The monsoon arrives in buckets

Friday 2nd July caught an early bus from Ajanta to Ellora via Aurangabad; arrived 3 and half hours later in Ellora, as usual tired, and half deaf.

Soon found a cheap room in the back area of a main hotel, and was informed that normally it wasn't used (not very promosing). On entering the room the smell of damp wasn't that encouraging, but it was a place to sleep for the night. Two hours later the sky darkened, and the heavens opened........688mm of rain in a few hours. The damp room rapidly turned into a swimming pool, with water pouring in through the ceiling, and a river of water pouring through the electrical box. So spent a very damp night with little sleep, but at least managed to pay 200 rupees less than originally quoted.
Found out in the morning that not far away one person was dead, and maybe more upsetting to a farmer ; 15 of his goats drowned. Therefore this morning moved into another room behind a restaurant just next door. Clean, dry, but as always intermitent electricty. Things don't changed.

Crystal search in cotton fields near Ajanta.

Thursday 1st July spent the afternoon searching for crystals in the cotton fields about 6 Km from Ajanta. The idea was originally to take a rickshaw but our muslim driver had different plans, and 3 of us ended up on his small 100cc motorbike. Everytime there is a small descent in the road the motor is cut, even if only to save one rupee of fuel.

The women weeding the recently planted cotton fields were very friendly, but as always smiles, and nods of heads were the order of the day.

The calm of the countryside was a welcome break from the continual sound of lorry horns, and the over persistent street sellers of Ajanta, who never seem to give up forcing their goods upon you.

On the way back we ran out of petrol, the driver blaming someone else for stealing his petrol whilst we were in the fields. But Indians don't give up easily, and where there is a will, there is a way. He waved down a passing motor cyclist, held on to his arm, and had a free tow to the nearest petrol station.

Friday morning it would be back on a bus, direction Aurangabad to the Ellora Caves.