Getting Ready For India
2019 November & 2019 December
Invitation to India accepted!
Our adventurous sisters π§π§π» have ~60 days before departure to Delhi. There are a LOT of things to prepare. Medicine? Travel VISA? Airfare? Hotel? Transportation? Pressure on! π€―
Some of the things we did and the resources we used to do it quickly:
In addition to prescribing Malaria pills π our doctor stuck us with Hepatitus A and Typhoid shots πbased on the CDC recommendation for travelers to India
Enrolled in Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) with the US Embassy to be counted and to keep updated on travel alerts
iVisa is a service that facilitates & expedites travel visas for a small fee
Agoda is a worldwide airline βοΈ and property π¨ booking service that will match the lowest price
India is in the Northern Hemisphere, literally on the other side of the globeπ from the USA.π As child Staci π§π» wanted to explore using a shovel to dig a hole to the other side of the world. If Staci π§π» could have shoveled a hole through the earth, she would have surfaced in India.
It was time to cram the Hindi language using a combination for Rosetta Stone and DuoLingo. YES, it took both applications - they have different approaches to learning and thus different strengths. NO! NO! NO! 60-days is NOT enough time to learn a language.
π‘ Recommendation is more time to study. =While in India, Staci π§π» rarely attempted speaking in Hindi and found that the rhythm of the naturally spoken language was too quick for her to follow conversations beyond understanding ONE word every now and then.
The sisters π§π§π»have never been to India. and want to be respectful to the Indian people. Staci π§π» knows a little bit about the culture and Preeti will help, but the sisters π§π§π» are in over their heads.
An eBook Hippie-In-Heels provided a lot of cultural information from the perspective of an American nurse π©ββοΈ turned India resident.
Packing List...
What gifts to bring to our hosts? We wanted to bring something from our home to thank our India family for sharing their homes. We went with locally made honey, Celestial Seasonings tea, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, and Colorado hand-made textiles.
What items to travel with? This seems easyβ¦ βenough clothesβ for 15 days. It takes thought to have the correct gear: clothing, medicines, supplies, and stuff to look excellent at the wedding π events! The sisters π§π§π» also had to keep it light-weight knowing that the India domestic airline will impose a 15kg β (33lbs) weight allowance.
Some out of the ordinary stuff we took to make things easier and also to take some safety precautions
Hypath 2-in-1 convertible travel bag 𧳠with Gonex compression packing cubes for getting as much stuff as we could into as few bags!
Clothing Arts and Scottevest pick-pocket proof wear
Venture 4th Passport pouch
SinkSuds for washing clothing in hotels
BatPower battery pack π for charging electronics
Portable Door Lock π for independent security of the hotel room
Herbal Pumpkin and Black Walnut capsules for gut health
Venice Nail Spa Co did a great job making Staci's nails π gold-n-sparkly and wedding ready! Not pictured here is Shadonna who is got her eyelashes π€© spruced up, more on that in Chandigarh India story! π
The sisters π§π§π» are packed,𧳠groomed ππ and ready to embark upon adventures in India!