Yes, I've moved!
I mean, I've moved my blog! Here's the new address: http://thecornytravelerschronicles.wordpress.com
See you there!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Survival tip: How to bargain while traveling in India?
Bargaining is an art. And you'll need to practise it if you intend to travel in India.
During my travels, I've bargained with everyone from trinket-sellers to auto-rickshaw drivers to book-sellers to guesthouse-owners to government officials trying to extract bribes (the bargaining was for the bribe amount!). It's not for a margin of just 10% or 20%, the final price could be as less as half (oh, by the way, it could be even lesser) of the initial quoted amount. So, you could be saving a lot. Especially if you are a tourist, or more importantly, look like a tourist - you will always be perceived by the locals as an easy prey.
Having grown up in India, I feel I am 'okay' at bargaining (you should look at my dad, then you'd know what its really all about), and self-certified to give free advice. So, here are my tips on bargaining:
1. Do a background check: You should have some idea of the value of the article you want to buy. There's a chance that a thing which costs Rs 10 is quoted as Rs 50, and you start bargaining from Rs 20, reach Rs 25 as the final price and feel smug about it. So, it's always better to have a fair idea about what you are buying and how easily it is available in other shops.
2. Do not buy from the first shop you step into: I often end up making this mistake because I hate shopping and want to get it over with. However, often there's a good range of prices for the same object even in adjacent shops, and the fact that you're putting a good amount of effort in buying makes it more difficult for the seller to assume that you are just another dumb tourist. Also, at times, the prices are exponentially higher in the shop right next to the sightseeing place and you should check out shops a bit far away as well.
3. Do not quote your starting amount right from the word go: If the quoted price is Rs 100, do not straight away ask for it for Rs 50, the price might be still lower. Delay your quote by saying things like 'Nah, too costly' or 'It's much cheaper in the shop down the lane'. When you start feeling a decent amount of resistance in lowering the price, then quote your price which should be lower than the best estimate you think you can get.
4. Be careful! : If the final bargained price looks too good to be true, do not start celebrating! Stop and examine your purchase again. If it's too good to be true, it probably isn't. These guys are seasoned sellers and always make a good margin, so watch out!
5. Be ruthless: It's a dog-eat-dog world, you've got to be ruthless. The seller will claim everything from imminent poverty to hunger to near-death. As I said before, he will still be making a good profit out of you. You must not let down your defence, keep bargaining until you get the satisfaction you deserve.
6. Well, try enjoying it: It can be a harrowing experince if you do not do well at it initially and feel cheated. After some practise, when you start getting good deals, you might even start having fun bargaining! Good luck!
Note to self: If this article ever gets published, don't forget to bargain with the publisher for a good price! ;-)
During my travels, I've bargained with everyone from trinket-sellers to auto-rickshaw drivers to book-sellers to guesthouse-owners to government officials trying to extract bribes (the bargaining was for the bribe amount!). It's not for a margin of just 10% or 20%, the final price could be as less as half (oh, by the way, it could be even lesser) of the initial quoted amount. So, you could be saving a lot. Especially if you are a tourist, or more importantly, look like a tourist - you will always be perceived by the locals as an easy prey.
Having grown up in India, I feel I am 'okay' at bargaining (you should look at my dad, then you'd know what its really all about), and self-certified to give free advice. So, here are my tips on bargaining:
1. Do a background check: You should have some idea of the value of the article you want to buy. There's a chance that a thing which costs Rs 10 is quoted as Rs 50, and you start bargaining from Rs 20, reach Rs 25 as the final price and feel smug about it. So, it's always better to have a fair idea about what you are buying and how easily it is available in other shops.
2. Do not buy from the first shop you step into: I often end up making this mistake because I hate shopping and want to get it over with. However, often there's a good range of prices for the same object even in adjacent shops, and the fact that you're putting a good amount of effort in buying makes it more difficult for the seller to assume that you are just another dumb tourist. Also, at times, the prices are exponentially higher in the shop right next to the sightseeing place and you should check out shops a bit far away as well.
3. Do not quote your starting amount right from the word go: If the quoted price is Rs 100, do not straight away ask for it for Rs 50, the price might be still lower. Delay your quote by saying things like 'Nah, too costly' or 'It's much cheaper in the shop down the lane'. When you start feeling a decent amount of resistance in lowering the price, then quote your price which should be lower than the best estimate you think you can get.
4. Be careful! : If the final bargained price looks too good to be true, do not start celebrating! Stop and examine your purchase again. If it's too good to be true, it probably isn't. These guys are seasoned sellers and always make a good margin, so watch out!
5. Be ruthless: It's a dog-eat-dog world, you've got to be ruthless. The seller will claim everything from imminent poverty to hunger to near-death. As I said before, he will still be making a good profit out of you. You must not let down your defence, keep bargaining until you get the satisfaction you deserve.
6. Well, try enjoying it: It can be a harrowing experince if you do not do well at it initially and feel cheated. After some practise, when you start getting good deals, you might even start having fun bargaining! Good luck!
Note to self: If this article ever gets published, don't forget to bargain with the publisher for a good price! ;-)
Ever wondered how a house-boat on a lake in Srinagar looks like from inside?
On my recent Ladakh trip, I crossed Srinagar, where I stayed at a houseboat on Nagin lake for a night. I had heard of the romantic beauty of staying on a houseboat, overlooking the calm surface of the lake dotted with numerous 'shikaras'.
However, I'd never have imagined how beautiful a house-boat looks from the inside:
The carving is absolutely exquisite and precise:
Oh yeah, the outside view, early in the morning didn't disappoint either!
However, I'd never have imagined how beautiful a house-boat looks from the inside:
The carving is absolutely exquisite and precise:
Oh yeah, the outside view, early in the morning didn't disappoint either!
Friday, June 4, 2010
And the countdown gets closer..
16 more hours.. before I embark on my much awaited trip to Ladakh! :-)
Hopefully, I'll be able to squeeze in another blogpost before that..
Hopefully, I'll be able to squeeze in another blogpost before that..
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Highway to Heaven
Or was it the Expressway to Pune? :D
I distinctly remember that day, sometime in the fourth year of college. I think it was my first bus journey alone in India (I had traveled by bus alone in UK before, and by train in India, more number of times than I can count on my fingers). It was definitely the first bus journey alone in India which was being done in a covert manner-it's up to you to guess the reason ;-)
The reason it deserves a post is - bus journeys in India can never be ordinary. Its just not possible. And you don't even need to be going to a small faraway village in a run-down bus. It can be a (supposedly) comfortable air-conditioned bus, but they will make sure you are on the edge of your seat (both literally and figuratively) when you are dealing with the bus operators.
Reasons (hey, I tried my best to avoid making a bulleted list!):
# 1 : Every bus ride you take, there's a 50% chance that you are being taken for a ride.
# 2 : The bus never starts on time. If it does, assume something's fishy going on (refer to #1).
# 3 : At times, you'll be taken away from where you bought a ticket to some random different place in a minibus - I have no clue why - but it always seems shady - and always ends up in further delay of the departure.
But every cloud has a silver lining!
My journey to Pune had a quiet a few BIG incentives (oh no, another list!):
(in descending order of their 'incentivising' power)
# 1 : What's there at the end of it: I had a very strong motivation to reach Pune and meet someone. :-) The bus is one of the fastest and most economical ways to go from Bombay to Pune.
# 2 : Food: The 3-4 hour bus journey always has a food-break somewhere in the middle. Ah, those tasty aloo-bondas and pav-bhajis. A good enough reason to skip breakfast before boarding the bus.
# 3 : Scenery: The road to Pune goes through lush green hills, and has a very scenic route. If you happen to be going in the rainy season, you might chance upon a cute little waterfall too.
# 4 : The in-bus movie: (this one I am afraid, is highly subjective and dependent on people's choice and inclination) You don't get to choose the movie - the bus driver/conductor does. And you've got to watch it. It's up to you to enjoy it. :-)
Have you travelled Bombay to Pune (or the other way round) on bus? How was your experience?
I distinctly remember that day, sometime in the fourth year of college. I think it was my first bus journey alone in India (I had traveled by bus alone in UK before, and by train in India, more number of times than I can count on my fingers). It was definitely the first bus journey alone in India which was being done in a covert manner-it's up to you to guess the reason ;-)
The reason it deserves a post is - bus journeys in India can never be ordinary. Its just not possible. And you don't even need to be going to a small faraway village in a run-down bus. It can be a (supposedly) comfortable air-conditioned bus, but they will make sure you are on the edge of your seat (both literally and figuratively) when you are dealing with the bus operators.
Reasons (hey, I tried my best to avoid making a bulleted list!):
# 1 : Every bus ride you take, there's a 50% chance that you are being taken for a ride.
# 2 : The bus never starts on time. If it does, assume something's fishy going on (refer to #1).
# 3 : At times, you'll be taken away from where you bought a ticket to some random different place in a minibus - I have no clue why - but it always seems shady - and always ends up in further delay of the departure.
But every cloud has a silver lining!
My journey to Pune had a quiet a few BIG incentives (oh no, another list!):
(in descending order of their 'incentivising' power)
# 1 : What's there at the end of it: I had a very strong motivation to reach Pune and meet someone. :-) The bus is one of the fastest and most economical ways to go from Bombay to Pune.
# 2 : Food: The 3-4 hour bus journey always has a food-break somewhere in the middle. Ah, those tasty aloo-bondas and pav-bhajis. A good enough reason to skip breakfast before boarding the bus.
# 3 : Scenery: The road to Pune goes through lush green hills, and has a very scenic route. If you happen to be going in the rainy season, you might chance upon a cute little waterfall too.
# 4 : The in-bus movie: (this one I am afraid, is highly subjective and dependent on people's choice and inclination) You don't get to choose the movie - the bus driver/conductor does. And you've got to watch it. It's up to you to enjoy it. :-)
Have you travelled Bombay to Pune (or the other way round) on bus? How was your experience?
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Garden mein mor nacha, meri mom ne dekha!
(The title of this post is in Hindi language, translated as: 'A peacock danced in my garden, and my mom saw it')
To those who don't know Hindi, this title would seem very weird. Well, it's a twisted version of a common Hindi proverb which says 'A peacock danced in a jungle, but no one saw it' - essentially meaning that if a beautiful peacock dances in the jungle, what value does it have if no one can see it and appreciate it.
Anyway, my home - parents' home - is located in a beautiful colony in Indore which is adjacent to a cute small lake (which even has a summer palace of the kings who used to rule Indore 2-3 centuries back), which has a lot of jungles nearby. The summer months see a wide variety of fauna in the lake's vicinity (in my childhood, I have seen the lake being visited by migratory birds like storks who come all the way from Siberia crossing the mighty Himalayas!). Also, and more related to this blogpost, you see hordes of peahens flanking peacocks (Ahh.. how I wish the human behavior was similar to the birds in this context! ;-) ). Unfortunately, due to continuing deforestation, the birds are forced to look for newer pastures and green areas.
One of these green areas (with a ready supply of grains and seeds for the birds to pick :D ) happens to be the garden attached to my house. So, this summer, peacocks and peahens have made it a point to visit it every once in a while and dance away into the evening (okay, that might be getting a little too romantic, I actually don't know when they prefer to dance - probably early morning). And an enthusiast photographer, my mom, didn't miss the chance to take this beautiful pic! :-)
If you look at the pic carefully, you can spot a few peahens around as well!
*********
Kudos to my mom for the photography! She mentioned that next time, she would take a video of the peacock dancing! :-)
To those who don't know Hindi, this title would seem very weird. Well, it's a twisted version of a common Hindi proverb which says 'A peacock danced in a jungle, but no one saw it' - essentially meaning that if a beautiful peacock dances in the jungle, what value does it have if no one can see it and appreciate it.
Anyway, my home - parents' home - is located in a beautiful colony in Indore which is adjacent to a cute small lake (which even has a summer palace of the kings who used to rule Indore 2-3 centuries back), which has a lot of jungles nearby. The summer months see a wide variety of fauna in the lake's vicinity (in my childhood, I have seen the lake being visited by migratory birds like storks who come all the way from Siberia crossing the mighty Himalayas!). Also, and more related to this blogpost, you see hordes of peahens flanking peacocks (Ahh.. how I wish the human behavior was similar to the birds in this context! ;-) ). Unfortunately, due to continuing deforestation, the birds are forced to look for newer pastures and green areas.
One of these green areas (with a ready supply of grains and seeds for the birds to pick :D ) happens to be the garden attached to my house. So, this summer, peacocks and peahens have made it a point to visit it every once in a while and dance away into the evening (okay, that might be getting a little too romantic, I actually don't know when they prefer to dance - probably early morning). And an enthusiast photographer, my mom, didn't miss the chance to take this beautiful pic! :-)
If you look at the pic carefully, you can spot a few peahens around as well!
*********
Kudos to my mom for the photography! She mentioned that next time, she would take a video of the peacock dancing! :-)
Saturday, May 29, 2010
It seems not every Japanese knows about Naruto
I had just sat down to read a few pages from a travel book (The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux) to be followed by a short nap, when I head some voices outside. This was right after enjoying a breakfast of omelet and tea at the Shri Ganesha Cafe, my accommodation for a couple of days at Gokarna.
I hadn't heard a lot about Gokarna, and definitely not about the Shri Ganesh Cafe. And my stay here was as much a surprise to me, as it was to my friends and family. I had decided to come alone down to the beaches. One of my friends had asked me for a reason. Well, I had no reason. Did I have to need a reason to take a few days leave from office because the atmosphere around had become too suffocating, and a break from everyone around felt good? Ofcourse not! ;-) Hehehe.
So, I had come down to Gokarna - a seemingly-heavenly place, half a day bus journey from Bangalore - alone. After a little research, I came to know that it has 4 very popular beaches, of which Kudle beach was popular among those staying in the town, who mainly came to Gokarna to visit the Shiva temple. I was staying at the Om Beach, more popular for the hordes of foreign tourists (a lot of them hippies - or at least that's what used to be a few years ago), and where the bus driver stopped the bus (a couple of kilometres before reaching the main town of Gokarna) and requested all the foreign tourists to alight, since that's where he assumed they all go! Even though it was a costly Rs 100 auto ride to the Om Beach, which I offered to share with a few of them - none of them agreed. It seems, its difficult for them to trust Indians. Especially Indians who act very friendly. What a shame, since the auto-driver eventually took them to the beach for Rs 170 since they didn't know how to bargain.
The only place of accommodation I had heaard of, at the Om Beach, was the Namaste cafe, which turned out to be full. So, I started walking along the beach, checking one restaurant cafe (these have small huts for rooms) after another and they all turned out to be full, until I reached Shri Ganesh cafe. Where the owner replied to my question with.. "Sir, pehle chaay to lijiye" (translated as: 'Sir, please have some tea first'). I knew I had reached the right place.
That's how we reach the point, when after a sumptuous breakfast (with a full view of the sea and the fresh morning breeze), I was lying down for a short nap (Oh yeah, the reading part didn't last long as I felt very sleepy very fast :-) ) when I heard some activity outside. Activity - a change I didn't mind in such a quiet and serene place. I focussed a little bit, and heard a very sweet voice call out - "Ooohaaaaayyyyooooooo". Ahhh, so my next door neighbour was Japanese! Interesting!!
Curious, I quickly finished the page I was reading, and went outside but saw no one around. I went towards the restaurant - which could be described more like an open-air cafe - and saw that a group of foreigners were sitting, discussing something animatedly, and laughing. I said "Hi" to everyone and just sat with them. Guess what? They were discussing the football world cup happening this year. And immediately I was welcomed to the discussion. I introduced myself as 'Abhijit', which was met with "Eh?","Uhhh.. A.. what?" and "Sorry, could you repeat that" (this last bit was in a very very English accent - I made a point to remember that). So, I reintroduced myself as 'Abhi' to which everyone replied with "Hi Abbey!". Ummm, I could live with that. The topic moved to South Africa, safety and their travel adventures there,with Ryan relating his story about how he was in South Africa for just a day - and in just a day, he got mugged. Thankfully, they didn't take away his sneakers, which according to him, were very nice. Haha! I knew I was going to have a lot of fun in Gokarna.
A little while later, the Japanese chick said she had to make a phone call, and asked me if I could help her out. I said 'Sure' and we started walking back towards the huts. She said, in a very un-Japanese accent (or what I would expect to be Japanese - since I haven't really heard one), "Hi Abbey, I am Sakura." And the following conversation ensued:
Abbey: Wow!
Sakura: Why wow??
Abbey: Hehe, well, I read a lot of Japanese comics, in English, ofcourse. And the first thing I am reminded of, when I think of Japanese, is a comic character called Naruto. And in that comic, he likes a girl called Sakura.
Sakura: Haha, I have never heard of it.
Abbey: Oh, you've not?
Sakura: Nope. I've been in London all my life.
She tried dialing a number from my phone, but the lines were busy, or something like that. Damn Vodafone!
As she was handing me back my phone, she asked me.. "Oh, but, how did you know I am Japanese??".
I replied.. "Arigato" and smiled.
**************
p.s. Thanks to all the friends I made in Gokarna for making my visit such a great experience! :-)
I hadn't heard a lot about Gokarna, and definitely not about the Shri Ganesh Cafe. And my stay here was as much a surprise to me, as it was to my friends and family. I had decided to come alone down to the beaches. One of my friends had asked me for a reason. Well, I had no reason. Did I have to need a reason to take a few days leave from office because the atmosphere around had become too suffocating, and a break from everyone around felt good? Ofcourse not! ;-) Hehehe.
So, I had come down to Gokarna - a seemingly-heavenly place, half a day bus journey from Bangalore - alone. After a little research, I came to know that it has 4 very popular beaches, of which Kudle beach was popular among those staying in the town, who mainly came to Gokarna to visit the Shiva temple. I was staying at the Om Beach, more popular for the hordes of foreign tourists (a lot of them hippies - or at least that's what used to be a few years ago), and where the bus driver stopped the bus (a couple of kilometres before reaching the main town of Gokarna) and requested all the foreign tourists to alight, since that's where he assumed they all go! Even though it was a costly Rs 100 auto ride to the Om Beach, which I offered to share with a few of them - none of them agreed. It seems, its difficult for them to trust Indians. Especially Indians who act very friendly. What a shame, since the auto-driver eventually took them to the beach for Rs 170 since they didn't know how to bargain.
The only place of accommodation I had heaard of, at the Om Beach, was the Namaste cafe, which turned out to be full. So, I started walking along the beach, checking one restaurant cafe (these have small huts for rooms) after another and they all turned out to be full, until I reached Shri Ganesh cafe. Where the owner replied to my question with.. "Sir, pehle chaay to lijiye" (translated as: 'Sir, please have some tea first'). I knew I had reached the right place.
That's how we reach the point, when after a sumptuous breakfast (with a full view of the sea and the fresh morning breeze), I was lying down for a short nap (Oh yeah, the reading part didn't last long as I felt very sleepy very fast :-) ) when I heard some activity outside. Activity - a change I didn't mind in such a quiet and serene place. I focussed a little bit, and heard a very sweet voice call out - "Ooohaaaaayyyyooooooo". Ahhh, so my next door neighbour was Japanese! Interesting!!
Curious, I quickly finished the page I was reading, and went outside but saw no one around. I went towards the restaurant - which could be described more like an open-air cafe - and saw that a group of foreigners were sitting, discussing something animatedly, and laughing. I said "Hi" to everyone and just sat with them. Guess what? They were discussing the football world cup happening this year. And immediately I was welcomed to the discussion. I introduced myself as 'Abhijit', which was met with "Eh?","Uhhh.. A.. what?" and "Sorry, could you repeat that" (this last bit was in a very very English accent - I made a point to remember that). So, I reintroduced myself as 'Abhi' to which everyone replied with "Hi Abbey!". Ummm, I could live with that. The topic moved to South Africa, safety and their travel adventures there,with Ryan relating his story about how he was in South Africa for just a day - and in just a day, he got mugged. Thankfully, they didn't take away his sneakers, which according to him, were very nice. Haha! I knew I was going to have a lot of fun in Gokarna.
A little while later, the Japanese chick said she had to make a phone call, and asked me if I could help her out. I said 'Sure' and we started walking back towards the huts. She said, in a very un-Japanese accent (or what I would expect to be Japanese - since I haven't really heard one), "Hi Abbey, I am Sakura." And the following conversation ensued:
Abbey: Wow!
Sakura: Why wow??
Abbey: Hehe, well, I read a lot of Japanese comics, in English, ofcourse. And the first thing I am reminded of, when I think of Japanese, is a comic character called Naruto. And in that comic, he likes a girl called Sakura.
Sakura: Haha, I have never heard of it.
Abbey: Oh, you've not?
Sakura: Nope. I've been in London all my life.
She tried dialing a number from my phone, but the lines were busy, or something like that. Damn Vodafone!
As she was handing me back my phone, she asked me.. "Oh, but, how did you know I am Japanese??".
I replied.. "Arigato" and smiled.
**************
p.s. Thanks to all the friends I made in Gokarna for making my visit such a great experience! :-)
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