Top 5 Surprises In India

India is an amazing country. Everywhere you go, every city or town you visit will give you a surprise that you didn’t expect.

Not all of them pleasant! but every experience will make you look at the world you live in differently, especially if you have spent your life in a ‘first’ world country.

 

1. Cows

Have a cow fetish? Then India is the place for you. It doesn’t matter how large or small the town or city is, there will be herds of cows wandering the streets.

Are all these cows friendly? Nope, spend long enough in the Indian sub-continent and you will be the victim of a random cow head-butt. I speak from experience!

 

2. Smell

Nothing can quite prepare you for the smell of India, even after being there for months I still found myself overwhelmed by the putrid stench of faeces and open sewers mixed with the odour of rotting garbage.

When people talk about the smells of India it is rarely about the beautiful cuisine and more about the other more challenging varieties of odour!

 

3. Driving

India has the highest road toll in the world, which shouldn’t be a surprise since it has the second largest population, but when you look at the raw statistics when compared to the more populous China, India is streets again in the death toll.

Though not really such a shock when you experience the death defying transits that are offered on some of the worst, most overcrowded roads in the world. India’s road toll in 2010 was around 150,000 deaths.

Even a short journey on an Indian road will have you invoking your chosen gods name. I chose Homer Simpsons favourite, ‘Baby Jebus’. I guess it must have worked. Thank you Jebus!

 

4. People

Not surprising for a country with a population of over a billion people, everywhere you set foot you will surrounded by humanity.

The greatest example of this is on the train system in India. There will be days when it will seem that the entire country is trying to get on the train with you.

For a truly memorable experience hop on a train in the 3rd class carriage where locals spend most of their travelling life. Your time will be spent equally between feeling like a celebrity and a sardine.

 

5. Weather

Any trip to India will redefine your meaning of the term a ‘hot day’. The hottest day I faced was around the 117 degrees Fahrenheit mark, which even with my Australian blood can be defined as a tad warm!

 

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