Hi. You may read the " What I can I offer section" . I hope that it is useful for travellers to India.
We are a family of four. Me, My wife Ruhi, our daughter Jazz (9 years) and son Kavin (5 years).
We stay just 200 metres walking distance from Tilak Nagar Metro Station on Blue Line.
We welcome you with a - culture exchange, lifelong friendship, city outings and sharing of house work in mind.
We are polite, adjusting ,clean and punctual and expect the same from our CS guest.
We like to occasionally eat at nearby restaurants or order food delivery , you are welcome to join us.
I also like to practice my Spanish with my friends, so for all spanish speakers: MI CASA ES SU CASA!.

NOTE: Please tell some details such as gender, age, work, nationality, facebook ID etc. about people accompanying you.
I collect alcohol / traditional art/ currency from various places and would love to show them to you.
For any help or information feel free to contact on +918510000204 (call or whatsapp) and www.facebook.com/baldeepwalia.

Philosophy: Minimalist i.e. I am constantly thinking: How many things I have, which I do not actually need? . I try to give away everything that is not useful or beautiful or has an emotional value.

Religion: We follow the young and welcoming religion: Sikhism (https://www.sikhs.org/summary.htm, https://www.sikhnet.com/pages/who-are-sikhs-what-is-sikhism).

Interests

Funny, interesting, talkative people

• wildlife
• books
• fashion
• festivals
• dancing
• human rights
• italian food
• organic food
• house parties
• movies
• traveling
• karaoke
• backpacking
• track and field
• solo travel
• adventure travel
• food
• travelling
• party
• meeting new people
• contemporary dance
• meeting interesting people
• alcohol
• spanish
• construction
• kundalini yoga

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Bhangra - (Punjabi dance), All Contemporary Music,
Movie: Home Alone, Pretty Woman,
Books: - Dale Carneige

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Got married within one week of first meeting !

Teach, Learn, Share

Te quiero mejorar mi español por el chat con amigos CS!
We like to learn new words and greetings from new languages.
We love dancing, and like to teach the energy filled punjabi dance steps (BHANGRA)
We like to teach indian dishes and learn international food dishes.
You can freely ask questions about Indian foods, religions, customs, travel costs, tourist destinations and almost anything.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Some frequently asked facts. Suggestions are welcome.
1. Some useful apps for travellers are;
DELHI METRO NAVIGATOR for metro routes, timings, fares and even exit gates!,
OLA and UBER for traveling,
ZOMATO and SWIGGY for ordering food ,
NTES (National rain Enquiry System) for finding your train location, platform and availability of trains.
2. According to me, Best place to visit in Delhi is Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, it is centrally located, free entry, open 24 hours and all days, one can see people listening live holy music and meditation, there is langar - free community food without any discrimination on the basis of religion, gender or social status (no shame in trying it as it is about equality as well as sharing). It is free but tasty and very good quality
Only rules are: You need to cover your head with a scarf, remove your shoes and no alcohol or tobacco is allowed inside.
3. Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays. Best way to travel to Agra is an early morning train. Delhi-Agra -Delhi is the best option because all other cities (except Jaipur, whichis reasonably well connected to Agra) are better connected with Delhi than Agra, so one can get better train options.
Delhi international Airport is well connected through metro and runs from 4.45 am to 11.15 pm.
4. For buying an Indian Mobile number (strongly recommend to buy one), you may need two colored passport size photograph, copy of your indian visa and copy of your passport (for address proof). JIO is the cheapest mobile service currently.
5. Avoid Main Bazar, Paharganj. It may seem attractive, but it is unhygienic and a hub of scams and touts.
6. Delhi is good for two days ONLY. It has approximately ten main attractions. About five of them can be covered easily in one day. Easiest way is a rental taxi for 10 hours. Costs around 1800. Another cheaper but tiring and time consuming option is the Delhi Metro. For Delhi metro, it is best to buy a metro smart card.
7. For long journeys, the better trains are completely booked months in advance. The official website: www.irctc.co.in is obsolete and requires lots of persistence and hard work by a foreigner.
8. One good thing for the travelers planning their trip at last moment, is the Foreign Tourist quota. But, it is almost impossible to book it online. To avail this quota, it is best to visit the LEGIT ticket booking office for foreigners. In Delhi, IT IS ONLY LOCATED AT First floor, Platform no. 1, New Delhi Railway Station (paharganj side of the station). There is no extra charges, and it is open 24 hours, 7 days. The different categories are -
General/Third: No seats allotted, Cheapest but almost Hell
Second/Sleeper: You are allotted a birth, good for real experience, avoid in extreme Hot or cold weather.
AC 3 Tier: Has AC / heating and blankets. BEST OPTION cleaner, safer and comfortable
AC 2 Tier or 1 Tier: Premium versions of AC 3 Tier.
CC (Chair car): AC sitting, BEST for small journey
EC (Executive chair) Premium version of CC
9. BEWARE OF FOLLOWING SCAMS:
At touristic areas (Paharganj /Connaught place / in Delhi metro / your taxi or tuktuk driver / cafeteria / Bar) a smart looking, friendly guy will engage you and try to help you by guiding you to an “Official tourist information office or a government handicraft shop”. Phrases to look out for are: The monument is closed for cleaning or lunch/ road is blocked / rules have changed recently.
The places are totally fake but seem legit. They have well-dressed staff, pamphlets, fake hoardings and reviews). The staff will ask your budget and plans, later they will try to sell you travel package or tickets or Handicrafts on three to five times the actual price. They are very very persuasive and may get angry. Phrases to look out for are: There is only one train / Bus tickets are not sold online / Your ticket is not valid / You should buy a permit or pass for all places you want to visit.
The above paragraph equally implies for driver of your taxi from airport. They try to take you to a fake place instead of your hotel / destination.
At train station somebody posing as an official or a friendly guy (near entrance or baggage security) will try to make you miss your train or obstruct you from reaching the Ticket booking office for international tourists. Then he will try to guide or sell you an overpriced travel package or ticket. Phrases to look out for are: Your train is cancelled or delayed/ the ticket is not valid / you need a boarding pass / office is closed or shifted / It is in the other building. Always double check, look for overhead LCD boards and keep your coach and seat no. written on a paper so that you don’t hand over/ show your ticket to a scammer by mistake.

Note: Don’t be afraid or paranoid. Delhi is like any other tourist destination in the world and Indians are very helpful normally. You can always dial 100 for police assistance or just go to the nearest typical indian well to do family, talk to them in English, take their advice or help. The scammers easily give up if you prove to be adamant. Use patience and presence of mind.
The golden rule is: Don’t argue (they are good at convincing you back), "Just act dumber than you actually are!" (They get irritated and stop bothering you ) And get out of the situation.
Don’t take it personal if you get scammed. Scam attempts happen to locals too. People are trying to make a living too. :-)

Countries I’ve Lived In

India

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