[NEW DELHI] Budget and Itinerary

WEDNESDAY: 14 September 2016

eVisa (India) - 3,300.00

Air Asia X (Kuala Lumpur - New Delhi) - 6,682.00

Airbnb (3 Nights) - 3,330.00

Costa (Belgian Choco Chip) - 300.00

Taxi (Airport - Chandi Wali Gali) - 740.00 INR14,352.00

[UTTAR PRADESH] Budget and Itinerary

MONDAY: 19 September 2016

12035 Jaipur Agra Fort Shatabdi (Jaipur - Agra Fort) - 800.00

Airbnb (2 Nights) - 1,430.00

Auto Rickshaw (Agra FortRailway Station - RK Puram) - 300.00

KFC (Rice Box Meal w/Fries + Krushers) - 389.00

KFC (6 pcs Singles Strips) - 235.00

INR3,154.00

[AGRA] The Taj Mahal

You already know the story of the Taj Mahal, but fine. For those who have been living under the proverbial rock, let’s have a refresher. Long story short: one of Shah Jahan’s wives died. Yup, Mumtaz was one of the many but she was THE favorite. What happens when hubby is filthy rich and you are the favorite wifey? You get a mausoleum when you die. White. Marble. Huge. Overlooking the river. Wifey supposedly died after giving birth to the couple’s 14th child. Jesus, did I just type “14th child”? Wow. Quota?

[RAJASTHAN] Budget and Itinerary

SATURDAY: 17 September 2016

12015 Ajmer Shatabdi Express (New Delhi - Jaipur) - 1,160.00

Airbnb (2 Nights) - 2,270.00

Auto Rickshaw (Jaipur Railway Station - Chandpole) - 200.00

Auto Rickshaw (Chandpole - KFC) - 100.00

KFC (Chicken Bowl w/Pepsi + Choco Krushers) - 228.00

KFC (6 pcs Singles Strips + Choco Krushers) - 363.00

Auto Rickshaw (KFC - City Palace) - 50.00

Admission (City Palace) - 500.00

The Baradari (Cupcake + Vanilla Shake) - 220.00

Admission (Jantar Mantar) - 200.00

Auto Rickshaw (Jantar Mantar - Chandpole) - 50.00

INR5,341.00

[JAIPUR] The Hill Forts of Rajasthan

I think it was Nahargarh Fort that was stalking me from afar, peeking through my Airbnb window. There are more than three forts here in Rajasthan, so I’ve heard, each commanding a good view of the city thanks to their location high up the hills. Eons ago, UNESCO declared the forts, as a group, as part of its world heritage sites. If you are based in the Pink City, a day tour of the forts is doable and should not take that long to reach, even via public transportation.

[JAIPUR] Ancient Astronomy Is Cool

To be totally honest, I was only interested in seeing Agra, because Taj Mahal, right? Gee, typical tourist feels... But going to India is no simple feat. From Kuala Lumpur, it takes almost 6 hours by plane to reach Delhi. Agra has its own airport but does not receive any international flights. You fly either to Delhi or Jaipur if you want to end up within the Golden Triangle. And so New Delhi was included in my itinerary by default, it being my entry point to India. Jaipur, on the other hand? How did it end up on the list?

[DELHI] The Gender-Swapped Taj Mahal Story

As far as tourism in India is concerned, they have this thing they call the Golden Triangle which refers to Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur. If it is your first time in the country, following this itinerary is not a bad idea. There is a wealth of resources online in the form of travel anecdotes, budget lists, and the like that will make your journey easier to manage. While I encourage people to be more adventurous, India is a special case, although there are those who have braved the less popular paths and lived to tell the tale.

[DELHI] Uber and the Red, Red Fort

Once upon a time there was an alien who took an Uber in Delhi, got stuck in traffic for almost two hours, and was only charged INR250 (~PHP190), because Uber is supah cheap in India. Moral of the story? Don’t Uber in New Delhi, unless you love watching chaos unfold from your car window. The best way to get around is by Metro, where you also get to practice your wrestling skills. If you do it every day in the next four years, you’d have honed your techniques well enough to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

[VISA] India (Single Entry)

The first time I attempted to apply for an Indian visa online, I gave up. I was in Kathmandu and the airline didn’t let me board the plane because according to them, we were not visa-on-arrival anymore, that the rules were changed a week prior to my departure. Yeah, Cuba was not the first to pull off that trick on me. I then tried to save the trip by doing the eVisa thingy online, but after several attempts at the really lengthy questionnaire, I was always denied at the payment page. That’s when I decided, fuck India.