Sweet Willie

Another thread here mentioned traveling w/an Indian person if one cans, no such luck here, I don't know any Indian people.

In Japan one can hire a bi-lingual guide to accompany one on their day, sight seeing etc.

Does India offer such guides?

I can only imagine how much more rewarding the trip would be w/someone who spoke the language.

carlhaynes

In every city I went to last year(Bangalore, Chennai, Tiruchirappalli and Mysore) I had multiple offers from people to take me around and show me the sites, usually from the drivers of the auto-rickshaws. In every museum and temple there were official (and sometimed unofficial) guides willing to take you around for a few dollars.

I usually took up the offers at the museums (In one museum in Chennai, my tour guide was a PhD student in Indian History) and only occaisionally took up some of the drivers and only if I felt confident that I had convinced them that I wasn't interested in going to any stores and wasn't planning on buying anything that day.

My best tour guide was a 10 year old boy who came up to me in Mysore wanting me to listen to him speak English. I did allow him to take me to his uncle's aromatherapy shop since he gave me a good tour of the local food market, including an interesting sidetrip to the meat market in back (no mutton for me that night!). I ended up giving him a few dollars for the couple hours he spent showing me around.

hka_mm

You will find English speaking people any where in India regardless of the population of city and the smaller the city better and generous people. Passionate to meet and help them in bargaining/buying good stuff.

In bigger cities(Delhi, bombay, Calcutta, Chennai, Banglore, Pune, Hyderabad......) you can easily get bi-lingual people/guide at tourist places who knows other language as well like Japanese, French and so..

B747-437B

For starters, there is no such thing as "the language" in India. There are more languages here than I care to remember, and most of 'em have nothing in common with each other.

A language that works in Chennai in the South (Tamil) will have no takers in Delhi (Hindi). Similarly the language in Mumbai (Marathi) will have no speakers in Kolkota (Bengali).

The most common lingua franca in India, especially for tourists, is English. Signs are virtually all in English and there is always someone who speaks and understands the language, even in the strangest places.

Karmic Flyer

"the language" in India depends on what part of the country you are in, but there definitely is "the language" (native language of the area)where ever you are. True, you can find english speaking guides everywhere. But to get to the soul of India, one has to get in touch with someone who speaks english and "the language".

BTW, Hindi is the de facto national language of India, whether it is palatable to you or not.

B747-437B

Try speaking Hindi anywhere south of Maharashtra and see how far you get!

B747-437B

*waves*

If you are ever down in BOM, drop me a line!

hka_mm

Well if you go to Banglore/Hyderabad and speak in hindi you will easliy get answer...i never got any problem in banglore while i don't know any other south indian language.....i know i know banglore is not whole South but still you can't say that Hindi is not spoken in South same is true at Kolkata. you can easily get hindi spoken people there.

Babu

True, Bangalore and Hydrabad are the 2 big city exceptions to this rule. But anywhere else in the South (especially the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala), Hindi will do you as much good as Swedish.

Karmic Flyer

And I paid good money to learn Swedish hoping to be able to communicate with people in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Whata waste!

lamandel

Hi. I have travelled to India a lot. I lived in Bombay for six months. I can honestly say that if you just talk to people where ever you go you will be taken to their homes for food, (take sweets (phonetically met-i) from a vegetarian place). Tell them you are a vegetarian and you will enjoy anything they serve. Meat tends to not be cooked and refrigerated like at home. Also avoid Kulfi (ice cream as you can get a really bad kind of tuberculosis).

Hospitality in India is different. The visitor is potentially G-d. Therefore you will receive offers of lodging and food and no will ever ask you when you will leave. You must not exploit this but it is useful to know.

Once after about three months of no sex in India, I met a very well turned out Indian man. We had lunch a few times and he invited me to visit him at home for dinner. He sent his car and driver. I was certain romance was in the air and put on my red Victoria Secret undies which gave me amazing cleavage (by Indian standards)under my Indian suit. You can imagine my embarassment when we pulled up to his house and his mother, his wife and his four kids came out to greet me. I kept trying to make sure the red bra didn't poke out at the neckline during dinner!

Anyway after this embarassing adventure I got the "straight goods" on the Indian concept of "guests".

I agree with the person who said be sure they know you don't want to buy anything or go to any shops.

Enjoy your travels and see Jaipur and stay at the Rambagh Palace!

All the best
Leslie

Yaatri

Had I known, I would have send my wife, mother and kids away.

crazy canuck

where did you hear of this kulfi TB issue ?..is it widespread ?-

jpatokal

Dunno about TB, but fresh milk (or rather milk that used to be fresh) is an intestinal death sentence anywhere in the Third World...