funny thread
i've been to india 1998, haven't been to goa, though. people already back then were bitchin about how it went down the drain. but i'm planning to go at the end of this year to maybe goa, maybe gokarna, maybe hampi.
have been to dharamsala, manali and ladakh. the himalayas seem to be much more shanti, when i read the tips here. i was reminded of some dark sides of india i nearly have forgotten, though. especially of some violent, drug-abusing long-term stayers without respect for the local people...
from my experience i wouldn't say "never trust the indians", but "be veeery careful who you choose to trust". if you're not totally blind, it's quite easy to see the greed in the faces of the people not to trust. just keep your eyes open.
especially be careful when some policeman or military-man tries to be good friend or good uncle. stay calm and friendly, but do never ever trust them.
be careful with everything that is not cooked, especially juices. i had an apple-juice that made me sick for three months before i figured out what (strong) medication i needed to fight this.
one thing i read here is very true: never buy drugs from indians. get to know the other travellers, you will find.
back then the japanese had the best lsd , and were the most trustworthy
i don't know if it's the same in goa, but in manali there were two places: the place where the israelis are (old manali - if nothing else, they at least know how to party) and the place where the nice people stay (vashisht). stay where the israelis don't stay, it's the better choice.
the one most important thing i have learned in india: be confident in your good karma. if you run into a critical situation, be confident that you *will* find a way out of it, and you will... at least for me, it was always like that.
many strange and dangerous situations have been described here, india is weird, true, but nevertheless: relax. india is still quite easy to travel, compared to other countries. and it's much fun!
one thing i don't understand:
why is that?
