[john.sw]

wanderingkat, on Sep 14 2007, 05:49 PM, said:

... John.sw recommends taking a duvet to lie on; any other ideas re beds? I guess I could also get her one of those thin air mattresses, or even ask hotel for an extra mattress.....

I bought a couple of new mattresses a for my cottage in Ooty, and the shop had quite a choice:

• Mattress filled with concrete
  
• Mattress filled with bricks
  
• Mattress filled with stones
  
• Mattress filled with wood

Eventually I found some that were soft and comfortable, but I think that the preference in India is to have a good, firm, hard mattress.

Asking for an extra mattress wouldn't solve the problem, so I suggest you take something with you that you can put over the top of any concrete mattresses you may find in your hotels!

Having taken this precaution, you will probably find that your hotels have the most wonderfully soft and comfy mattresses you have ever slept on and you'll wonder what on earth I was on about!  

Bon voyage!

[dzibead]

wanderingkat, on Sep 14 2007, 09:49 AM, said:

any other ideas re beds? I guess I could also get her one of those thin air mattresses, or even ask hotel for an extra mattress.....

How about a Therm-a-rest pad?   They're intended for backpacking and are some kind of self-inflating closed-cell foam that expands on its own when you unroll it (so no need to blow into it till you pass out from hyperventilating), and then you can roll it up, sqeezing the air out of it, and stuff it in its carry sack.  They come in varying thicknesses and sizes but aren't heavy and are pretty compact when rolled up. Here's their website   http://www.thermarest.com/    I've never taken one to India but I might be tempted next time because rock-hard Indian beds (and pillows) do get to me.  (That's another thing: consider some sort of travel pillow.)

[wanderingkat]

john.sw, on Sep 15 2007, 09:39 AM, said:

I bought a couple of new mattresses a for my cottage in Ooty, and the shop had quite a choice:

• Mattress filled with concrete
  
• Mattress filled with bricks
  
• Mattress filled with stones
  
• Mattress filled with wood

          John, you crack me up! You hit the nail on the head re Indian mattresses!

Dzibead, that thermarest site looks v promising - i'll definitely remember that if I do manage to pull this trip off. Thanks so much!

[Hippie at Heart]

john.sw, on Sep 15 2007, 02:09 PM, said:

Eventually I found some that were soft and comfortable, but I think that the preference in India is to have a good, firm, hard mattress.

More then comfort I guess it’s because of practical reasons we are bit biased for a firmer mattresses. Instead of sinking in a soft mattress, even with aircon support I’d rather have a firm-ish mattress that leaves room for more air circulation around.

[ChrisJ]

Me and Dad were amazed when he got 30% or so off his railway tickets. We didn't even mention age to the booking clerk at the station. The guy spotted it from the paperwork and allocated the discount.

What a pleasant surprise! We hadn't even thought about that!

I might be going out on a limb here - but I think once you get used to a firm bed it can be OK, regardless of age?*


*Feel free to tell me I am talking out of my backside!

Edited by ChrisJ, 16 September 2007 - 04:12 AM.

[iwanttogoback]

i slept for ten nights on a mattress of the wooden wafer on solid wooden base variety in ahmedabad. after two or three nights i had bruises on my outer thighs (i sleep on my side) and i would actually find myself waking up every time i rolled over because that way i could do it sloooooowly...

[wanderingkat]

ChrisJ, on Sep 15 2007, 11:39 PM, said:

Me and Dad were amazed when he got 30% or so off his railway tickets. We didn't even mention age to the booking clerk at the station. The guy spotted it from the paperwork and allocated the discount.

What a pleasant surprise! We hadn't even thought about that!

I might be going out on a limb here - but I think once you get used to a firm bed it can be OK, regardless of age?*
*Feel free to tell me I am talking out of my backside!

I slept on the floor for a year after my first trip to India, and still do if i'm staying over somewhere where it's a mission to get a spare bed out! I'm just concerned that loss of sleep = sense of humour failure in most cases, so if mother comes over and doesnt' sleep her first few nights, she won't enjoy the days that much! But yea, i'm sure she'll get used to it with a little time.

Thanks for the heads-up re train discounts, Chris - very useful to know!

[jyoti]

I have slept on the floor which was... um... softer (and certainly less lumpy) than the 35 year old cotton mattress I was given. I had to wake up early to make sure my hosts didn't catch, me, though.  I also shared the room witha  huge lizard (gecko) and woek up one night with something running across me... realized quickly it couldn't be a cockroach. It's feeet were sticking .... thuck thuck thuck... it ran all the way across my chest than off to the other side of the room. *grin*  

Getting used to a hard sleeping space is MUCH easier than a lumpy one.

[iwanttogoback]

maybe it's an age thing, but i'm well past sleeping on hard or lumpy surfaces. the last time i slept on a floor i ended up with a bunch of torn muscles in one of my shoulders. i really like the look of that therma-rest dzi had a link to. if and when i ever get around to travelling again one of those is going in the case, just under the inflatable pillow.

[davidc]

Have the oppisite problem - how to get the kids to come out to India with us!
We are 68 and yet again of to India in 2 weeks time.
Happy travelling
David

[ChrisJ]

davidc, on Sep 23 2007, 03:17 PM, said:

Have the oppisite problem - how to get the kids to come out to India with us!
We are 68 and yet again of to India in 2 weeks time.
Happy travelling
David

Just drug them and throw them on the plane!  

Hope you have a good trip!

Chris.