The moment I stepped off the bus and onto the pavement in Jaipur, everything changed. I no longer was in the protected tourist mini bus; suddenly I was thrust into the local culture.
But it wasn’t just me; I was traveling with my niece, Erin, on her first big international trip. We suddenly became a part of the complex fabric of cars, food vendors, motorbikes, cows, and stray dogs.
This is what I strive for when I travel: moving from voyeur to real experience.
The streets of Jaipur
Our Classic Rajasthan tour was orchestrated perfectly because this ‘decisive moment’ of hitting the ground at the Wind Palace in Jaipur was just the right time to jump into the local culture and chaos of India. Consequently, it was my favorite day on our trip; moving our entire group a step closer to understanding the Indian way of life.
Hitting the streets
The horns were deafening as we stepped onto the streets in the heart of the Pink City. Our tour leader, Mohsin, led us around the colorful city gate and then into the narrow sidewalks where the store promenades were located. The promenade was crowded as we pushed through the people, all in single file line as Mohsin recommended. It was hard to keep up with the group as I would get distracted by the vendors who eagerly wanted to sell me things.
At the same time I had to watch my step because the market sidewalks are more like an urban hike with boulders, potholes, and other obstacles along the way. Luckily our group had bonded even further during this process as we all watched out for each other.
READ MORE: THE MAGIC OF MOVING OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE IN INDIA
Like many Indian cities, Jaipur has plenty of vendors
While I was watching my footing, the locals were watching me. It’s not too often that a bunch of foreigners parade single file down these streets, we were quite a spectacle. In most places I would feel uncomfortable with the long, intense stares, but in India it’s normal. In a weird way it’s freeing, it gives you permission to stare back for once in your life.
After we walked through the market promenades, we headed towards another neighborhood, but this time we left the safety of the sidewalk and simply took to walking on the streets shoulders like the locals do. Surprisingly walking along the street is much easier than the unpredictable sidewalk in India. Cars and motorbikes drove around us as we wove in and out of other pedestrians; it felt like a real life video game.
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I immediately wanted to cling to Erin to make sure she didn’t make a wrong move. But I also knew I had to just let her go and figure it all out like everyone else in our group was doing. Occasionally the mothering instinct comes over me and surprises even me. I wasn’t the only one with mothering instincts; it was reassuring to see Mohsin keep a close eye on her too in this hectic environment.
Mohsin looking out for us
Eating the local street food
“For the first few days I’ve chosen restaurants to get your stomachs used to India, but today if you’d like to taste the street food on this walk you can,” Mohsin explained.This was the moment I had been waiting for. We had been passing all of these wonderful smells and sights of food, and my stomach was longing to try some of it. Yet it was India – there were plenty of warnings also dancing in my head.
Mohsin carefully picked the vendors we went to; choosing ones he’d been to before and felt were safe. Of course there is never any guarantee you won’t get sick, but I was excited to try the food on the streets and we were all eager to follow his lead.
READ MORE: HOW TO AVOID ‘DELHI BELLY’ IN INDIA
We ate fried treats, enjoyed a sweet lassie from the best place in town, tried the local candy, and watched a chai wallah (tea maker) make the best Masala Chai I’ve ever had.
Where we indulged in Masala Chai
The family at Sahu ki Chai has been making Masala Chai out of this storefront since 1968. Upon first look, it’s a place I never would have stopped in a million years. The ‘store’ was a bit worn and grimy, and the chai wallah was wearing an old shirt, and didn’t ever crack a smile; it wasn’t very welcoming.
READ MORE: 7 MUST-HAVE EXPERIENCES IN RAJASTHAN
Yet he made a fresh batch in front of us as we patiently waited and watched him drop in secret spices while bringing the frothy mixture to a boil multiple times. When he deemed it perfect, he poured it into traditional clay cups. Erin and I stood on the street on a 90 degree day sipping our piping hot masala chai with the rest of the locals lined up at his storefront. Travel days don’t get much better than that.
Our final food stop was at the samosa stand where a line of locals waited patiently for samosas to be retrieved from the piping hot oil and put on a little paper serving plates. The prices were ridiculously cheap and the samosas were ridiculously hot.
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As we navigated eating the fresh fried treats, most people watched us and smiled. A few got up the nerve to practice their English and ask us where we were from. And some even confirmed what Mohsin had already told us – this was the best samosa stand in town giving us the ‘thumbs up’ seal of approval for being awesome tourists who ate the local food.
Lights, camera, action, Bollywood-style
It’s rare that I go to a movie when I travel internationally. After all, movies are normally things I do at home when I’m bored or have nothing else to do. However when you are in India, going to a Bollywood Movie is a chance to have a local experience despite the language barrier.
The movie, Fanney Kahn, was in Hindi; however, Mohsin assured us the story line would be simple enough to understand by watching. The doors opened to the theater and we poured into the grand room with the rest of the locals. Attendants with lights ushered us along to our assigned seats as movie previews flashed across the screen.
A selfie outside the movie theater
Creating travel memories in the mundane
These were all simple experiences; walking, eating, and a movie – but they were made unique because we were able to do these things while traveling in India. They moved us from being tourists to being a part of the experience. It’s the mundane things in a foreign place that can have the most impact and meaning when traveling.
Drinking chai, dodging cars, eating popcorn, and interacting with locals – that’s what makes for a great day in Jaipur.
Ready to have the time of your life in Jaipur and beyond? Check out Intrepid Travel’s small group tours to India.
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(All images taken by Sherry Ott on Intrepid’s Classic Rajasthan trip.)
