‘I felt scared, outnumbered’: Tourist shares her Jaipur experience which she would want to forget

For many first-time visitors to India, the experience is like entering a world that is moving faster, louder, and closer than they are accustomed to. For the solo traveller, documenting her journey through Instagram (@kaluditravels), Jaipur was the backdrop for an experience that momentarily made her feel uncomfortable, although not enough to colour her entire experience in the city.Fresh off her arrival in the city, she walked out of the railway station, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings—the layout, the crowds, and the constant buzz. Like many first-time visitors, she was still trying to find her way when a man approached and offered to show her the exit. Unsure of the route, she went along, hoping for an easier way out. But as he guided her through a confusing network of passages, it soon became clear that the help wasn’t without strings attached—he expected her to use his auto-rickshaw in return.Aware of how such interactions sometimes unfold, she decided to rely on her own plan, booking an Uber instead. But the situation shifted when the man insisted he worked with Uber, attempting to keep her from moving away. When she responded that if he was working with Uber, the app would assign him to her anyway because of the location. But then his tone changed to irritation and possibly anger. Soon, another man joined him, and the two stood close, one on each side, continuing to press her. It was not dangerous, per se, but it was overwhelming. The persistence, the closeness, and the growing anxiety all contributed to a situation that was uncomfortable and that felt difficult to escape. In a new country, late at night, and alone, such encounters can be magnified.Ultimately, she was able to escape this situation, but the experience, nonetheless, put a temporary blight on her impression of Jaipur, especially since she had arrived with high expectations. On this particular night, even something as simple as going outside to get something to eat was a challenge. While reassured by the staff at the hostel that the area was safe, the experience that preceded this one still lingered, and while it was the city that was not the problem, the recollection of that experience was, and this is why she was somewhat hesitant.And yet, it is also important to note that this is only half the story.For while this experience was uncomfortable, there was also something else to be found, and this is something that she was sure to stress. Kindness, warmth, and generosity are all terms that she would use to describe what happened next. “I found some of the kindest people that I have met anywhere.”Perhaps that is what her story is really about.Travel, especially traveling alone, is never an easy story to tell. Rather, it is about small encounters, some good, some bad, most somewhere in between. What may seem like a small experience to one individual may seem very intense to another, especially when one is in an alien place and is alone.Her story does not seek to generalize or pass judgment. Rather, it is just an experience as it was. At the same time, it is also an acknowledgment of something larger. One experience, no matter how unpleasant, does not define an entire place.India, she says, is an unpredictable place. And perhaps that is what makes it both challenging and beautiful.To her, Jaipur was both challenging and beautiful.