Some “Do’s” and “Don’ts” for Travel (Survival) in India

1. Eating Advice

•  Take along peptobismol pills

•  Always eat curds (yogurt) with your food.   It’s the only thing (besides bananas, locally called “plaintains”) that will cut the “karam” (chili spice) heat of the food.

•  Drink plenty of water.   Use bottled (sealed) water, hot tea/coffee, bottled soft drinks, or cocoanut milk.   Use bottled water also for brushing your teeth. (Safest water I believe is produced by Coca Cola or Pepsi)

•  If you need a spoon, you will need to ask for it or bring one along.   Typically, people eat with their (right) hand.

•  Belching is not offensive.

•  People usually don’t converse while eating.

•  If you come unannounced to someone’s home, people don’t like to be disturbed while they are eating.

•  When you are a guest for a meal, often the hosts will simply serve you and watch you eat.

•  When you are a guest for a meal, typically you socialize before the meal and leave soon afterwards.

•  Because of all the rice, your stools will be less and loose.   If you need to go more than twice a day, you may have diarrhea and you should take an Immodium pill.   It’s good to keep diarrhea medicine with you wherever you go, as you never know when it may strike.

•  Don’t eat fresh fruit and vegetables that you cannot peel.

•  Your tea/coffee will always be with milk and sugar.

•  Don’t drink any alcohol or smoke in public.   It’s offensive.

•  Wash your hands well before eating.   You may need to have your own soap or wetwipes.

•  Sugar is sweeter and salt is saltier than here.

•  Butter, jam, and cereal are very expensive.

•  Don’t ever complain about the food.   Adjust.

•  I prefer eating vegetarian Indian food.   It digests more easily and is always well cooked.

•  You wash your hand after the meal.   People will show you where, sometimes by pouring a cup with your left hand over your right hand outside on the ground.

•  Sometimes you need to take your banana leaf (on which you often eat the meal) and its leftover food outside and throw it on the ground for the dogs and goats to finish off.

1. Health Advice

•  If/When you get diarrhea, drink plenty of liquids, eat curd rice, and eat bananas..

•  Keep your skin in tact.   Bring along antibiotic ointment so you can treat an infection promptly.

•  Taking a couple of Melatonin pills the first couple of nights upon arrival helps many people deal with jet lag.

•  Mosquitoes are a real menace.   There hasn’t been malaria where you are going, but they will keep you awake at night unless you figure out how to deal with them:   ointment, netting, strong ceiling fan, etc.   If you are going out to a home in the evening, put some ointment and/or repellant anklet on your feet.   If you wish you can also spray your clothing the night before and that will repel mosquitoes from coming near you.   Lighter colored clothing will not attract as many mosquitoes as dark colored clothing.

•  I recommend Ben’s Mosquito Lotion for the skin it has 100% Deet.   Put 3-4 drops in your hand, add a few drops or body lotion, mix them together and apply.   The body lotion keeps mosquito lotion from evaporating too quickly and also spreads it out over a great area so that less is used.   I also recommend a spray for clothing that also has 100% Deet.   I believe Cutter’s has that ingredient.   Lay your clothes out and spray them the night before.   This gives the spray time to soak into the fabric and give you more protection over usually about twelve hours.

•  Take a small first aid kit.   Swabs, bandaids, gauze and tape.

•  Check with your doctor to see whether you will need an antibiotic and malaria medicine while you are away.

•  One of the best things you can do for your health is to take an early afternoon nap, preferably 45-60 min.   It’s the Indian custom for a reason!   One missionary wife put it well:   “ India is fine, as long as you stay strong.”

•  Be very careful when you are out in the sun between 11:00-2:00 .   I need to wear a hat, or I will get heat stroke.   Mild heat stroke for me results in sudden diarrhea the next day.

•  Do not try to get a tan.   You will probably just singe.

•  India has excellent medical facilities in the cities, and particularly in Nagercoil.   All the doctors and nurses speak English well.

•  India does not have good dental services.

•  If you have difficulty sleeping when overtired, it would be wise to bring the medication you use at home to overcome that problem.

•  A small flashlight can be very helpful in some situations.

•  An electric shaver can be used but it must be able to operate and charge on DC current.   Most modern shavers are rated for use with “international power” but it is wise to check this before you travel.  

•  You will need a power outlet adapter to plug hair dryers and electric shavers into the India outlets.   These are usually available at Target and Radio Shack stores.

•  If you bring mosquito netting, I recommend the canopy type. It will not come into contact with your body and therefore give better nighttime protection.   You will need a small nylon rope -about twenty-five feet long   to suspend the canopy above your bed. I have always been able to find two sturdy items to use to tie my rope and suspend the netting.   This keeps crawling and flying insects off me and from buzzing near me while I sleep.   If you don’t take netting along, at least spray the wall area around your pillow to keep the mosquitoes from buzzing close to your head while you are trying to sleep.

•  Buy an inflatable pillow for sleeping during the flight.   They are comfortable, hold your head where you want it and when deflated take very little packing space.

•  Unless you fly British Airways or some other airline that furnishes these items, purchase an eye shield to keep light from your eyes when trying to sleep.   Their traveler’s kit also includes socks to wear that keep your feet warm and comfortable and ear plugs that allow you to hear but dampen sounds to a tolerable sleep level.

•  Handywipes and 70% alcohol are a great way to clean hands when uncontaminated water is not available.   Buy a plastic tub of wipes (about 5-6 for each day you will be in India ) and a 1 pint bottle of alcohol.

•  A day before you arrive in India open the alcohol and pour it into the handywipe tub.   Allow the wipes to absorb as much alcohol as they can.   Then open a small plastic zip lock bag, take out five or six wipes and place them in the zip lock bag for your use that day.   Before meals you can easily clean your hands and the used wipes can be discarded in the first waste receptacle you find. (Alcohol cannot be purchased over the counter in India .)   

•  Take whatever medications you need in ample supply.   You may not be able to get the drug in India and with unpredictable weather and political unrest we experience around the world, you may need to stay a few days longer than you plan. Other common items e.g. aspirin, cold medicines, etc., are usually available in the large cities.   I have found that dental floss is not readily available so be sure to take some with you.  

1. Culture Advice

• Women must dress modestly:   no sleeveless blouses, no short skirts, no shorts, no low, loose collars.
• Men do not wear shorts.
• Do not hang your underwear in the open to dry.
• There is good ocean swimming near Nagercoil.   Women should wear a one-piece bathing suit.
• The left hand is only used for one’s “morning business.”   Therefore, one does not touch anyone or receive/give anything with one’s left hand.
• It’s customary to bring some small gifts as hostess gifts and as presentations to one’s students.   It can be as small as a postcard from your home region.
• Typically, Indians have an initial before their name.   This initial is the first letter of their father’s name.   Women typically simply add a “Mrs.” to their name, rather than take their husband’s name.   However, some Christians have begun following the Western custom of a family surname using the husband’s name.
• It’s offensive among Christians to disgrace a Bible in any way, e.g., touching it with your foot, putting it on the floor, striking it, etc.
• Feet, particularly shoes/sandals, are considered unclean.   Usually you take them off when entering a home, and always when entering a chapel (except in some Westernized, urban congregations).
• If you wear sandals, be sure to wear stockings.   I didn’t on my second to last trip which was nearly twenty months ago and I still have brown skin wherever the straps of my sandals didn’t cover my feet.  
• If you accidentally bump someone with your foot/shoe/sandal, be sure to apologize.   (The Indian gesture of apology in such a situation is to touch that person on the shoulder and then place your hand to your forehead.)
• You should not sit with your foot (and especially your sandal/shoe) pointing at anyone.   Therefore, you do not cross your legs except with your foot pointing down.   You will often sit on the floor, so do not do so with your legs stretched out in front of you.
• Men and women do not touch.   Do not offer to shake the hand of a person of the opposite sex unless they offer first.   You may touch a child.
• The traditional Indian greeting gesture is the hands placed together in a prayer-like gesture and held in front of the chest.
• The traditional greeting among Christians is “Stothiram,” which means “Praise (to God).”   The traditional greeting with others is “Namaste.” Among Tamilians, the formal greeting is “Vanakam.”   People will be very pleased if you learn at least these proper greetings.
• People do not say “good-bye.”   It is considered too final.   (In the local language, the expression when you leave is to say “I am coming.”)
• People use a shake of the head for “yes,”   good-bye, pleasure, etc. that goes from side to side.   You might first read it as “no,” but it is not our “no” shake and it is a positive gesture.
• Many toilets are the style where you squat.   There will be water for you to wash (no toilet paper) and to pour into the toilet.
• Most public latrines are very unclean.   Only use ones where you must pay a small amount as you enter, to the cleaning person.   (Men commonly use a public wall to urinate rather than go in!)
• Around slums and in villages, people “do their business” in open spaces, so you must be careful where you walk.
• When people speak English, they will often mix up the “p” and “f” sounds, as the “f” sound is not in the Indian languages.    Indian languages also do not have accents as we do in English, so they may have difficulty getting the accents in the right place.
• In the villages and towns, most people wear sandals.   In the cities, shoes are common.   You are free to wear either anywhere.
• When you are in a car, train, bus, etc., you are welcome to sit together as women and men, but do not presume to sit next to a person of the opposite sex, unless you or they are elderly.

1. Other Advice

•  Be careful of excessively friendly strangers, especially in cities and tourist areas.  

•  Do not give out your address, e-mail address, or phone number, unless you are prepared to be besieged with contacts once you’re returned home.

•  If you give somebody a small financial help, realize that they usually will continue to ask for more, especially if they get your address.  

•  I usually do not help a person unknown to me without asking the recommendation of a pastor or other authority who knows the situation.

•  You will encounter beggars, especially in the towns and cities.   The Indian custom is to give them small change, like 25 paisa.

•  If you are in Chennai (also called “ Madras ”) and you want to purchase crafts, an excellent store is Cane & Bamboo, on Ethiraj Lane , near Ethiraj College .

•  You will see many “wild” dogs around.   In fact, they are very well socialized.   They will leave you alone.   I don’t advise petting them, as they are usually unaccustomed to such close contact, and they are very dirty.

•  Fundamentalist, radical, violent Hindus and Muslims are around.   The only time you must be careful is if there is a rally or parade or protest or festival going on that has raised strong emotions.   Don’t stand and watch, and don’t take photos.   Quietly move in a different direction.   If you have Indian friends with you, do what they say.

•  Do not do any public preaching or handing out of tracts.   You are in India on a tourist visa, and that kind of activity is prohibited.   You are free to speak within closed doors in a Christian gathering.

•  Do not make comments of ridicule or disrespect toward the society or any religion.   People are very resentful of Western (ignorant) judgments, and you will only do harm to the Gospel witness.   If anyone asks you your beliefs, you certainly can and should share them in a positive manner.

•  For long travel, the best way is train.   For an overnight trip, the best arrangement is via “AC Second Class Sleeper.”   You will be provided with a blanket, sheets, pillow, and towel, and you will have a sleeper berth.   If you are unable to climb up to the upper berth (which is not easy), you should be sure to request a lower berth.

•  In towns and cities, one can get around easily with the “autorickshaws” (or “autos”).    It’s best to tell the driver your destination and settle the fare beforehand.   Usually they will not use the meter.

•  Feel free to ask a lot of questions.   People are happy to tell you about the society and their religion.   The two topics that you should probably not ask about are caste and sex.

•  Be sure to get out to the villages as often as you can.   That is where 80% of India and of the churches are.

•  You will frequently be asked to deliver a message to a Christian gathering.   At least you will be called forward at the end of the gathering to sit in front, be garlanded or presented with a small gift, and asked to share a word of greeting.   You should use this as an opportunity to express our partnership in the Gospel and to encourage the people in their ministry.

•  You will probably need to bathe from a bucket.    Typically, there will be a small cup to pour water over yourself.   If you want to use a wash cloth, you should bring it along.   The water will usually be room temperature.   Indians typically bathe in the morning.   I prefer to bathe just before going to bed because I like to feel clean.

•  Typically, you may have only a white sheet over your bed mattress and a cotton bedcover that you can use as a blanket.   Indian people tend to sleep on the bedcover (thus some places will not have the white sheet) with no covering.   I like to put the ceiling fan on very high to drive away the mosquitoes and then cover myself with the bedcover to keep from getting chilled in the middle of the night.

•  If you have sensitive skin (as I do), bring your own soap, as the Indian soap is quite abrasive.

•  If you want to use toilet paper, you’d best bring it along from the States.   The Indian paper is quite rough.   CottonBud has a Travel Toilet Tissue “Pull-Out Dispensing” small clear plastic holder that contains about 200inches x 4.5 inches of 2 ply paper that is easy to carry.   Very inexpensive and available at most Savon Drugs.

•  Take small amounts, only the amount of everything you will need.   Smaller tubes of toothpaste, deodorant, hair styling, skin care products, etc.   Every ounce counts when you have to carry it.

•  Put all items that are likely to leak in zip lock bags.  

•  Take no aerosol containers.

•  Take a small writing pad and a couple of good pens for note taking.

•  Carry a sweater on board to wear when the cabin is cool.

•  Carry your favorite food treats on board.   Candy, dried fruit, chocolate… You never know when the flight or train may be delayed and you are left sitting in a terminal somewhere.

•  Take a camera, digital if possible.

•  Take a couple of good books in addition to a small sized Bible for reading.   

•  Take only the documents and papers you will need.   E.g., passport, visa, and the credit cards you will need.   I carry my passport in a pouch that hangs around my neck.   I keep the pouch inside my shirt and have never had a problem with it being lost or stolen.   Have your passport with you at all times.

•  Photocopy the front page of your passport and the India visa page.   Place one copy of each in each piece of luggage and leave one with your family. If you lose your passport, most embassies can replace it within 24 hours if you can produce a photocopy of your documents.

•  Telephone calls to the US are very inexpensive and very accessible.   I would not purchase a telephone card or call collect since the rates in most telephone offices are fairly charged based upon computer time use measurement.

•  Carry traveler checks and credit card rather than cash.   I use Vaigai (pronounced Why –Guy) Wings Pvt. Ltd. Travel Agency.   It is just a five minute walk from the YWCA in Madras or Chennai for cashing my traveler checks.   They are very trustworthy and the exchange rate is always fair.

•  The major Chennai railroad terminal is not very far from the YWCA.

•  Pack five or six days of clothing.   Most hotels have a convenient, inexpensive laundry service that will do your laundry overnight or within twenty-four hours.   In very small communities they may not be able to dry your clothes quickly if you travel when it rains a lot since most will not have clothes dryers.