How I Get Free Stuff Abroad Just By Being an Indian

Sometimes, you realize the value of being an Indian only when you are away from your motherland. I live in Pune, but I realized that we should value our identity when I started traveling abroad. We Indians ourselves have an impression that we always look for freebies while shopping. We tend to negotiate for practically everything possible, and even a penny we save is a penny we earn. Nonetheless, we also have an impression that freebies work only in India, not abroad. However, a couple of episodes on foreign lands amazed me, so much so that I started feeling proud of being an Indian rather than taking my nationality for granted.

I can specially recall two incidents from Munich when I went there last year. I got free stuff at a few places; why? Because I am an Indian! I could not believe the words of those acquaintances when they explained their positive gestures to me. Let me begin my experiences in Munich by mentioning that it is indeed a fabulous city. You get clean roads, brilliant infrastructure, recreational activities to do, and the best part is the presence of fantastic people in the city.

When I was there in Munich for quite a long time, my parents would visit me after a few months. My parents love to have dinner in restaurants whenever possible, and my father is a great fan of South Indian food. So there was this weekend when he said that he felt like eating Uttapam, which is not an easy find in Munich. Yet, I googled about South Indian food in the city, and found a restaurant called Kerala. As we entered the place, we felt good about it, especially the Indian sculptures that added a lot of charm to the ambiance.

The service

The waiter who took our order hailed from Kolkata and we shared great vibes. Before he took the order, we talked about India and our respective cities. We might not talk about our culture a lot in general, but it feels good to do so when you are abroad. So we did the clichéd Indian thing and discussed about the latest movies, politics, and our various cultures. After about 20 minutes, he took our order for spinach corn soup for starters, and then the main course.  The steaming hot soup was super delicious, and then we went ahead with our meal of loads of Indian food. The waiter asked us if we would like to have some tea, to which we all agreed. The tea arrived and we asked for our bill.

Here comes the twist. Surprise! Surprise!

The Indian manager of the restaurant had waived off the charges for the tea and soup, and gave us a discount of 50%! Woaahhh! We asked about it and the manager said that he loved doing it for his own countrymen. I had never come across such a generous person in India, probably they become humble towards their brethren when they are away from their country. We talked to him for half an hour and had a great time.  We told him that we get such discounts in India only when we take a car on rent in Pune. Else, everything else comes for a heavy price most of the times without any discount.

This incident was followed by another one when we visited another Indian restaurant. The owner of the place, again, was too kind, and he treated us with a huge discount on the meal, free cups of tea, and a great session of chatting. Blew my mind!

How I Prepared for a Road Trip around Pune

The first advice I took regarding a backpacking road trip is to get a good quality backpack. I asked the vendor about the kind of bag that I should buy and he suggested that I should go for a comfortable one with a couple of mesh pockets on the outside. The mesh is helpful to store water and wet clothes, which dry as I walk.

Things to keep

·         When I started packing for my first road trip from Pune, I was confused about the things I should keep in my backpack. I did not want to make it too heavy so that I could carry it around comfortably. The first thing, however, was a compact single-bed sheet. I knew that I would be sleeping in hostels where I might not get clean beds, and this bed sheet would come in handy at such times.

·         I had to prepare a folder that contained all my original documents, and the other with the copies of it. Travel tickets, hotel bookings, and driving license are just a few things that I kept in my folder. I also kept the soft copies of all other crucial documents so that I can at least get a print out in case I needed.

·         I also kept a foldable plastic bag so that I can put all the things that I purchase in it, and store it in my hostel. I wanted to keep the weight of the backpack below 15% of my bodyweight at all times.

·         I prepared myself to wash clothes while staying anywhere on my road trip. I kept the minimum clothes possible, which included a pair of jeans, three T-shirts, a few undergarments, and that’s it. No extra fuss in my bag regarding clothes. I needed space for the other things in my bag. 

The purpose of a road trip

Although I gave a lot of thought into packing my backpack, I knew that I will be buying a lot of things. The only thing that I had in mind was that I had to enjoy my time at its best. A road trip is meant to be on your own, whether you are with your friends or alone. Since I did not have any company of friends this time, I could do anything I wanted and go whichever place pleased me.

I thought of taking a car on rent in Pune, but postponed the plan for my next trip when I would go around with friends. This time, although it was my first solo trip, I did not feel any anxiety before boarding the bus. I got onto the bus as if I were a pro in road trips, and that I have been doing it since ages. The previous experiences of being with friends on the hills was significant support for me. In the eight hour journey from Pune, I thought a lot about my life, and felt grateful for it.

On my return journey, however, I was a little tired. The only best thing that happened when I was waiting for my luggage to arrive was that I could see my fiancé. A tight hug with him was all that I needed to express my love and longing for him. Without saying anything, I knew that I was in the best place in the world. My luggage sat behind me as I felt cozy inside his arms. No matter how far I go, I can never escape the love that he showers on me. I wait to go for many more road trips with him.

Things I Keep in Mind before Going for a Road Trip in India

Regardless of the region I choose for my road trip in India, I make sure I take care of at least a few things to make my vacation a success. Even though India is a diverse yet tricky country, I love going for vacations in various parts of it. In summer, the northern hills become a heaven on earth. And when it becomes unbearably cold in the North, I prefer going down south in the country so as to enjoy pleasant weather and see some of the most amazing sights in the world. Nonetheless, I have to have an impeccable car with me in addition to preparing other things.

Getting the car ready

I get my car serviced if I plan to take my car for the vacation, preferably from an authorized car dealer. I can, never in my life, forget to get the AC checked because many parts of India are miserably hot, even during supposed winter months. I made this mistake once when the AC of my car was creating some kind of slight noise, but I decided to get it repaired after I returned. However, that mere AC made my road trip as worse as hell because I was traveling to Bhopal, and no local mechanic could repair it well. I wasted a lot of time of my precious road trip on getting the AC mended.

The second thing I check is the tires of the car if they are worn out or not. If they need replacement, I cannot procrastinate it since I keep the security of my family on top priority. Moreover, I also check a spare tire in the boot for proper air pressure and a toolkit as well. In India, the roadside car mechanics can do almost anything you ask, but nearly all of them do one common mistake. They fill the tire with much more air than recommended, sometimes as high as 45 PSI when the recommended limit is 35 PSI. Excess air in the tires makes them heat up while covering long distances during summers. The Yamuna Express Highway is infamous for witnessing high number of accidents because of excessive air pressure in tires only because the brakes do not work well when the car imbalances on road. Moreover, the tires may also burst because of excessive heat in the tires. I can never imagine myself or my family going through such accidents because of my silly mistakes.

Other preparations

I had once taken a car on rent in Pune, so I did not have to take care of the car service, but other things only. I took the print out of Google Maps for my travel region because I could not rely on internet to work in the remote regions. Proper clothes, food, cash, cards, first-aid kit, and entertainment media are the other things that I need to check before I embark for my road trip. I like to go prepared everywhere rather than regretting things later.