Exploring the subcontinent on a shoestring takes a great deal of open-mindedness, adaptability and stamina. It puts you on the level of the local folks, giving you the opportunity to connect with the culture in a way that staying at five-stars does not. On the down side, unless you are living with a family or take refuge at an ashram, you may be at the mercy of food stalls with compromised hygiene practices and guesthouses that provide less than comfortable accomodations.

Some of the amenities that we are accustom to, like electricity for example, cannot be taken for granted.  The idea of this may seem quaint or adventurous at first, until you are sleeping at a cheap guest house and in the middle of the night there is a power outage and you realize that your ceiling fan, which was keeping the mosquitoes grounded and your sweat cool, stops working.  You learn that sometimes it’s worth spending the extra rupees for a place with a backup generator. The trick to packing for developing countries is to think of it as a long camping trip. For an extended trip, packing light is key, but it is important not to skimp on some vital health and comfort items. A medium sized backpack or luggage on wheels is sufficient. If you are moving around a lot, wait until the end of your trip to stock up on gifts and Indian treasures, then get a huge duffel bag and go to town.
Without regret, most of the weight in our pack is from a stockpile of natural medicines. Dysentery can be a real buzz-kill for your travel itinerary. But, if you can stay comfortable and in good health, your journey can be the adventure of a lifetime. Here is what we have found to be some of the essentials for an enjoyable 3 to 6 month very low-budget experience in India and Nepal.

Essentials

POSITIVE ATTITUDE

CLOTHES – In general, the clothing you take should be sturdy, dark enough to mask the dirt, and attire you enjoy enough to live in day after day.  Wearing modest, non-revealing clothes can earn you considerable respect and spare you stares, hassles or worse. Keep in mind that you may want to purchase some traditional Indian garments, so don’t take too much. Even if you plan to don the local apparel, if you are there long enough, at some point you will long to wear your favorite t-shirt, so take it. If you limit yourself to two or three sets of clothes, you can wear one while washing and drying the others.

COMFORTABLE WALKING SHOES OR SANDALS

FLIP-FLOPS – The perfect footwear in a country where you remove your shoes before entering homes, temples and many businesses. A must for funky shower stalls. You can buy a pair of cheap flip-flops upon arrival.

HAT – For sun protection or to keep your head warm depending on where and what time of year you are traveling.

DOWN VEST -This can save your life in the Himalayas and can cinch up to the size of a softball when you are on the plains.

TOWEL – As any fan of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy knows, a seasoned traveler always knows where his or her towel is. Indians also have a pragmatic imagination when it comes to towels, or gamcchas. Its uses are seemingly endless: you can tie it around your head as a turbine, around your neck as a scarf or around your waist as a skirt or lungi. You can use it as a shawl to keep warm, use it as a sheet to lie on or as a blanket to lie under. It can be used as a satchel to carry groceries or a baby. You can cover you nose and mouth to filter out the thick, black exhaust when traveling through traffic in open vehicles. You can use it as a hankie or to wipe off your sweat, your seat, a messy table or fresh cow shit off your feet. And, if it is reasonably unsoiled, you can even dry off your clean body after a bucket shower. Indian towels are thin and inexpensive, so get a few.

DAY PACK - For short excursions or as a purse to keep the necessities on hand. You can also buy a jhola, or Indian shoulder bag, while you are there.

LETTERS OF INTRODUCTION from friends - A formality that is good to have if you are spending time at an ashram or with a family you have never met.

Lonely Planet Guidebook – A rich source of practical information for travelers. This is a heavy item, but you can cut down the weight by photocopying or ripping out the necessary pages.

JOURNAL/SKETCHBOOK

MONEY BELT – To secure your passport, cash, traveler’s checks and plane tickets. Fasten it around your waist and tuck it under your clothes. Keep a smaller amount of spending rupees in a separate wallet or purse.

PASSPORT – It is an enormous hassle if you lose it. Keep it in your money belt.

VISA – This must be arranged in advance from the Indian embassy. Some regions of India require additional visas. You can obtain a Nepal Visa upon arrival in the Kathmandu airport.

TRAVELER’S CHECKS – A wise form of currency in an unpredictable country.

CASH – It is always helpful to have some cash when you cannot find a place to exchange travelers checks. US $100 bills are practically universal. If you are traveling in smaller villages, however, change money before you get there and have a supply of small denomination rupee notes.

GIFTS FOR CHILDREN - Have a supply of pencils or pens on hand as practical gifts for the children you encounter. We found that buying peanuts and fruit to give to begging children is better than giving them rupees, which may end up in someone else’s pocket.  We also took over two huge duffel bags of children’s clothing, school and art supplies and educational games donated by friends, Crocodile Creek and Oopsy Daisy Fine Art for Kids for a school and orphanage in Nepal.

PHOTOS FROM HOME – Have a few photos of family, friends and home to share with curious new friends.

HAND SANITIZER – Purell or other alcohol-based germ killers are indispensable in a country where you feel like everything you touch is dirty and soap is not found next to every sink.

WATER BOTTLE – The stainless steel varieties like Kleen Kanteen are indestructible and can hold hot liquids without leaching toxins from the plastic.

WATER FILTER- Can protect you from countless waterborne bacteria and viruses without leaving a trail of plastic water bottles that end up getting burned in piles outside you hotel window. We highly recommend the First Need filter.

SPARE FILTER – If you are on an extended trip

UNIVERSAL DRAIN COVER - This thin, round, flat piece of rubber can turn any sink into a laundry tub or a water source to filter water out of.

MOSQUITO NET - If you are in a mosquito zone, it can mean the difference between sound sleep or malaria.

MOSQUITO REPELLANT – We like the natural herbal stuff, but so do those Indian mosquitoes. Get something strong that works.

SPARE GLASSES – A spare pair of glasses or contacts is essential if you cannot do without. You can also get glasses made quite inexpensively in Indian cities.

SWISS ARMY KNIFE – For cutting fruit and a million other uses.

COMPACT MIRROR

FLASHLIGHT- Crucial in a country with frequent power outages.

LIGHTER – For incense, candles or when you can’t find your flashlight. Much safer and reliable than Indian matches.

EARPLUGS – Sleep through the predawn loudspeaker call to prayer, city street noise or communal train voyages.

WATCH/ALARM – Indian time is fluid at best, but the trains are often on time.

SLEEPING BAG – The kind that scrunches down in a small stuff sack. Useful on trains and budget guesthouses where clean bedding is not guaranteed.

LOCK AND SMALL CHAIN – To secure your luggage on overnight 2nd class sleeper train rides or on top of buses.

CLOTHESLINE – To dry your laundry, string it up around your room and turn on your ceiling fan or use on a balcony or rooftop.

Toiletries

DENTAL FLOSS – Easier to find here than there and essential after eating Indian sweets.

DEODARANT - Again, easier to find here than there.

TOOTHPASTE – There are great Ayurvedic toothpastes available in India, but if you have one you like, get it at home.

Tooth brush, Razor, Bandaids, Finger nail clippers, Safety pins, Zip-lock plastic bags

Q-TIPS – To apply ointments or mine crud out of your ear canals. You may choose to leave the ear cleaning up to the traditional ear cleaners who have been practicing their trade for generations. You can spot them at train stations or city streets with surgical instrument-looking devises jutting out from under their red caps. No joke.

Electronic extras

DIGITAL CAMERA – Unless you are hooked on film, we found it less cumbersome and easier when going through multiple airports x-ray machines to use digital. You can use an iPod to easily download your photos in the field.

iPod – Great for long train rides. With a light, mini-speaker system you can create peaceful ambiance in your room. Also use to store digital photos.

ELECTRIC PLUG CONVERTER – India has different outlets and voltage so this is critical if you are taking electronic devices.

RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES/CHARGER – For flashlight, camera, etc.

Medicines

MULT-VITAMIN – Even if, like us, you usually do not rely on pills for nourishment, a supplement can help provide sustenance in times when it is hard to find safe, wholesome food.

Emergen-C – Powder supplement you mix with water to make a yummy, fizzy drink filled with vitamin C,  minerals, electrolytes and B vitamins. Great for an energy boost or dehydration.

GINGER CAPSULES – For nausea, motion sickness, colds, flu and to aid digestion.

ACIDOPHILUS – This or other probiotic bacteria is invaluable for building up your intestinal flora for improved digestion and to combat unwanted intestinal invaders. Get the temperature stable variety and take it daily, even before your trip. Having a regular dose of yogurt, or dahi as they call it, can also provide healthy intestinal growth.

CURING PILLS - This Traditional Chinese Medicine formula is a remedy for nausea, indigestion, vomiting, acid reflux and food poisoning.

GRAPEFRUIT SEED EXTRACT – Multi-purpose strong medicine that helps zap amoebas and parasites.

ACTIVATED CHARCOAL CAPSULES – For food poisoning. Have a few on hand just in case. Burnt toast works also.

DIARRHEA MEDICINE – Although we personally prefer natural medicines, it is a good idea to have some Imodium (loperimide, HCl) on hand to stop the flow on a long bus ride or when prolonged diarrhea and dehydration becomes a risk.

ECHINACEA– An immune boosting root that helps when you feel like you’re coming down with cold or flu.

HOMEOPATHICS – Light weight medicines like Arnica montana for muscle trauma and pain, Carbo veg. for digestive problems and Nux vomica for nausea and upset stomach, to name a few.

TEA TREE OIL – Although not actually from the tea tree, this camphor-esque smelling oil has antiseptic and anti-fungal properties. We use it primarily to keep cuts from becoming infected but is also useful for insect bites, pimples, fungal growths and oral infections. In India you can also purchase Neem oil, which has similar uses and is even more foul smelling.

THROAT LOZENGES – Pollution makes for scratchy throats. If you run out, I recommend the Himalaya brand herbal Koflet lozenges available in India.

PAIN KILLERS – Take your pick.

Buy There

SHAWL – A Pashmina shawl, or chudder, is your best friend in a cold climate.

WATER HEATING COIL – Plug it in and submerge coil in a bucket of water for a hot bucket shower. Very dangerous - use with caution.

SOAP - There are an assortment of Ayurvedic soaps available in India.

CHYAVANA PRASH – A medicinal herbal jam chock full of vitamin C from amla fruit and an array of plant medicines for immunity, lungs and general health.

AMOEBICA – This Ayurvedic formula helps keep amoebic dysentery at bay.

Liv52 - A liver cleansing formula that can help clear toxins taken in from food, water and air.  Good preventative for viral hepatitis.

Again, these are suggestions for a low-budget, roughing-it-in-style type of travel. You could also travel minimalist, sadhu-style with your water vessel, toothbrush, passport and a lot of faith. Or, if you are only going for a short visit and have a bigger budget, you can take whatever you want and just hire someone to carry your luggage.

However you decide to travel, one thing you can surely leave behind, are your expectations.

A wallah is one who performs a specific task. A rickshaw wallah drives the rickshaw, a dhobi wallah washes clothes and chai wallahs, you guessed it, they make chai. Chai wallahs are everywhere in India. Everywhere. From busy urban street corners to hidden alleyways, at bus depots and railway platforms and walking through the train car, along riversides and on footpaths that lead to pilgrimage sites in the middle of nowhere — when you need a fresh cup of tea, the chai wallah is always near.

Chai wallahs take pride in there chai. After all, each and every day, it is there responsibility to sustain and nurture the masses by providing the beverage that keeps India running.

To stand out from the rest, many chai wallahs develop a stylized preparation and presentation for their chai.

Some chai wallahs put a little something special in their chai, a smashed up nub of ginger, a pinch of garam masala powder, or a strand of saffron on top, to make it unique and keep their customers coming back. Often it is the performance that sells the chai. Many chai wallahs let the chai boil up until an instant before it going to spill over the side, then with great agility, swirl the pot an inch over the flame, suspending it in an almost-boiling-over state before removing it from the heat, then doing the trick again. In Kolkatta we witnessed the “metre-pour”, where the chai wallah blends the chai by pouring it back and forth between the pots at two arm-lengths apart.  Frothy chai latte to go?

Most chai wallahs prepare their chai in small batches on a per order basis. In large cities, however, the chai business is often divided into one central chai wallah who makes enormous batches of chai, and the sellers who fill orders and deliver to local shops. For the chai courier, the faster you can run through the congested city, the more chai you can sell.

It is often the same at train stations, where many chai wallahs are selling from the same huge vat. When pulling into a train station in India, the first sound you hear is the chorus of chai wallahs singing their sales pitch. Breaking chai into two syllables and accentuating the second, ‘chai-eeeeeee, chai-eeeeeee’, the chai vendors signal their location to the passengers. You can just hang out the window and get a chai to go. If a loud voice doesn’t draw attention, a creative performance on the train can make a sale. Walking down the aisles, some wallahs display their skills by pouring the chai in a long thin stream, as far from the cup as possible, without spilling a drop.

I generally like to purchase my chai from the wallah with the best vibes — one who is wearing a smile and keeps a clean chai stall. In Benares, at Raju chai stand, under a tree on the orange and white steps of Assi Ghat, I watched a young chai wallah as he made his first pot of chai of the day. I was surprised to see several people waiting on the steps for their morning chai when there were several other chai wallahs in view already serving. I sat down to wait with them. After brewing his chai, the young man strained the boiled pot into a stainless steel teakettle. He then closed his eyes and appeared to make a silent invocation as he poured a small offering of chai next to the orange cooking burner flame. (In India, fire is revered as the ancient Vedic God, Agni, and it is auspicious to first offer the fruits of your labor to the Divine.)  He then poured the first chai into a clay cup and handed it to me. I felt honored. Even though I prefer a little ginger and cardamom in my chai, instead of the Nescafe instant coffee he sprinkled on top, he became my new favorite chai wallah.

Over the years, I have to tried to emulate my Chai Guru’s chai, but could never match it.  This recipe is my own humble rendition of my very first cup of chai.  (Click on Jenny’s recipe card above to see larger or click here to download and print.) Enjoy.

spicy goat milk masala chai

–Makes ~6 10oz. cups–

Ingredients

6 cups water
3 cups goat milk
1/3 cup maple syrup (-or- 1/2 cup if you like it sweet -or- to taste; can substitute other sweetener)
3 black tea bags -OR- 3 tsp. CTC tea -OR- 6 tsp. Assam whole leaf grade tea
1/3 cup (grated) fresh ginger
1″ cinnamon stick
7 each black, white and red whole peppercorns
7 cloves
7 allspice (pimento) berries
15 green cardamom pods -OR- 1 tsp. decorticated (shell removed) cardamom
Small pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
Saffron for garnish

Recipe
1. Stop.  Breathe.  Smile.
2. Fill pot with water and put over high heat.
3. Grate ginger and add to pot.  (You can also slice thinly or smash in a mortar and pestle)
4. Grind cinnamon, peppercorns, cloves, allspice and cardamom in a mortar and pestle or spice/coffee grinder and add to pot
5.Grate nutmeg into pot
6.Bring to boil, then reduce flame and simmer for around 15 minutes
7.Add goat milk, tea and maple syrup.
8.Turn to high heat until it comes to a rapid boil then remove from heat.
9.Strain into second pot, pour into serving cups, garnish with a few strands of saffron and offer to your Beloved Friend.

We never came across any goat milk chai in India, but here’s a goat we encountered in Benares, the morning after Shivaratri, enjoying offerings made to the Shiva Lingum.

My dear friend and teacher Hamid lovingly served me my first cup of masala chai 17 years ago. It was a moment I will never forget…sitting on the floor of his Chicago flat, the elevating aroma of incense mixed with spices, classical Indian rhythms vibrating through my being. Hamid emerged from the kitchen with two steaming cups of his spicy chai. I remember that first sip. It was the most delicious taste that had ever passed over my tongue. I sat spellbound in a chai-induced state of bliss as the chai coursed through my body. It warmed me all the way up to my soul.

I would go over to Hamid’s for tabla instruction, but before the lesson began, we would sit with our chai and embark on conversations led by our mutual love for the Divine. We would discuss spiritual practice and Hamid would illuminate the teachings of saints like Sri Ramakrishna and Bawa Muhaiyaddeen.  Hamid became a guiding light to my inner path. I learned by his living example the way of compassionate activity and the unity of all sacred traditions. Finishing the last sip of chai, the lesson was over and my drums would still be sitting in their bag. It soon became clear that tablas were not my forte and perhaps our meetings held another purpose.

When I finally asked him for his chai recipe he replied, “I’ll have to show you.” Along with the other spices he crushed up in his mortar and pestle, he would add enough peppercorns, black, white and red, to make it a fiery brew. After boiling it twice, he poured the chai back and forth between two pots to let it breath in the air element. Sometimes he would garnish it with a few strands of saffron. To me, the taste of saffron became synonymous with the heavenly taste of chai.  Still today, i use saffron as my special ingredient that rounds off the bitter taste of tea with a flowery high-note.

Hamid’s chai remains in my memory as the finest. He always made it with goat’s milk and maple syrup. When I started making my own chai, I didn’t know there was any other way. Now on those rare occasions when I drink goat milk chai, it reminds me of Hamid.

Hamid was my chai guru. He taught me not only how to make chai, but also his “secret.” He told me that chai should be prepared with prayer or mantra or loving intentions. This was the most important ingredient. It imbued the chai with a blessing that would pass onto whoever drank it. Since then, I have been preparing homemade chai almost daily. It is my ritual and my offering.

As we ascended the steep stone path to the hilltop Tashiding monastery, each step took us deeper into a palpable prayer. Thousands of colorful prayer flags stamped with Tibetan mantras released their blessings into the clear sky above our heads. The breeze playfully spun windmill-like prayer wheels, spiraling out loving kindness towards the blue mountain horizon. A field of stupas rose out of the earth like white and golden Buddhas popping up in Heaven’s flower garden. The silent blessings permeated our being and carried us barefoot around the monastery grounds.

A wall of mani stones, slabs of granite painted in bright colors with the great Tibetan Buddhist mantra om mani padme hum etched into them, encircled the entire stupa compound in an energetic ring invoking compassion. As we came around a corner, we spotted a figure inside a corrugated tin and stone shack built into the prayer wall. A man peered out from behind stacked slabs of gray stone. As we approached him with obvious interest on our faces he signaled us to come in and sit.

He sat surrounded by engraved tablets, chiseling the next prayer. His long fingers held a chisel in one hand braced against the carving easel, while his other hand gently tapped with a small hammer. His graying dark hair was tied in a knot like a small stupa on top of his head. His face had sculpted asian features and long, thin strands of hair hung from his chin and moustache. He worked diligently as he peered through thick brown glasses tied with a string around his head. Occasionally he stopped and looked at us for a few minutes, the three of us speaking no words.

I somehow asked him if he had carved the thousands of prayers surrounding the shrine. It is like a game of silent charades. You can have an entire conversation this way and not even realize you haven’t spoken a word. He signaled his hand in a circle then pointed to himself to indicate that, yes, he indeed was the artist of this massive body of prayerful work. It seemed irrelevant to try to ask him how long he has been living here as a sculptor. If he told us 300 years, when this monastery was first built, we would have believed him. It is that way in India — no unbelievable truth is beyond doubt. We sat in wonder and witnessed this timeless being living in the heavenly realm dedicating his life to extracting prayers out of stone.

He laid his tools down, and with a flick of his head, flung his glasses to his forehead. Aromatic smoke rose from under his blackened teakettle. He took the kettle and poured another cup, took a bite of a biscuit and a sip of tea. He then sat in silence and closes his eyes. I think he was napping. After a few minutes, his head nodded foreword and his glasses fell back onto his nose. He opened his eyes, took a long sigh and continued his work.

We later learned his name, Yanchong Lodil.

We had our first encounter with a garden spirit at the Makaibari estate’s tea tasting room. While sipping our prized first flush silver tip tea, we noticed something peculiar about a potted tea plant in the corner of the room. One of the tealeaves was walking down the branch. “No wonder this tea sells for 18,000 rupees per kilogram,” I thought. As we looked closely at the plant, we were astonished to see that the tealeaf had little leafy legs and what appeared to be a head. Our host informed us we were beholding a Tea Deva.

“A what?”
“Tea Deva, Tea Deva. A tea god!”
“Oh, a Tea Deva.” I suddenly realized we were in the presence of a Divine manifestation in the form of a bug.

We were told that this preying mantis-like insect first revealed itself in the garden in 1992. “It is very difficult to locate,” estate manager, Dev, told us, “because it is very similar to the tea leaves.” In fact, the Tea Deva apparently shares an empathic relationship with the tea bushes. In the early summer, the auspicious insect displays the same luster of a fresh new leaf and in the winter appears blistered and worn. As the story has it, in 1995 a hailstorm damaged many tea bushes in one part of the estate. A Tea Deva found in another unaffected location exhibited the same abrasions on its leaf-like body.

“If somebody locates a Tea Deva, lucky things happen for that person,” Dev told us. In addition to luck, there is a monetary incentive offered by the estate to any employee who finds one. The Tea Deva is then brought to the office for visitors to admire for a couple of days until it is set free.

Dev believes the appearance of this garden spirit is a direct result of applying farming practices that are attuned with Nature, “Rudolf Steiner [the father of Biodynamic gardening] says if your farm cultivation is holistically biodynamic and nature is protected, then the new life forms that emerge are a reflection of your main crop. Our main crop is tea, so the Tea Deva is the reflection of our tea. So, it is the natural certificate that we are holistically following biodynamic practices.”

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Our meeting with the tea deva inspired Jenny to create this image, while Indian packaging (tea, rice, matchboxes, etc.) inspired her graphic approach. She is offering archival prints of this ‘garden spirit’ on her site. Click here.

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10.1.08  **Scientifically speaking: The Tea Deva belongs to the Phylliidae family of leafy insects and is quite known for its talent to mimic its surroundings.