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Last November, I had a rather unexpected trip to India. While most of my friends went to India for tourism and to experience its culture and history, I went there for work. Specifically, I accepted a job as an interpreter for a Vietnamese company specializing in the brick industry. They were in India to visit factories and partners.
My trip took me to Morbi, an industrial district in the state of Gujarat. Morbi is the brick-making capital of India. It has over a thousand factories, large and small, exporting Indian bricks all over the world. It is estimated that the region's brick exports are double those of China.
Since Morbi isn't a tourist city like Mumbai or Delhi, there are very few attractions and sights to please visitors. For most of the trip, I spent my time traveling on highways or visiting factories.
Because I didn't visit tourist cities, I was able to see the most authentic and genuine aspects of India. Whenever I had time, I would hop on a rickshaw, paying 150 rupees (about 45,000 VND) to travel over 10km to the central market, hoping to get a better feel for and have interesting experiences of local life.
A bustling corner of the morning market.
The stalls sell spices and ingredients typical of India.
The entire state of Gujarat is vegetarian, so except for a few large restaurants, it's almost impossible to find meat-based food in Morbi.
The people here are friendly, sociable, and likeable.
Due to its enormous population, the gap between rich and poor in Indian society is vast. Hundreds of millions of people remain poor or very poor.
The image shows a young boy following his family's truck to the market to sell his goods. This truck is also his family's "shop."
Rickshaws (also known as tuktuks) are only for people with very low incomes.
The price for a rickshaw ride isn't fixed; you can negotiate with the driver. But it's actually very cheap, about one-third the price of a Grab ride in Vietnam. Rickshaw drivers are usually elderly people, women, or laborers.
For tourists, riding a rickshaw is incredibly fun. From the sounds and sights to the surrounding interactions, everything creates a very "Indian" feeling.
Sitting in the rickshaw and looking back, I felt like I was in some Bollywood movie.
A man is enjoying a piping hot "bottle" of something.
"Chai" can be understood as Indian tea. But it's sweet and strong like coffee, with added milk. A small cup costs 10 rupees (about 3,000 VND). An Indian person, usually a man, drinks about 3 or 4 cups a day. "Chai" is always served hot. If you can't hold a paper cup, you can drink it directly from a saucer.
These "chai" cafes are places where men gather in large numbers. It's similar to the coffee culture in Vietnam; when they have free time, people often go to these cafes and talk about all sorts of things.
Inside a shop filled with flowers, offerings for the gods of Hinduism, the largest religion in India.
The guava seller's eyes are so cute.
A rare moment of quiet in the market.
Regarding travel to India:
Currently, Vietjet offers direct flights from Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi to Mumbai or Delhi. If this is your first time in India, travel with a group of friends. Fluent English is also an advantage. Although Indians are very friendly and hospitable, always be careful with your personal belongings when you're out and about.
During this trip, Thinh visited Gujarat, a vast state with beaches, mountains, and industrial areas. If you don't like places that are too well-known, or prefer to have unique and valuable experiences, then Gujarat is the birthplace of Gandhi, making it a great destination for history and culture enthusiasts.
The cost of travel and accommodation in India is quite cheap in areas outside of the city center. In some regions, you can spend just around 2000 rupees (approximately 630,000 Vietnamese dong) per day to cover food, transportation, and even hotel.
