Tips
Tips
We're just hanging out right now for another hour or so and then we'll be meeting someone who's going to take us around Mumbai for the day. Anyway, I thought I'd take a few moments to jot down some things that might help other families who'll be traveling soon.
1. Take flip flops with you. And not necessarily the ones you'll be wearing with you. You're not taking tennis shoes are you? Okay, so I don't wear tennis shoes in my everyday life, but I can't imagine taking them to India. Unless you're trekking or something. But I think a good pair of hiking sandals would do the trick.
Unless you're staying in a nice hotel, you don't know what kind of shower you'll have. It might be a bucket bath (just a low faucet with a big bucket for you to fill up and wash with) or you might just have a simple shower head next to the toilet. If that's the case, water will get everywhere and the floor will be sopping. So you'll need a pair of flip flops to slip on whenever you need the bathroom.
2. Take sandals with you. If you plan to do any sight seeing, you never know if you'll have to take your shoes off when you go inside a place. Taking off socks and shoes all the time and then having to put them back on will get a bit cumbersome.
3. Bring toilet paper or travel size packs of kleenex - or both. First of all, the rolls of tp in the hotels are small. And scratchy. And if you run out, chances are the hotel will have to go to the store to get some. And what if the store isn't open? And trust me, you don't want to be in a position where you're desperate for tp and you can't get any. TRUST me! So chucking a roll or two your bag isn't a bad idea. And packs of Kleenex come in handy for road side toilet emergencies.
4. Bring a travel size bottle of hand sanitizer. It goes without saying.
5. Bring a flat bed sheet - if you have room. The place we're staying at has a fitted sheet and a throw blanket. That flat sheet I brought with me is coming in mighty handy.
6. Bring sunglasses. If you wear sunglasses at home, you'll want to wear them here, too. The sun's the sun, right? And it gets pretty hot here. Plus, as a woman, I think it helps you avoid unwanted eye contact. Regardless of how it sounds, if you have fair skin, hair, or eyes, you'll probably draw attention. And sunglasses help me feel a little bit incognito. Plus, did I already mention how blazing hot it is?
7. Bring a long light scarf with you. Okay, I know, I know. If you read my rant the other day, you know how I feel about scarves. But for me, draping them across my chest and over my shoulders makes me feel better. It keeps people from staring at your chest and I find that a lot of people appreciate the modesty. I keep seeing a lot of tourists in shorts, short dresses, and spaghetti straps, and I don't care, I think it's wrong. I see more and more young Indian girls wear short skirts, but the majority don't. And maybe I'm starting to show my age, but when you travel, you represent your country. And don't we already have enough people thinking that all American women are a bunch of hussies? If you want to wear shorts and tube tops, go somewhere else. Yes, it's hot. But suck it up!
I'm sure I'll come up with other tips, but for now I've got to run. Long day ahead!
We're just hanging out right now for another hour or so and then we'll be meeting someone who's going to take us around Mumbai for the day. Anyway, I thought I'd take a few moments to jot down some things that might help other families who'll be traveling soon.
1. Take flip flops with you. And not necessarily the ones you'll be wearing with you. You're not taking tennis shoes are you? Okay, so I don't wear tennis shoes in my everyday life, but I can't imagine taking them to India. Unless you're trekking or something. But I think a good pair of hiking sandals would do the trick.
Unless you're staying in a nice hotel, you don't know what kind of shower you'll have. It might be a bucket bath (just a low faucet with a big bucket for you to fill up and wash with) or you might just have a simple shower head next to the toilet. If that's the case, water will get everywhere and the floor will be sopping. So you'll need a pair of flip flops to slip on whenever you need the bathroom.
2. Take sandals with you. If you plan to do any sight seeing, you never know if you'll have to take your shoes off when you go inside a place. Taking off socks and shoes all the time and then having to put them back on will get a bit cumbersome.
3. Bring toilet paper or travel size packs of kleenex - or both. First of all, the rolls of tp in the hotels are small. And scratchy. And if you run out, chances are the hotel will have to go to the store to get some. And what if the store isn't open? And trust me, you don't want to be in a position where you're desperate for tp and you can't get any. TRUST me! So chucking a roll or two your bag isn't a bad idea. And packs of Kleenex come in handy for road side toilet emergencies.
4. Bring a travel size bottle of hand sanitizer. It goes without saying.
5. Bring a flat bed sheet - if you have room. The place we're staying at has a fitted sheet and a throw blanket. That flat sheet I brought with me is coming in mighty handy.
6. Bring sunglasses. If you wear sunglasses at home, you'll want to wear them here, too. The sun's the sun, right? And it gets pretty hot here. Plus, as a woman, I think it helps you avoid unwanted eye contact. Regardless of how it sounds, if you have fair skin, hair, or eyes, you'll probably draw attention. And sunglasses help me feel a little bit incognito. Plus, did I already mention how blazing hot it is?
7. Bring a long light scarf with you. Okay, I know, I know. If you read my rant the other day, you know how I feel about scarves. But for me, draping them across my chest and over my shoulders makes me feel better. It keeps people from staring at your chest and I find that a lot of people appreciate the modesty. I keep seeing a lot of tourists in shorts, short dresses, and spaghetti straps, and I don't care, I think it's wrong. I see more and more young Indian girls wear short skirts, but the majority don't. And maybe I'm starting to show my age, but when you travel, you represent your country. And don't we already have enough people thinking that all American women are a bunch of hussies? If you want to wear shorts and tube tops, go somewhere else. Yes, it's hot. But suck it up!
I'm sure I'll come up with other tips, but for now I've got to run. Long day ahead!
Comments
Cheers!
Jane