I remember when I wrote "My Analogue Bucket List for 2012: Going Wild With the LC-Wide" back in January. There I said that I plan to travel to either India or China. Last February, I traveled to India! Yeah! Dreams do come true! Here's my first story about my journey to India.
On the 14th of February, I left Indonesia for India. Yes, I traveled alone for the first time. After all these years, I only dreamt of going to India, when suddenly one day in January I was checking the timeline on Twitter. There was a Tweet from AirAsia that said “Flight from Indonesia to India will stop starting March”. I was quite scared that moment and decided to check the news if it’s true or not. So I checked AirAsia’s website, and the news was true! I panicked. So the following day, I decided to ask my father a simple and random question: “Hey Dad, Can I go to India?”, he replied “Alone? or with friends? If you’re brave enough then you can go there alone, like me 25 years ago”, I reacted “CHALLENGE ACCEPTED”.
After that father and son discussion, I planed my travel to India from scratch and the first thing to do is buy the tickets from AirAsia. For me, buying the tickets is like 40% of the plan and to reach 100% I have to get my Indian Visa. A week after that day, fortunately I got my plane tickets, Visa to India and other important stuff. Next, the plan is to create a travel itinerary, so I asked several community members on Lomography like upic and inine because they have already gone to India. After spending hours of thinking of the perfect travel itinerary in India, I was extremely excited and couldn’t wait to travel to India.
February 14, 2012 at 9PM, I arrived at New Delhi and stayed for a night at a budget hotel in Pahar Ganj. The following morning, I went early morning to Agra. So this is it! adi_totp in India officially starts now!
Agra Cantt
I arrived at Agra Cantt in Agra and it was freezing cold! I never though that I would experience winter in India. Yes, I’m a newbie in the solo traveling world. Nevertheless, I was excited to start my adventure in Agra.
Autoricksaws
Harish The Driver
During my urban adventure in Agra, I decided to take a cab or whatever so I could adapt how to go here and there. The driver’s name is Harish and he first took me to Itimad Ud Daulah. Good morning, Agra!
Going to Itimad Ud Daulah in the morning was very nice. I was little bit sleepy and Itimad Ud Daulah is the perfect place to open up these sleepy eyes. After Itimad Ud Daulah, I went to Mehtab Bagh and well, the view of Taj Mahal from there is spectacular!
It gives me goosebumps!
Happy as a kid!
Since this is my first time in Agra and I have limited time here, I just went to Agra Fort. Yes! It’s a must-visit destination for first-timer like me.
In Agra Fort, I decided to take a lot of shots using Horizon Perfekt because the fort is so beautiful and capturing a panorama image of this fort would be splendid! As usual, I shot brutally with my other cameras. Lomographer’s Logic.
After Agra Fort, I decided to take lunch and eating alone isn’t quite nice but the food was ultra delicious! Immediately, I was falling in love with Indian Food. Real Indian Food and not Indian Food at restaurants in Indonesia. I was filling my belly so I can get much energy for my last destination in India. Yes I’m obviously talking about the Taj Mahal. Since Harish said to me “Adi, you go to Taj Mahal on Sunset” and I followed his advice. After my check in at the hotel near Taj Ganj, I put my bags and ran to the south gate of Taj Mahal. I waited for this moment too long and seeing Taj Mahal for the first time would be a dream come true because when I was a little boy, I just see the Taj Mahal in my father’s photo album and that childhood memory haunted me until I finally saw the Taj Mahal for the first time.
Taj Mahal
Since I was traveling along and I have nobody to talk to, I decided to communicate with my cameras. I was like “Woooow”, “Whoaaa”, “This is Taj Mahal”, and I just kept to myself and let my brain, eyes, and cameras do the talking. Click, click, click!
Very beautiful! I was just sitting down by the Taj Mahal relaxing and enjoying the perfect afternoon. Priceless!
Relax
I can’t find the words to describe the sunset by the Taj Mahal. Luckily, my cameras could describe it a little. When you see it with your own eyes, it’s like magic! A magical feeling!
So I spent my first visit to Agra in the Taj Mahal enjoying everything around me. Maybe I have no people to talk to but this is a spiritual experience, really. I just can’t help it and I said to myself “Man, dreams do come true!”. I’m so grateful I could experience this and a big thanks for my parents who gave me the chance. Remember, dreams do come true.
Your Lens Licker Friend,
Adi
PS: The perfect soundtrack for Agra is U2’s “A Beautiful Day”.
The Horizon Perfekt shoots images the length of two standard frames. With full aperture and shutter settings, this premium panoramic camera gives you total control over your shots. Prepare to be blown away by the amazing Horizon Perfekt, available here.
38 comments
vici
I loved learning about your trip. I'm very happy you went, and I dream of seeing the Taj Mahal someday. The photos you brought back are beautiful!
stonerfairy
Ternyata sampai juga ke INDIA!!
SYABAS Brader!!
dreadlockboy
mantab memang bro ini...seru perjalanan sendirinya...:)
clare_eee
Omaigosh! CHALLEGE ACCEPTED! lol that was awesome! :D Beautiful pictures too!
dakadev_pui
Great trip
istionojr
superduper Adi!
vicuna
Great travel and shots @adi_totp! :) Another destination on my bucket list too!!
antibiotyx
glad you've fulfilled your travel dreams. i so envy you. :)
maximum_b
Wow! Great pictures. It's so interesting to see the places, that I've just been, from the over lomographer's viewpoint! I've arrived to India in January and still here, in Dehli, Pahar Ganj:))
adi_totp
@clare_eee hahaha yeah, Barney Stinson's style! thank you very much :D
adi_totp
@vici thank you very much :) I hope you'll go to India and see the beauty of Taj Mahal
adi_totp
@stonerfairy keep calm and go to India :D thanks Liza!
adi_totp
@antibiotyx I'm so grateful of that :D Hope you will go to India,sherwin! eh are you going to Singapore? Shareen told me
adi_totp
@dreadlockboy ahaaaa.. terima kasih,mas :D seru bro perjalanan sendiri!
adi_totp
@dakadev_pui thanks pui! One day I hope I could make it to Bangkok :D
adi_totp
@istionojr terima kasih,ono! YEAH!
adi_totp
@vicuna thank you,mate! if you're in India you will shoot hundreds of films :D I'm sure hundreds of beautiful photos too :D
adi_totp
@maximum_b WOW! really?! that long :D I'm sure you already shoot Taj Mahal :) . Can't wait to see your shots! Wohoo!
bigbird
Hey adi:it freat to hear your experience,i also have been India on aug 2011, just like as you by airasia to there and also alone.
i stay there at 3 weeks, it was a very good time to there and i totally agree with you, india food are extremely delicious, I LOVE LOVE LOVEit,especially is THAILI.
love your articles.
adi_totp
@bigbird Yes, I saw your great shots in India before I go to India :D YES! Travelling in India alone is GOOD TIMES right ?!..haha THAILI! I even brought my love for India Food to my everyday life, I eat India Food once a week or twice a week :D hahaha.. thank you very much! You should write down your travel experience in India here too :)
inine
555+ Graet Trip
adi_totp
@inine Thanks,bro! Couldn't make it this far without your guidance so thanks a bunch! :D
inine
After finish reading your story, you'r just dream come True "Awesome"
antibiotyx
yes @adi_totp i'll be in sg in june, then ipoh with shareen, lisa, etc. join us! :)
ridwanfals
waw top article :) ... great journey,inspiring!
adi_totp
@inine thanks bro! Egypt is next :P but not this year.
adi_totp
@antibiotyx I WANT!! but these post grad classes and exams just won't stop until August :(
adi_totp
@ridwanfals thank you,ridwan!
stouf
Da lens licker rocks the house !!!! Beautiful !!!!
adi_totp
@stouf WOW!! BRO! thank you very much! :D INDIA!
grazie
I love your India photos Adi!!! So inspiring!! Great article!
adi_totp
@grazie thank you very much,grazie! :D I hope you'll go to India and shoot India Grazie's style :)
zekalinova
Inspiring story kang @adi_totp :D jadi pengen nabung buat ksana hehe
PS : Foto-fotonya keren banget kang! itu Tungsten ya? :D
mgf
ini bagian dari cerita yang paling gue suka,
"Since I was traveling along and I have nobody to talk to, I decided to communicate with my cameras. I was like “Woooow”, “Whoaaa”, “This is Taj Mahal”, and I just kept to myself and let my brain, eyes, and cameras do the talking. Click, click, click!"
salut!
adi_totp
@zekalinova terima kasih :D Iya, nabung ke India worth it bgt! ada yang tungsten ada yang sensia.. campur! haha
adi_totp
@mgf iya ko itu pengakuan paling honest gua selama disana :D THANKS BRO!!
zekalinova
@adi_totp hahaha seru sekali rasanya ya... warna warnanya epic banget kang!! so MAGICAL :D
adi_totp
@zekalinova haha iya.. terima kasih yaa!