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.

World Heritage Site - The Ajanta Caves

Now relaxed, drinking a coffee, and will shortly take the bus the 4 Km down to the caves. Best to have your own torch. It's a sunny day, the birds are singing, and I'm away from pack dogs, and 20 plus street pigs......life is good.......for the moment.

The Ajanta Caves are carved in a horse-shaped escarpment overlooking the narrow Waghora river gorge, and number around 27. They were rediscovered by a Brit soldier out on a tiger shoot back in 181ç. He even left his name scratched in a pillar in Cave 10. To reach the caves you have to pass through a small complex of shops, where you have to fight off the shopkeepers. Then , believe it or not you have to pay 7 rupees to cross a small bridge (Ameinity tax) where a government bus takes you for 7 rupees the 4 Km to the caves. Entrance to the cave complex costs Indians 10 rupees, but for all foreigners (walking ATM machines) then 250 rupees. The caves are all extremely interesting to visit, and at this time of the year there are only a handful of tourists, 99.9% being indian. A number of the caves have wonderful wall paintings, but unfortunately very few are in good condition. I took around 250 photos, but due to limited light hardly any were in focus. One can imagine how the caves must have looked when they were occupied by Buddhist monks.
We spent around three hours in the cave complex, and it was well worth the visit.

On leaving tried to buy a cold drink from the government restaurant fridge, but the fridge only supplied warm drinks......;you can hopefully see why I am confused. Then it was back onto the bus where you had to pay another 7 rupees, return tickets are not available. Then it was another running of the gauntlet through the small shopping complex, and finally back to the peace and quiet of the chalet.

But Ajanta was well worth the visit, and so similar to the Dordogne.

An Indian returns rupees....must be a first!!!

Tuesday 29th June booked into hotel. After checking the room, negotiating the price was in need of a good recovery sleep so as to enjoy the Ajanta caves this morning.
Dream on!!!!!! I specifically asked for a quiet room, and was assured that the room was very quiet.

We ate supper in a shack next to the hotel, and retired to our room. At about 10.30 p.m I could hear through the paper thin walls a number of roudy indians had moved in for the night. At 12.30 in the morning I knocked on their door and politely asked them to lower the volumne, but to little effect.

At 5 o'clock in the morning the noise of laughing, clearing their throats at full volumne started again. I went on the balcony, and saw one indian asleep, and others half dressed. I was not happy!!! after no more than a few hours sleep. When I explained how I felt about their total inconsideration one of them just smiled. Well briefly.....packed up our items, went downstairs and complained in no uncertain terms to the manager??????, and demanded my money back. Result being that he wasn't too enthusiastic about returning 500 rupee.

What do you do in this situation when you are tired? Answer, grab his official hotel registration book; lock it in your bag,and walk. That's what I did, and within seconds he was on the phone to his boss as I was heading for a rickshaw before 7 in the morning. Result being, two minutes later he is running behind me waving 500 rupees begging me to return his book. Problem resolved!!!!!
If you hard with indians they back down everytime, and one of the best pieces of advice I can give someone coming to India for the first time is simple. Whether you are asked or not, then tell everyone that you have been to India 5 times before. Their response is the same 'you have a lot of experience', and hence you immediately increase your negotiating power, and their respect.

So now in a nice hotel (government run) near the little shopping complex where you can hear the birds, and incredibly the view looks just the same as the hills around Saint Sozy.......Oh, I feel a little home sick.

Khandwa to Bhusawal and on to Ajanta

The train journey from Khandwa to Bhusawal took about an hour and a half, and passed kilometre after kilometre through banana plantations. The sleeper class was packed full, and we only managed to sit on our bags outside the lavatory doors (the train was heading to Bangalore in the south; a 24 hour journey). The people you meet, and see on the train, especially in this type of 'budget' fare are unforgettable. The ticket controller doesn't even enter these wagons. There are peanut sellers, banana sellers, one legged woman begging for money, sweet sellers, ice cream sellers, collections for relgious fanatics, blind sellers of baby toys. You name it, and they'll be on the train. I guess the only thing not for sale is a fridge, but a 5 rupee packet of peanuts, and 3 bananas was purchased.

On arrival at Bhuswal decided to treat ourselves to a 60 kilometre rickshaw ride to Ajanta

Direction Maheshwar, but not easy...buses at their best.

Getting out of Mandu was a real experience, and it wasn't going to be easy. Maheshwar also seemed possibly an interesting small town to visit on the banks of the Narmada river. The only way out of Mandu was by taxi (stupid prices, or by bus). We took the bus (crammed full as usual) 14 km to a junction and then waited 30 minutes for the local bus to Damnude, which was an hours journey away. At Damnuude changed bus again for Maheshwar and finally arrived about an hour later. Maheshwar had little to offer; a smallish old fort, and a dry river. So after walking a kilometre to find accommodation decided a night's stay wasn't worth the effort, and decided to move on. Most buses ran back to Indore, but we had no real intention on returning to Indore, but Balwada was a train junction, and therefore a good place to head to.
After about an hour I sensed that we might just be on the wrong bus, although I showed the map to the driver before we boarded. I later found out he couldn't read... very helpful.

Well, it was the wrong bus, but it was heading in the semi- right direction. So we changed at a place called Bushwar (not on our map, but near Sanawad), and after a break of 15 minutes decided to take our 5th bus of the day to Khandwa (also a train junction). Three hours later finally arrived in Khandwa in the pouring rain as the sun set. The bus had no windscreen wipers, and I doubt any lights. The entrance to the town was along a 3 kilometre bumpy un-tarmacd road; through the back streets to the bus station. Instantly not a good feeling, and I doubt if many tourists come this way. Quite understandable.

I went off on foot, and shortly found a pretty rough guest house for the night, dirty but bearable for one night's stay. Was advised by a local that it was a bad area,(no real surprise as we were close to the bus and train station) and it was best not to go down the side streets (I had no intention) hence we just wanted to get out of the place as early as possible the next morning.

So a very long and tiring day spent travelling on cramped, hot and sweaty buses...too much in one day! In the morning (29th June) managed to get a place on the 11.30a.m train to Bhusawal (near Jalgaon). Sleeper class, which basically means the worst seats available.
The monsoon storms have arrived late this year, and with the high humidity levels ; a new challenge or better to describe a new annoyance............flys in their thousands.........everywhere!

Mandu....Calm,and beautiful monuments and scenery.

Mandu....48 sq kilometres of historical monuments set in rolling hills; a little peace and calm at last. After finding accommodation we rented 2 bikes for an hour (10 rupees each), mine being at least 50 years old, rod breaks, and weighed a tonne for a little tour of the village. Village children everywhere; smiling faces, and the usual request for school pens, and of course '10 rupees'. They learn very young here!, but I guess that's survival mentality.


Back to Mandu which is set in the Vindhaye mountains. There are at least 13 major sites to visit in the area, and at one time a long way back apparently over a million people lived here, but was deserted after an earthquake. We took a local taxi to visit Rumpati's Pavilion (5km from the village), which from it's location gave spectacular views of the surrounding countryside. You could spend at least a week in Mandu just checking out all the ruins, and palaces, but as it was hot and humid we decided to move on.