Packing and the Party

So, Friday the group going to India had a meeting at Cathleen's (Dr. Cummings') house. She's got a big but sweet dog named Duke, and the group has one guy now, Zach. Poor boy. Not only will India be a culture shock but he'll drowned in estrogen! LOL The party was lots of fun. I was SO tired, having just been inducted into the 'godmother club', as it were. Besides having a great time, we went over lots of tips and, more specifically, packing. Here's a list Cathleen sent us about packing.

Packing
A backpack or a large, soft, zip bag with a wide shoulder strap is recommended; a duffel with wheels would be ideal. Make sure your bag has a lock. In addition, for traveling on trains it is helpful to have a cable lock to allow you to secure your bag to the luggage rack.

These days, especially in India’s cities such as Mumbai and Bangalore, anything you might need or want is available, including clothing and toiletry items (women should, however, bring their own tampons). Bring as little as possible! Laundry service is available (for a fee) in most hotels.

Be sure to take with you:
-- passport and Indian tourist visa
-- Most ATM debit cards can also be used.
Visa, Mastercard or American Express card, if you want backup support.
-- approx $70 spending money per week. Bring traveler’s checks.
-- film for camera (if applicable)
-- notebook or journal, mechanical pencils or pens


Toiletries
-- any prescription drugs needed for the entire stay
-- Lomotil or other medicine for digestive upsets or diarrhea
-- sunscreen, high-factor.
-- tampons
-- shaving gear
-- disposal wipes are useful as is a small tube or bottle of disinfecting hand-cleaner

soap, toothpaste and shampoo are all readily available in India, although you should probably bring travel sized items with you so you have something for at least the first couple of days.


Clothing:
-- comfortable walking shoes
-- sandals
-- underwear
-- swimwear
-- one or two pair of cotton trousers (jeans will be too heavy)
-- one pair of shorts (men only)
-- one long cotton skirt (women)
-- a few t-shirts or lightweight shirts
-- one set of “dress up “ clothes
-- a sun-hat of some kind and sun glasses.
-- socks
-- a sweatshirt, sweater, or pullover (especially useful on overly air-conditioned trains!)

Women: refrain from wearing skimpy or tight-fitting clothing, and going bra-less. You may want to buy an inexpensive salwar kameez (traditional Punjuabi long tunic and trouser combination) when we get to Chennai – they are comfortable in the heat, practical, and are considered to be quite respectable attire.

Misc.

-- a Mini-Mag light is very useful for poking around in dark caves and inside dark temples.
Some kind of small, portable light is recommended.
-- a voltage-converter and converter plugs if you are bringing along any electronic equipment
-- earplugs are very useful to shut out the din on trains and in other situations, and a light sleep mask is also helpful
-- collapsible umbrella