Mid-2022 Update Since earlier this year, you do not need a PCR test to fly to India if you’ve been vaccinated in certain countries. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare maintains an updated list of bilateral agreements on their website. If the country you were vaccinated in is … more »
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India
Namaste and welcome to Ashray’s homeland!
From the top of the Himalayas to the South where things get even spicier, we’re going to take you on a tour of our beloved India.
Things in Common Between India and Mexico
If India and Mexico made love, they could give birth to something beautiful! No doubt the newborn would dress colorfully and adorn its everyday things with vibrant tones. It would be saucy, spicy and topped with heaps of cilantro. Chances are it would also care a great deal about religion. … more »
Cartoon Afternoon in Incredible India
No matter how many countries we keep on visiting, rare are the places that can manage to have the same impact on me as India does. On the same day, or even in the same hour or at the exact very minute, India will make sure you experience a rollercoaster … more »
Tips for Bargaining Like a Pro in GOA
If you’ve read Backpack ME before, you know that Ashray is Indian and that I am Portuguese. But there is at least one thing in which I am [stereotypically] more Indian than him: I love a good bargain! Not only I like negotiating a transaction until I reach a price … more »
Diksha School – Help educate a child in India
A few weeks ago, a friend of mine posted about a crowdfunding campaign on Facebook. As someone who’s been active on the internet since the days before Google existed, I’m quite skeptical when it comes to donating money online. However, this time it was different. Akriti said that Diksha is … more »
The Man-pulled Rickshaws of KOLKATA
In India, there tends to be a big gap between regulations and what really happens all around you. We could call that gap “reality”. Because reality and the harsh facts of life usually impose themselves over theories, ideologies and written rules. Even though technically banned back in 2005, plenty of … more »
DELHI: Killing us softly with its smog…
DELHI. There are certain things in life that, no matter how well you know how they’re going to be, they always manage to surprise you. Every time we return to Delhi, specially during Winter, I’m always amazed at how polluted this city is. While Beijing keeps on making the international … more »
Street Creativity in INDIA: an Outdoor Barbershop
Some people think of San Francisco when they think of entrepreneurship.. I always think about the streets of India! There are endless cases that prove that the old saying “necessity is the mother of invention” is absolutely true. More than invention, here in India, it’s about creativity. Right outside the … more »
Monsoon Season has arrived in DELHI
Monsoon season has started! Today, it rained elephants and tigers here in Delhi. And what joy the rain has brought with it! While in other parts of the world (like where I come from) we might associate the rain with winter and cold weather, in India it is not like … more »
Idyllic Vagator Beach in Goa
North Goa tends to be the crazy part of Goa. Lots of busy beaches with lots of tourists. You need to get a little out of the tourist areas of Baga and Anjuna, rent a scooter or a motorbike, and drive north until you reach Vagator. Suddenly you’re in paradise … more »