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ella
Joined: 17 Apr 2006
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 Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 5:58 pm Post subject: |
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It's not food poisoning you have to worry about with offers of food on trains, it's being drugged and robbed.
If you want tips about how to enjoy food in India without getting sick, I'll post guidelines that work for me. |
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desultude
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Location: Dangling my toes in the Persian Gulf
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| Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 6:29 pm Post subject: |
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| ella wrote: |
It's not food poisoning you have to worry about with offers of food on trains, it's being drugged and robbed.
If you want tips about how to enjoy food in India without getting sick, I'll post guidelines that work for me. |
OOPS! That would never have crossed my naive little brain. I am always in the market for tips on food poisoning. Please! I am also keen on tips regarding not getting robbed. |
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ella
Joined: 17 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 7:35 pm Post subject: |
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If you're not Indian, particularly if you're white, you're going to get ripped off. If you haven't been to India before, you're probably going to have some upset stomach and/or diarrhea. Those two are a given but you can minimize them to a certain extent.
Be advised that many see tourists as walking ATM machines. Nearly everything is negotiable, from motel room rates to souvenirs. You're expected to haggle and they'll lose considerable respect for you if you do not. Never open negotiations yourself. Ask them what the cost is, offer half, meet somewhere in the middle. Use a poker face and appear mildly displeased with the item/room/whatever and look rather bored, even if you're really pleased with the item and in a hurry. It should be a friendly barter, so don't get angry or belligerent. Be prepared to walk away at any time and do so. It's all a game, play by the rules (if the seller or vendor looks happy after the sale, you'll know you blew it). Settle rickshaw and taxi fees before you get in the vehicle. Admission fees, like to the Taj, for example, are not negotiable. You'll just have to pay.
If you can't cook or peel it, don't eat it, and don't drink the water. That means no ice in your drinks and no salads, even in "nice" restaurants. Buy bottled water (I like "Bisleri") from markets and not street vendors. Check the seal carefully - discarded bottles are often refilled with tap water and sold as new. Don't eat food from street vendors no matter how tempting. The one street food exception is popcorn, which is generally safe.
Choose restaurants that the locals frequent and go at the beginning rather than at the end of meal times to make sure you get fresh food. Consider going "veggie" for the time you're in India as you're taking a chance with any meat. Power outages occur often, even in the big cities, and meat is considered too costly to throw out even when spoiled. Same goes for dairy. Also, be aware the items in "buffets" are often recycled from day to day, even in "nice" hotels and restaurants. |
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the saint
Joined: 09 Dec 2003
Location: not there yet...
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| Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 3:08 am Post subject: |
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| ella wrote: |
If you're not Indian, particularly if you're white, you're going to get ripped off. If you haven't been to India before, you're probably going to have some upset stomach and/or diarrhea. Those two are a given but you can minimize them to a certain extent.
Be advised that many see tourists as walking ATM machines. Nearly everything is negotiable, from motel room rates to souvenirs. You're expected to haggle and they'll lose considerable respect for you if you do not. Never open negotiations yourself. Ask them what the cost is, offer half, meet somewhere in the middle. Use a poker face and appear mildly displeased with the item/room/whatever and look rather bored, even if you're really pleased with the item and in a hurry. It should be a friendly barter, so don't get angry or belligerent. Be prepared to walk away at any time and do so. It's all a game, play by the rules (if the seller or vendor looks happy after the sale, you'll know you blew it). Settle rickshaw and taxi fees before you get in the vehicle. Admission fees, like to the Taj, for example, are not negotiable. You'll just have to pay.
If you can't cook or peel it, don't eat it, and don't drink the water. That means no ice in your drinks and no salads, even in "nice" restaurants. Buy bottled water (I like "Bisleri") from markets and not street vendors. Check the seal carefully - discarded bottles are often refilled with tap water and sold as new. Don't eat food from street vendors no matter how tempting. The one street food exception is popcorn, which is generally safe.
Choose restaurants that the locals frequent and go at the beginning rather than at the end of meal times to make sure you get fresh food. Consider going "veggie" for the time you're in India as you're taking a chance with any meat. Power outages occur often, even in the big cities, and meat is considered too costly to throw out even when spoiled. Same goes for dairy. Also, be aware the items in "buffets" are often recycled from day to day, even in "nice" hotels and restaurants. |
This is all good but I'd recommend eating anything deep fried before your eyes. I never had any problems with samosas or puris because the oil is going to kill anything instantly. I feasted like a glutton on ice cream too cos it is fantastic. In a year I never had any problems from it. That's up to you of course!
I'd also add boiled eggs to the list of things you can eat and chai to the list of things you can drink. I recommend however taking a plastic cup with you with a handle you can loop through a rucksack clip. Offer this to chai vendors instead if they offer you a glass which is invariably washed in suspect water. It's a good deal too because you usually get more and, as it's your cup, you can drink it for as long as you want. If they offer you a little clay cup though, go for that. There is nothing like the taste of chai in those clay cups. After you've drunk it, you chuck it out the train window where it biodegrades. Wonderful system.
Also, on trains, second class sleeper is absolutely fine. If you are a woman, ask for a berth in the Ladies' compartment one of which is in every carriage. Men aren't allowed in unless they're tourists strangely. Book the top berth as this allows you to sleep when you want and keeps your bags up away from prying fingers. I travelled alone on one trip and used a chain and padlock to secure my ruck while I went to the loo etc. Watch out for sweepers knicking your shoes from under berths. Of course, pay more and take 1st class and you don't have these worries. You also have zero atmosphere and if you aren't going to India for atmosphere, you can stop right now 
Take a ton of toilet roll. I haven't been for several years now but bog roll was like golddust last time. I only ever found one cure for diarrhea that was really effective and readily available: eat nothing but bananas, black tea, steamed rice and plain toast. This has always cured me of Delhi belly within 48 hours except on one occasion and then it was cos I had amoebic dysentery (from Malawi, not India).
Get the Lonely Planet Hindi phrasebook because Hindi is easy to pronounce and very very useful for making friends, breaking ice and generally fitting in.
Finally, I did eat food from people on trains. I only ate what they themselves were eating e.g. they were having rice from a communal pot and offered me some directly from it. In all cases, they were families anyway so lower risk. If you're travelling in twos always eat different stuff. That way, if one of you succumbs to some bug or drug, the other is healthy to help.
Finally, if you go to Agra, don't miss the fort. It is stunning and hardly anyone goes there cos they're all at the Taj. Be prepared though to face high fees from rickshaw drivers between places in Agra. They only lower the rates when you visit emporia. Be very wary of any offers that seem too good to be true e.g. the pile of rubies I was offered relatively cheap if I'd only take them to the UK for the guy. Scam sensor alert!!!
Out of nearly 50 countries, India is the only country I long to revisit and lie awake at night dreaming of. I'd spend the rest of my life there in a shot if I could. It's a complete sensory maelstrom! Enjoy... |
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ella
Joined: 17 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 4:05 am Post subject: |
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| India is the only country I long to revisit and lie awake at night dreaming of. |
Hear, hear. |
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desultude
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Location: Dangling my toes in the Persian Gulf
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| Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 4:54 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for all the great advice. I never would have thought to bring a cup and TP. I want to travel light, but I can squeeze those in. Is there no TP there? In stores? The quality is not a big fuss for me (I traveled in Eastern Europe in the early 90's, so my butt is a hardened traveler  ).
As for the food poisoning advice- I am pretty good about the rules, but do get taken down on almost every trip. The south of Cambodia/Viet Nam was particularly memorable. Then there was amoebic dysentary from living in Mexico City. Not to mention the raw oyster that took me out for days in exotic Daegu.
I'm so excited about this trip, and you all are whetting my appetite (for travel- I may eat hot white rice for the time I am there and feast back in Thailand!)
The train link (seat61) is excellent, by the way. |
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ella
Joined: 17 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 5:54 am Post subject: |
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| You can buy toilet paper in any market. Keep your mouth closed in the shower and brush your teeth with bottled water, too. The cup idea is a good one but also reminds me of a funny story. I watched a group of tourists get off at a bus stop in Uttar Pradesh. One couple - North American, I'm guessing - went over to the chai wallah (tea seller) and hopefully held out their collapseable travel cups. He obligingly took each one in turn and filled it with chai - which he strained through the bottom of his very filthy shirt. I felt bad for them but the looks of horror on their faces was priceless, I had to turn away so they wouldn't see I was laughing! The Indians with me were not as discreet. |
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mnhnhyouh
Joined: 21 Nov 2006
Location: The Middle Kingdom
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| Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 3:23 pm Post subject: |
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I loved the chai on the streets in Delhi. I never found it as good anywhere else.
I drank bottled water most of the time, but did have tap at least twice. I was given meat when visiting a Tibetans home (I forgot to lie and say I was vegetarian). After that I ate a fair bit of meat. On that trip I didnt get sick once in two months.
The next time I was down south, never drank tapwater, but did eat a fair bit of fish. I caught Giardia, which you dont catch from fish.
Go figure.
h |
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bucheon bum
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 3:48 pm Post subject: |
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| mnhnhyouh wrote: |
I loved the chai on the streets in Delhi. I never found it as good anywhere else.
I drank bottled water most of the time, but did have tap at least twice. I was given meat when visiting a Tibetans home (I forgot to lie and say I was vegetarian). After that I ate a fair bit of meat. On that trip I didnt get sick once in two months.
The next time I was down south, never drank tapwater, but did eat a fair bit of fish. I caught Giardia, which you dont catch from fish.
Go figure.
h |
yeah, that pretty much sums it up. it is luck of the draw. I think the brushing the teeth and shower tips are a little excessive myself. |
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the saint
Joined: 09 Dec 2003
Location: not there yet...
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| Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 12:28 am Post subject: |
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| ella wrote: |
| You can buy toilet paper in any market. |
is it cheap too now Ella? it's been a long while since I was there... |
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princess
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: soul of Asia
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| Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 5:10 am Post subject: |
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| I'll be so excited when I go to India someday. I have alwyas wanted to see the Taj too. My hagwon owner said he has been to 20 countries and he thinks India is the dirtiest one he's been to. Well, news flash, Korea is not exactly the cleanest country I have seen either. More like Japan. I love Korea, but actually, it's quite the dirty little peninsula! |
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mnhnhyouh
Joined: 21 Nov 2006
Location: The Middle Kingdom
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| Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 5:39 am Post subject: |
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| princess wrote: |
| I'll be so excited when I go to India someday. I have alwyas wanted to see the Taj too. My hagwon owner said he has been to 20 countries and he thinks India is the dirtiest one he's been to. Well, news flash, Korea is not exactly the cleanest country I have seen either. More like Japan. I love Korea, but actually, it's quite the dirty little peninsula! |
If you think Korea is dirty then you have not seen India. By comparison Korea is a country you can eat off. I love India, and will go back. But it is filthy. I mean really filthy.
One market place has garbage piled up all over the place, the road is dirt, and either mud or dust. The stall holders do their best to keep their bit clean, but with no collection the inevitable happens.
After being out for a morning I am as dirty as Pigpen. However the Indians walk untouched through it, well most of them. Its like they are coated in teflon.
h |
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princess
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: soul of Asia
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| Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 7:06 am Post subject: |
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| Well, Korea is dirty compared to Japan. I don't see one speck of garbage when I go there, and that includes Osaka, Nagoya amd Fukuoka. You could eat off the streets and trains. |
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mnhnhyouh
Joined: 21 Nov 2006
Location: The Middle Kingdom
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| Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 8:07 am Post subject: |
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Cambodia is a fair bit dirtier than Korea, but is still much cleaner than India.
It is just something you have to be prepared for.
If there is a dirtier country than India, I am not sure I want to see it.
h |
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desultude
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Location: Dangling my toes in the Persian Gulf
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| Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2007 9:32 am Post subject: |
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Yeah, I have been to a lot of pretty dirty places, but I have been assured that nothing has prepared me for India.
On the positive side, I don't know anyone who has regretted going there. Well. I take that back. A friend told me the other day about this woman we know who saved up forever for her "spiritual journey" to India. She spent a day and a half in Delhi, and got the next flight home! |
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