Lisbon, Portugal |
All travelers have their
favorite travel tips, and I'm no exception. My current mystery series is set in
India and features Anita Ray, an Indian-American woman photographer. She lives
in a small tourist hotel, and mutters occasionally about the problems tourists
get into. Hence, my first rule.
Indian Singers |
1. Know where you're going
to stay at least for the first one or two nights. If you arrive during a
festival or the high season for travelers, you may not be able to find a room.
Driving from hotel to hotel to ask is a waste of time and money. Book in
advance. I prefer the small guesthouse to the large western-style hotel. The
guesthouses in India are called home stays, and to my everlasting amusement,
restaurants serve homely meals.
Festival Lane |
2. If you don't know the
area, take a walk around the center and then book a short tour. You may not
like looking like a tourist, but you will get a sense of the area and the
sights, and have a chance to relax and enjoy the first part of your trip
without worrying about what you should see and how to get there. I've learned a
lot from tour guides, and made some wonderful discoveries. I also got to know
the city and surrounding area faster.
3. Once you're ready to
strike out on your own, ask the hotel to hire a small taxi or, in India, an
autorickshaw. You will get a reputable driver with a tourist license. In a busy
city you can pick up a taxi anywhere, but if you are taking a long day trip or
going out for the evening, ask the hotel for someone reliable.
4. This is my cardinal rule.
If you see people gathering, go over and take a look. If it's a festival with
music and dancing, as in Europe, join in if you can. If it's a religious
festival, which is more likely the case in India, you can stand on the
sidelines and watch respectfully. Special events are easy to find in places
like India because they decorate the entrances, or put up special stands for
performers. Don't pass up street performers. Many of them are professionals.
Tucson Bario |
5. Read the local papers for
listings of free events. I regularly find free concerts and plays, and arrange
a taxi to take me there and back. During the tourist season in India, local
authorities offer free concerts of South Indian music, dance performances,
drama, and all sorts of other events. These are easily located in public parks
and halls. Don't worry about arriving late or leaving early. Indians are very
casual when it comes to performances.
6. If you see a beautiful
street or lane, take a walk, with your camera of course, and enjoy the beauty.
Sometimes the best parts of a city are the ones tourists are not expected to
see. I usually spend several days walking around parts of Trivandrum and other
cities just to get a feel of how people live and regard their homes. Since I'm
writing about India all the time, I'm always looking for visuals that will
enhance the setting or serve the plot.
7. Meet people. This isn't
easy on a short trip, but I'm always touched by the number of taxi drivers and
others who invite me to dinner or to enjoy a cool drink and introduce me to
their family. If they ask me to take a photograph, I always do. I don't really
understand why Indians often ask this because they don't want a copy, but I do
as asked. Over the years I've collected some photos that I know now are unusual,
especially the Muslim woman who stopped me in a tiny village in the hills and
posed for me, and the parents of a taxi driver.
8. In some Indian cities
it's not safe for women to go out at night. This is changing, but unless I'm
attending a concert or meeting friends in their home, I am happy to stay in. In
resort areas, dinner is late, and sitting under the rising moon can be the best
part of the day.
For the
Love of Parvati
Prepare rice
according to package instructions. Heat oil in pan and sauté onions until they
are translucent. Toss in cashews and raisins and stir regularly until onion
begins to brown. Stir another two minutes or so. Place rice in serving bowl.
Add onion preparation over rice. Serve at once.
In the
foothills of South India a man struggles against ropes tying him to an old
bridge while the monsoon rages and wild animals forage for food. In the valley
below, Anita Ray and Auntie Meena are stopped at a roadblock while their car is
searched.
When Anita
and Meena arrive at their destination, Lalita Amma's household is in turmoil.
During a break in the rain, Anita discovers a body washed into the riverbank.
The police whisk away the corpse and refuse to answer questions.
For the Love
of Parvati brings Anita Ray face to face with a killer determined to exact
revenge for a code of honor broken, a lover determined to rescue his beloved,
and a woman desperate to build a new life.
Buy
Links
8 comments:
I really recommend #2 on your list. My husband and I motorhomed for eleven years, and we found the quickest way to learn about a new place was to take a guided tour. We noted places we wanted to explore more thoroughly and went back later during our stay. Loved your other tips, too. And astonished about the Indians who want you to take their pictures, but don't ask for a copy.
Portugal was one of my favorite countries to visit.
Since I'm not much of a traveler, I really appreciate your wise suggestions. Very useful. It is good to gather as much info as possible, guidebooks and also people who have experience with a particular place before the visit.
Thank you, Jan, for commenting. My family took a long RV trip years ago and I still remember it vividly--one of our best trips.
Thank you, Sandy, for coming by. I loved Lisbon and its environs. I didn't see much else but that part was great.
Thanks, Jacquie. Collecting information is a very good tip, and I should have included more along this line. Thanks for contributing that.
Awesome photos...thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Angela.
Lois, I want to thank you for hosting me again. I always enjoy writing for your blog.
I've spent a couple of months in India, a country with so many storyline possibilities for a book, from sad to funny, I don't know where I'd start writing one. Your books sounds fascinating and your traveling advice spot on.
Post a Comment