Things I Have to Deal with While Traveling in India

I, being a local Indian traveler, just love this country. I have always believed that India has much more natural and artificial beauty than any other country. I have never thought of traveling abroad just for the sake of it, or just because many other Indians are doing so. Yes, I have been to a couple of exotic countries abroad, but my faith in my country has never been less. Having said all that, there are a few things about local travel that I simply hate. I cannot come to terms with these few aspects of roaming around in India, despite the fact that I have been an independent traveler for more than five years. And the verity that I am a backpacker, these irritable things just amplify.

Filthy toilets

Given that there is already a scarcity of public toilets in India, I have to use any washroom that is available on my journey. If I travel by bus, I barely have a choice. And it is rare that I travel by car because that is very expensive mode of transportation for a single person. When I went to Coorg with family last year, we had taken Innova Car for Self Drive in Bangalore, which proved cheaper and more convenient for six members plus the driver. Coming back to the point of dirty toilets, they stink so badly that I try to hold my breath for as long as I can. I have to cover my mouth with a heavy cloth so as to breathe clean air, just in case I take more than fifteen seconds in there. It is my best attempt to come out of the lavatory in less than 30 seconds.

Dealing with touts and auto-rickshaw drivers

As soon as I get down a bus, come out of a metro station or an airport, the drivers of auto-rickshaws, manual rickshaws, or taxis jump on me like I am the only passenger left in this world who will pay their bills. Even though I don’t look like I am a foreigner, they attack me so mercilessly. I wonder the plight of poor foreigners who don’t even understand the local language. I cannot blame the drivers or touts entirely for their behavior, but they should understand that this is not the way to approach any tourist. The travelers take back a reputation of any place in their mind when they return, which is determined by the behavior of the locals. They need to learn the civic sense to deal with their neighbors and tourists because the traveler would always spread the bad word about such occurrences, whether it happens in India or abroad.

I love to travel in India, but I cannot ignore the fact that these disturbing these are present in my own country. If I cannot sustain dirty toilets and ill-mannered locals, the foreigners who talk ill about India are not to blame. Indians, please understand the value of tourism and the tourists.