actually going to provide a good guide, I would have agreed, but he just stood outside and pointed at things, saying things like, "That's the○○. It was built in the year○○," which is exactly what's written in the first chapter of the guidebook. He did mention a few things that weren't in the guidebook, but the quality and quantity of his information were nowhere near what I would consider a good guide. I wanted him to explain the murals inside, but he just stayed outside. He was a useless guide, so I gave him 50 rupees instead of 100. He looked confused, so I explained, "Your guide did not meet my expectations. You didn't explain anything inside." He said, "OK," and seemed to understand. I think Indians understand when you explain things clearly.

I returned, and at night, I observed the pooja, just like the previous night.

December 29th.

There was still time before the train's departure, so I thought I would try a boat ride. First, I tried to negotiate for the Indian price of 50 rupees, but since I was alone, the other person looked sad, so I decided to go for 100 rupees. However, just before departure, the rower changed, which felt suspicious. This kind of suspiciousness is normal in India, and I don't mind it at all, which is strange.

A little while after we started, another boat came to sell bird food. When I asked the price, they said 50 rupees (I don't know if that's for one or two), and they put two in front of me. I said, "5 rupees for one, 10 rupees for two," and they said OK. Hmm. It seems that when you don't know the market price, about 1/5 of the asking price is appropriate. When I threw food to the birds, many of them came.

Then, I crossed over to the other side and took a short walk.

The rower started talking about his personal life in a very serious tone, and he said that someone had bought him a cell phone from a Japanese person, but it was very old and didn't have a camera, so he wanted me to buy him a cell phone with a camera. Apparently, there was someone named "Toru-kun" who paid for a year's tuition and gave him the old cell phone. I don't know if such a kind person actually exists or if it's a lie, but he seems to be used to it, and he was persistently pressuring me.

If he had asked me to buy a notebook and pencil for studying, I would have understood, but I don't know how to respond to a request to buy a cell phone, so I kept avoiding the issue until the end. He said, "The boss will take all the earnings when we reach the shore. Please give me some money while we're on the river," but I avoided that too. I had set a timer from the beginning, but it was slightly over an hour, so I thought about adding a little to the initial rate of 100 rupees per hour and giving him a tip of 150 rupees, but he seemed dissatisfied. This kind of brazenness is one of the reasons why Indians are disliked, but he doesn't seem to realize it. However, in India, this kind of brazenness is very natural, so I don't mind it at all; I just think, "Here we go again." Because it's a predictable development, I don't mind it at all. If he had just accepted the 150 rupees and said "thank you," we would both be happy, but he's being too greedy. Since he wouldn't accept the 150 rupees, I tried to give him 100 rupees and two 10-rupee notes, a total of 120 rupees, but he was unhappy and said, "That's less." I thought, "He'll probably accept the 150 rupees now," and as expected, he reluctantly accepted the 150 rupees. I've encountered similar Indians before, so this method probably works. It might be a good idea to incorporate this into the Indian countermeasures pattern.

Accidental successful negotiation pattern (twice):
1. Try to pay a little extra on top of the original price as a tip.
2. The Indian person insists, looking dissatisfied, "Give me more."
3. Explain the contents. "This is the tip on top of the original price."
4. The dissatisfaction doesn't subside, and the Indian person persistently demands "More is needed."
5. Repeat 3 and 4, timing it carefully.
6. Show an expression of "Okay, I'm done."
(The best timing is probably when you're actually a little tired?)
7. While saying "The original price is this, so please accept only the original price without a tip," try to give only the original price.
8. The Indian person reluctantly says, "Okay, that's fine," and accepts the price of 1 (the original price + tip).

While on the boat, another boat approached and started doing business. They were trying to sell necklaces, but it seems the prices were inconsistent, and they follow a certain pattern.

First, they say a low price. "This is 50 rupees (about 100 yen)." Then, when you say "How about this one?" they offer a price that's about double. It seems that either price is profitable for them. They offered the same necklace for 50 rupees and 100 rupees, so I ignored the inconsistency and said "2 for 100 rupees," but they said "This one is 50 rupees, and this one is 100 rupees, so that's 150 rupees," so I responded with "Discount it." Even then, they didn't seem to give in, and it seemed they wanted to add more to increase their profit margin, such as a set of 6 for 350 rupees or other types for 200 rupees. I gradually got tired of it, so I bought a set of 6 with other items for 500 rupees (about 950 yen). It feels like I could have gotten it cheaper depending on the negotiation, so it was a bit of a failure, but well, it's okay. Based on the other person's expression, it seems like they weren't making much profit, so it was probably a reasonable price. Perhaps the first item was offered at a price with almost no profit, and the profit comes from the added value of the selected items.

After getting off the boat, I had lunch at a Japanese restaurant and took a walk along the river.

Then, when the time came, I returned to the hotel and headed to the station.

The train was already stopped, and when I got on, it seemed like I was the only one in the compartment.

It's a room with fabric curtains, and it feels like a nice room.

From the evening, my throat has been feeling unwell, and my head is a little fuzzy, and I feel a little feverish, so this quiet room is really a blessing. When I looked in the mirror, my eyes were bloodshot, but after wiping my body with a wet tissue and changing clothes, I felt better. It seems like it will be okay.

At that time, I was asked what I wanted for dinner, and it seems like they were going to make something for me. It's truly first class. Indian food is 100 rupees, but I got what I wanted: chicken and rice, and orange juice, for 200 rupees. I also asked for it to be not spicy.

After finishing my meal, a few Indian people, about 3 of them, came into the room. I wondered what they wanted, and it turned out to be a hotel introduction. It's a newly built hotel called "HOTEL ISABEL PALACE," and it's not listed in the guidebook, and it costs 400 rupees. I couldn't decide, so I used my smartphone to search on Google, but it didn't come up. I tentatively said okay, and decided to go to sleep for the night.

Khajuraho.

December 30th

This morning, there was a knock on the door about 30 minutes before the scheduled arrival. I thought, "Of course, they'll be late," but it seems they arrived on time. Hmm. It's still early in the morning, so it's quite cold.

The person who introduced me yesterday said an auto-rickshaw would cost 150 rupees, which seems like a reasonable price, so I agreed and headed towards the hotel. "HOTEL ISABEL PALACE" is a little away from the center of the village, but they offer bicycle rentals, so it seemed like transportation wouldn't be a problem. However, the price is not 400 rupees, but 1000 rupees. Apparently, it's the peak season, so this is the only price. The person who introduced me was supposed to follow me on a motorcycle, but since they weren't behind me and weren't arriving, it seems they knew the price beforehand and disappeared. I decided to skip that place and asked to be taken to the center of the village. The driver pointed to a place called "Hotel Krishna." This place has cottages, but I chose the regular hotel in the center of the village. The price here was 700 rupees, so I agreed to it.

I left my luggage and took a break again until around 8 o'clock before heading out to see the ruins.

After visiting the Western Group of temples, I tried to rent a bicycle and entered a place in the center of the village that was labeled "SAFARI RESTAURANT, SHARUKH INTERNET CAFE," but it also had "FLAIGHT, TRAIN, TAXI, HOTELS TICKETS, BOOKING HERE" written below it. It was unclear whether it was a restaurant, an internet cafe, or a travel agency, or perhaps a combination of everything. I originally just wanted to rent a bicycle, but I also checked about transportation to Agra.

It turns out that there are few trains from Khajuraho to Jhansi, and there were no available seats. From Jhansi to Agra, there were only a few seats available on the night train at 23:00, and the next train had about 4 seats available, but you would have to travel by bus to get to Jhansi. Flying would require going to Delhi and then returning. Therefore, the recommended option was to charter a taxi. According to Google Maps, it's a direct route of about 430 km and takes about 7 hours. I decided to go with that option, as the driver said that if we stopped at the Orchha ruins, the Jhansi fort, and the Bir Singh Palace along the way, we would arrive in Agra at 7:00 PM, departing at 5:00 AM. The direct fare was 4500 rupees, and including the stops, it was 5300 rupees (approximately 10,000 yen), with two drivers taking turns driving. The drivers cannot stay overnight, so considering the return trip, this price seems reasonable. Especially since tomorrow is December 31st, New Year's Eve, which is a peak time, the slightly higher price is understandable.

Then, I rented a bicycle and explored the Eastern and Southern Groups of temples.

Orchha Fort, Jansi Fort, Bir Singh Palace.

December 31st.

On the day I stayed at "Hotel Krishna," I woke up at 4:00 AM and wanted to take a shower. Because this hotel requires staff to turn on the water heater, I asked them to do so, but they told me, "Please wait an hour because it's early." This is the first time I've encountered a hotel where you have to ask staff every time you want to use the water, and also the first time a hotel has said "no" to a guest's request. What is this? When I said, "I'm leaving in an hour, so I want to use it now," they agreed, but when I turned on the faucet, no water came out. I wondered what was wrong and waited for a while, but then neither hot water nor cold water came out. What is this? I had become indifferent to this kind of hotel, so I wiped my face with a wet tissue and managed to get ready before checking out.

It was still dark outside, and the taxi was driving along the road. The headlights of the passing cars were pointing upwards, and I was terrified because I couldn't see their width and didn't know when they might collide. Especially when large trucks or buses passed by, it was frightening.

My physical condition was still not good, and I had to stop frequently to use the restroom. Because I couldn't do that freely on a bus, I'm glad I took a taxi. While lying down in the back seat and sleeping, I eventually arrived at the Orchha ruins.

After the Orchha ruins, we were heading towards the Jhansi fort. However, instead of taking the main road, we tried a shortcut, which led us to a bumpy road. When we checked the location on GPS, we realized we were driving on a road that wasn't even marked. Is this okay? As expected, we were driving on a road that was very close to the ground, but it seems like it's passable even without a 4WD.

Then, we arrived at the Jhansi fort.

After the fort in Jhansi, we will head to Bir Singh Palace.

At Bir Singh Palace, there was a suspicious guide who, despite the free admission, acted as if there was an entrance fee. When I tried to take a picture, he ran away, so I realized he was a fake. He claimed to be "a government official," but when I asked to see his ID, he said he "didn't have it," which made him seem very suspicious. I had him show me around the inside, and I paid him a little money to leave. Then, he tried to show me the restroom, but it seemed like he was trying to lure me to a secluded area, so I refused and went back to the car.And the car headed to Agra.

As we got closer to Agra, the road became better.

Upon arriving at the hotel in Agra, I tried to give a tip, but when I offered 100 rupees, the person became very unhappy and demanded 500 rupees. This is the kind of thing that shows how greedy some Indians are. I had heard from their boss that "100 rupees is enough, and 200 rupees would be great," so I gave another 100 rupees, and the person's displeasure subsided somewhat, but they still seemed to want more. I thanked them and we parted ways.

Then, I checked into the hotel.

I was still feeling unwell when I entered the hotel, so I decided to contact the travel insurance I had never used before. Since I couldn't make a collect call from the hotel, I connected via Skype and asked for a nearby 24-hour hospital. It turned out to be within walking distance, so I went there immediately. It seems they also offer cashless services.

I went there intending to return soon, but they said my condition was quite serious, so I ended up being hospitalized. They gave me several IV drips one after another, both day and night, and I received an excessive number of injections. A large amount of liquid, the kind that made me wonder if it could actually dissolve and be absorbed into my bloodstream, was injected, and after about 36 hours, I felt much better.

Taj Mahal in Agra.

Although I was told that I still needed to rest, my return date was approaching, and I hadn't seen the Taj Mahal, so I got permission to go out for a short time the day before my return. I had originally planned to sightsee in the city of Delhi, but instead of visiting Delhi, I stayed in the hospital until the morning of my return date and decided to go directly to Delhi Airport by taxi in the early morning.

On the afternoon of the day before my return, at 1:00 PM, I went to the Taj Mahal after eating lunch and spent a few hours sightseeing.

The Taj Mahal, when viewed from the outside, was overwhelming in its size, and I thought, "Wow!" However, when I went inside, the coffins were extremely depressing, and the feeling of depression was so strong that it completely erased the previous sense of wonder. It truly is "Incredible India!"

I should have been impressed when I saw it from the outside, but considering this depressing feeling, I wonder if I should have even come here. I feel strangely gloomy on the way back. Incredible India!

And I returned to the hospital and lay down on the bed. My physical condition had recovered to some extent, and I got ready at 4:00 AM on the day of my departure. I went to Delhi Airport, and then to Bangkok, Phnom Penh, Seoul, and Narita, and somehow managed to return home after a long journey.

(Previous article) → France, Paris, personal travel, end of 2009.

United States, New York - Washington - Niagara, individual travel, 2011. ← (The following article)

Topic: インド観光

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