XGAMES

I like to think of budget travel in India as an extreme sport. You have to be willing to challenge yourself, sacrifice your comfort, and sometimes even risk bodily injury. You've got to be open minded and go with the flow, and you definitely can't be too squeamish. I never thought I'd get used to seeing people pooing out in the open, perched atop a heap of hot garbage, but these days I walk by unfazed. You wont catch me doing it, but it's no longer something I think twice about. In fact, I kind of understand their reasoning. Cleanliness does not top the list of priorities here, and that goes especially for bathroom facilities. I pray for pit toilets at roadside stops because I don't want my bare bum anywhere near a public toilet seat. Hotel and restaurant bathrooms aren't usually much better, though we have found a few 'gems' here and there.

Contrary to what the Village People said, don't stay at the Y.M.C.A.

Power outages are common and should be expected on a daily basis. Hotels/hostels/guesthouses and restaurants are no exception to this rule.

Here Nina demonstrates how the water from our guesthouse sink doesn't turn on at the faucet, but from the knob under the sink, and the refuse pours out of a hose plugged into nothing, escaping through a drain in the floor. (Totally normal.)

Traveling from place to place is also risky business. They don't call India a subcontinent for nothing; this place is HUGE, and the population is in the billions. Air travel is the most expeditious and efficient form of travel within the country, but expensive, so this frugal girl prefers to stick to the roads. Traffic is insane, seemingly flowing without rhyme or reason. Taxi, auto-rickshaw, bicycle, two-wheeler, car, or bus, no one yields and they pretty much all follow the unspoken rule of 'if you're in gear, your horn should be blowing.' This doesn't bother me too much (occasionally when I am a pedestrian in the mix) and our preferred form of long distance travel is by overnight bus. We usually book a non A/C double sleeper, about a 3 x 6' coffin that feels like a chariot ride to the depths of hell. That description may sound negative, but I find it quite exhilarating! I always look forward to a long bus ride through the muggy Indian night with the breeze (albeit filled with dust and the sudden wall of foul pungence from time to time), not knowing where I am exactly, allowing myself to relax at the mercy of the maniac driver who clearly throws all caution (and speed limits) out the window when he thinks everyone is asleep. The one problem with bus travel is that we never quite know when to get off, as they pretty much never announce it, and this has kinked our plans before. Even once you get off at your 'destination' things can get tricky. Just the other day upon our arrival to Rishikesh we had to take 2 buses, 2 autos, a boat (that we hopped on without realizing we needed to buy tickets first), and a hike up a steep hillside in a thunder storm, all with all of our possessions strapped to our backs. As I sat on the boat pegged to the bench by all of my heavy cargo, my specs streaked with rain water, I just had to laugh because, what else can you do?

Nina, early morning in our double sleeper coffin

You've got to be up for anything, excited by new experiences even when they're weird or uncomfortable, and be willing to fly by the seat of your pants sometimes. (Nina has reluctantly learned that this is the case more often than not when traveling with me as I am not much for planning and tend to be late a lot; the latter actually being somewhat useful here as 'Indian Time' gives a large window of leeway when it comes to being on time.) All of this may be a turn off to some, but I find it exciting, fun, amusing, and character building. I thought I was open minded and rolled with the punches before, but through my experiences this year, I have really learned to appreciate everything for what it is as well as what it can teach me. I am able to see annoyances or frustrating situations as pending blessings and it has improved my overall outlook tremendously. When each day is unpredictable, filled with last minute decisions, surrounded by less than sanitary conditions, eating loads of feisty spices, and sleeping on questionable surfaces, all the while trying to avoid getting lice, scabies, malaria, or dengue, how can you not be having the time of your life? I've never been one to turn down a challenge, as each one makes us stronger and more defined.

An Indian fire extinguisher

I am hooked to the freedom of travel. the feeling that no one is in charge of me but me. I don't answer to a boss, or feel stressed to be on time, and no one even minds if you take long afternoon naps in loungy tree-house restaurants. Nothing is permanent, everything is constantly changing, and though to some it may seem backwards, I find comfort and safety in that.