By the way

Accommodations

Hostels,

everyone knows them. Bunk beds, shared bathrooms, common rooms, and lots of travelers, young or old. They all attract because it is one of the cheapest ways to travel. We have had the pleasure of staying at seven different hostels so far. Sometimes we took a private room, and otherwise, the four-bed rooms have been the most popular. The rooms are usually quite clean and tidy, and we are always happy when there is a window to the outside and no mold on the walls. The coolest beds we have had so far have been in Sawei Madapur and Cochi. In Udaipur, it was also very nice at the beginning until small green insects settled in our beds. In Mumbai, we had the pleasure of showering with countless insects in the shower. In Agra, our room was extremely dark and poorly air-conditioned, plus there was a German girl who was very sick and constantly throwing up. In Rishikesh, we have the most disorganized hostel so far, with a bathroom that has a leaking toilet flush. Another thing that always bothers us is the poor Wi-Fi here in India. Finn especially needs it to store his countless data. But what is really cool is meeting so many different people and experiencing various activities together. These experiences are often intense and special, so it feels strange to say goodbye to people after. Some people we stay in touch with, while others we don't.

Couchsurfing

A very cheap way to travel because you don't pay anything for accommodation. Instead, you participate in normal life and go shopping or cook together with your host. We have already experienced this three times. Although we had to pay something to our first host because he was currently unemployed. His name was Kana, and he was from Germany but has been living in Vrindervan for 14 years and considers himself a Hindu. Our second host was an Indian nudist in Goa, which was a bit funny and strange at the same time. We also cooked for the first time with him, and when he came into the kitchen naked and asked us if we needed onions, he pointed to the onions on a shelf directly in view of his private parts. 😅 With him, we had a private room with our own bathroom, so it was really luxurious. For our third accommodation, we stayed at a student dorm in Delhi. The three guys are from a village and now study together, which sounds normal like us. But they live in a single room that is about nine square meters in size, with a tiny kitchen and a very basic bathroom. So, the five of us slept on only three meters of space on the floor. It's crazy how they can afford this apartment for just 7000 Rp. (~87€) per month, have very little space, and still host people.

Transportation

Tuk Tuk

Rapid, honking, and wild three-wheeled vehicles that are everywhere. As soon as they see tourists walking, they drive next to them and constantly ask if you need one. They are very cheap for locals and usually charge tourists double. So, bargaining is necessary here. Our Indian friends always try to negotiate down the price as much as possible. Once, our host agreed on 200 Rp with the Tuk Tuk driver, but while we were alone with him, he suddenly wanted 300 Rp and started arguing with us. When we got out, we gave him 200 Rp and just walked away, and he reluctantly accepted it.

Rickshaw

These are the vehicles operated by an Indian cyclist, with people sitting in the back.

We don't do that because it feels like slavery when he has to pedal for us in 30 degrees heat.

Bus

Occasionally, we use a regular city bus. These are very cheap. Sometimes you can just get on in the middle of the street because we never see bus stops. Usually, there is extremely loud music playing, making it feel like a party bus. There is always someone inside who collects money and shouts out where they are going. So, the complete opposite of German orderliness. 😉

Train

An experience in itself. Seats in a compartment on two or three levels. People walking through the aisles shouting to sell food, chai tea, or something else. A stinking smell occasionally wafts in from outside, due to all the feces and trash on the tracks. Every train ride brings pleasant and curious acquaintances. People are generous and sometimes even offer us food.

Sleeper Bus

A great invention for traveling long distances. We always book a bus with air conditioning and two beds next to each other. Then we have a small compartment to ourselves. For Finn, it is obviously too short, but for Emely, it's perfect. The journey itself can be relaxing, except that the roads are usually very bumpy due to poor road conditions. Plus, there is the extremely loud horn. But we save one night and cover some distance at the same time. Killing two birds with one stone. The only downside is that the bus doesn't have a toilet, so when the bus takes a break, someone walks through the bus yelling, and now we know it's bathroom break time. 😆