Attempting to Recuperate in Chaotic India

Our intention with this year of travel was to try out “slow travel”, the idea that you spend more time in a country to feel more immersed and you actually transition into “living” there rather than “travelling”. Safe to say we had not yet done that to this point, but had already needed a few relaxing weeks in Laos and Thailand to recover from the first month or so of travel. Well, we’ve had another busy month of travelling, and by Korea we were already taking a few extra rest days, so as we planned India we added extra days in each city to just sit in the hotel and catch up on sleep and writing.

Chennai

We chose Chennai mostly because it was the best flight option from Singapore for points. I had heard of it before from watching The Amazing Race (really got us through our withdrawal not travelling during lockdown) but if it is good for tourists in some areas we definitely didn’t stay in the right spot. We picked the hotel because of another points redemption and to catch-up on writing for a few days but our one venture out was not the best experience.

We saw there was a temple about 10 minute walk away and a grocery store and ATM on the way so we headed out. There wasn’t much for sidewalks on the way, sometimes you are pretty close to traffic. While I’m thankful for the time in Vietnam that helped me handle it, after the last few countries (and especially Japan), it was a bit of a culture shock to get used to the chaos again.

Once we got near the temple we saw this procession coming down the street, so we waited to watch. As the procession was nearing, a group of middle school aged boys came by. They each with a wrench or short pipe in hand and one of them loudly hit the table near us which made me jump pretty good. They started chatting to Mr. Wander asking where we were from, one gave us a thumbs up when we told them Minnesota and as an older man walked passed they said goodbye and had to suddenly leave. It was a bit unnerving and we decided to just walk back to the hotel. We stopped to get some cash at an ATM and a few snacks on our way back.

I don’t think this was a very touristy area and certainly not in a touristy city, most people we told where we had been were surprised to hear Chennai until I said it was for the flight. In any case we didn’t venture out again until it was time to fly to our next city and spent the time writing or trip planning. We were able to watch some of the crazy traffic from our window. We were there for 5 days before we headed for Goa.

Goa

Goa is more of a vacation spot even for locals than Chennai. The airport was a long ways from our hotel, so it took nearly an hour to get to North Goa. Uber is hit or miss in India, in Goa you can only take Uber if you reserve ahead of time which is what we did this time. It was a little annoying while waiting to have so many taxi drivers come up to you selling their services constantly, but that was true in all of the cities. At the airport by the baggage claim we were greeted with this mural.

We were still in a “stay in” mode so we didn’t explore too much, but one night we got dinner at a restaurant and I had this delicious chicken curry, I just wish I remembered what it was called! One of my favorite dishes.

We only had two nights here, we stayed at another IHG hotel using points and it had a nice pool area.

Pune

We had a somewhat early Uber back to the airport for our flight to Pune. The reason we picked this city was to visit some of my former co-workers! There was a team I worked with for 3 years and our first night in town we planned to meet up with them for dinner. This was one of my top 3 moments in all of India, it was so fun to meet everyone in person and see their “non business” side and see them joking around with each other.

They had made a reservation at a BBQ place that had charcoal grills built into the table to keep the skewers warm! They had several vegetarian and non vegetarian options, the cooks were even very accommodating when they worried if the spice was too much. On the vegetarian side they had grilled pineapple and watermelon with the same spice mixture, so tasty! The spice was right at my threshold that I could keep eating, which thankfully was much higher thanks to our time in Thailand.

I’m not sure what all they ordered but there were a few appetizers that were showing up, one of them required being cracked open, filled with a few different things, and then putting the whole thing in your mouth. You can see my friend assembling one for me in one of the photos. As we were eating they just kept bringing more skewers! Eventually they told Mr. Wander and I that this was still just the first course and we could go up to a buffet to get curries, rice, and dessert! I was so full by the end of the night! One of them gave us a ride back to our hotel (the one who drove a car instead of a motorbike) and we said farewell.

Forts of Pune

The following morning we had booked a tour to visit the Sinhagad Fort, one of many in the hills surrounding Pune. We were picked up at the hotel and had about an hour drive up into the hills. Once we got there we climbed up stairs and were met with the first gate.

The views from the top of the fort was beautiful, despite it being the end of winter and everything was dry and brown. Our guide said it was best in June when things start turning green but it’s not constantly raining yet. As we walked around he was telling us stories about the fort and Hindu religion.

It was a nice place to walk around and listen to stories taking pictures.

On the other side of the fort is a village where many people would come up to sell food, water, and souvenirs. Several set up tents and we stopped for a traditional lunch. We started with a small pot of homemade yogurt, and then Onion Pakoda, which are onions coated in gram flour and deep fried with a spicy sauce for dipping.

Then we got a tray with several curries and a few breads for dipping. Most of it was pretty spicy so it was difficult for me to eat quickly and I had at least one more pot of yogurt to help me through. We also got a absolutely delicious cup of Masala Chai, which was so far the best tasting one I had in India.

After lunch we had a traditional post meal snack meant to aid digestion. I don’t remember the name but it was very refreshing as it is wrapped in a type of mint leaf.

The next stop of the tour was to visit two dams, but one was dried so we just went to Khadakwasla Lake to enjoy freshly pressed sugarcane juice with ginger and lemon. Several stalls were setup with tarps to create shade and places to sit by the lake.

Since the other dam was dried up instead they took us to an art and culture museum that we both thoroughly enjoyed. It was a series of buildings you could wander between and learn about weaving saaris, Gandhi and fiber spinning, horoscopes and fine silver work.

After the tour we were dropped back at the hotel and we turned in for the night.

Walking the Streets of Pune

The following morning we reserved a walking tour starting at Shaniwar Wada, the location that housed the Peshwas of the Maratha Empire in the 1700s until it burned down in a fire.

Then we walked to a small nearby temple that had beautiful murals but we weren’t able to take pictures.

Our guide took us to a safe house during the revolution from British Rule. There were several trap doors or connections to help people hide guns or give warning if British officers were entering the building.

On the way to the last spot he took us for an ice cream drink, I’ve forgotten the name but it was a nice treat in the hot weather.

Our last spot was an old market that is over a hundred years old, but unfortunately mostly sits empty. We did see a few people selling vegetables and crafts in one area, but in some booths people were sleeping.

Intermission

In the first half of our time in India the highlight was definitely meeting my friends in person. It was so great and I am thankful the timing worked out to get together. They were such great hosts! I would also recommend to anyone traveling to Pune to visit the Sinhagad Fort, even when it’s super dry and brown the views are spectacular. That art and culture museum was also fascinating and it was a great tour in general.

After Pune, we entered the more touristy parts of India, in an area called the “Golden Triangle” between Jaipur, Agra, and New Delhi, and we added a bonus of Udaipur. Stay tuned for the next installment for a samosas class, ancient sundials, and Taj Mahal at sunrise, namaste!