The 'Real' India

02.10.11

Today was to be the day for exploring the countryside around Pune with the help of our guide Jon. We were very excited at the prospect of seeing some 'real' India and we were not disappointed!

First things first: a hearty breakfast. Jon took us to one of his local haunts to have a traditional breakfast. we each had a Dhosa, which is like a crispy gound rice parcel slightly flavoured. You can have it plain with curd and other gravy or you can it with potato masala inside; which is delicious.

Next we headed to the train station to get on one of the local trains, which would be heading back towards Mumbai. I really enjoyed the train journey. Like all the trains in India, from what I've seen, you can't move between carriages so this means you have to be ready when the train comes to run/walk alongside the train following the carriage you want to be in.

We had booked a first class ticket, not that you would know this from inside the carriage! What I most enjoyed about the journey was being able to stand by the open doors, hanging on and sticking your head out if you felt brave enough, with the breeze cooling you down and India rushing by. At the stations I'd attract quite a lot of attention, children and parents

waving and staring! Because it is just after monsoon season everything was luch and green with field upon field of wild bright orange flowers. After an hour of this beautiful scenary we arrived at our stop and had about a minute to jump off before the train pulled away again without warning.

Now this would have been quite a tricky day for us without John, but because he can speak Hindi and had done this before it was possible. We walked through the little town we had arrived in, admiring all the small shops and stalls. Along the way John was stopping people to ask where we could get the bus. We got to a junction where there were lots of jeeps (shared taxis) and rickshaws. John asked a rickshaw driver how we could get to Kamshet(pronouced Cum S**t, which of course Martin couldn't get over!). Before we knew we were surrounded by a group of men, who John was conversing with in Hindi, trying to negotiate a decent price with. In between they were chatting in Mahajariti (the 'local' language of the state). The best price we could get was 400R to take us to the mouth of the cave. We knew this was extortionate, because for one

seat in the jeep ot was 15R, but we also knew we could be waiting for ages for the jeep to fill up and full up meant 15 people! So we agreed that for 400R he would drive us there and back.

So we hopped in expectant to leave....we waited..nothing, he would not be rushed. Then out of the wood work came what felt like the whole village and in to the jeep they jumped! WE got going, along the way he picked up 3 more people. Now,I'm not going to lie we did feel a bit cheated! But we thought well this is okay if the villagers get a free ride, we don't mind subsidising their journey! But no, the cheeky b***er then charged every person that got out! Anyway he drove us out of the town and passed a small village until we reached a track at the foot of a steep hill, up the hill we could see the mouth of a cave.

It was a steep climb up to the cave, but the views were stunning, over the paddy fields with a small river tickling through and some of the village homes dotted around. When reached the top there was 2 small caves. The first being a temple,not sure of what faith, possibly Jain, and the next cave consisted of a oval room with small compartments all the way round,

which could have been quarters for the monks.

We made our way back down and called the jeep driver to tell him we would be ready for him to come and pick us up, he said he was on his way. So we ambled back through the village. Here people seem suprised to see us and smiled readily, it was really lovely. We even asked some of the locals if there was anywhere we could by a chai, and they directed us in to the main village further down, it didn't occur to them to sell us some chai, which felt quite refreshing!

After a while we had heard nothing from the jeep driver so called him again and he had turned his phone off! We waited on the road thinking he might show up yet. Of course he didn't so we jumped on a local bus when it went past. It's a good job insisted on giving him only half his money!

After our exertions we decided to get some lunch in a Dharba, where they served us up a delicious snack. We served with soft white bread rolls, more like European bread than we had tried yet, and a small dish of lentils and beans. They even brought us out a sweet desert to try.

Then it was time to head back to Pune. Once we got to Pune we walked home and John led us through the slum area of Pune. People didn't really know what to make of us, but mostly people were really smiley and friendly, no one asked us for money. All the children wanted to say hello and for us to take a picture of them. Martin was happy because he got to join in a game of football. This area was actually fairly well off judging by the bustling market running down the main street and the homes had obviously been there quite a while and were permanent. Although the home were very basic and cramped, they were all very bright and colourful, which was added to by the rainbow of washing that was hung outside most of the homes and down tiny side streets. As we made our way down thin alley ways to the river, there were lots of children

playing football, on their bikes or playing bat and ball. Women were washing their cooking utensils in the street,filling large jugs with water from a communal tap. Once we reached the river and looked along the bank, it was covered with rubbish, children playing amongst it, a few people washing clothes and themselves in the water.

We were beginning to attract quite a crowd as we walked away from the river back the way we came so we decided to head back to John's.

It was a fantastic day.

A friendly face in Pune

01.10.11

We arrived last night at about 11 o'clock and were met by Martin's old school friend, Jon. Jon has been so helpful throughout the 2 weeks we have been here so far, always on the end of the phone to help. He took us back to his amazing apartment, in the posh part of Pune and we realised we were going to be well looked after this weekend and

immediately relaxed.

Driving in to Pune, which is a famous university town in India, it apearred so much more modern with new developments all along the road in, with large shopping complexs and hotels etc. Other cities even though in places are quite new, feel like mazes, very run down and dirty. The buildings put anywhere with shacks in between. But this felt more organised and

cosmopitan, and that more money had been put in to the city.

Anyway, today we were treated to an expensive chinese buffet, at a fancy restaurant. The food was superior! I was most impressed with the selection of tiny desserts that you could choose from. Throughout the afternoon we managed to arrange and book the rest of our trip in India, all our trains and flight back to Delhi.

We noticed some more beauracratic custome as we were going around Pune. For example when you got to a supermarket/shop you have to show ID and check your bag in outside the shop. Then as you leave the security has to stamp your receipt. Why?! Does the security guard read it - no. Does he know why he's doing this? There seems to be a lot of procedures like

this, that are just for show, that don't actually serve any real purpose.

This evening we have just chilled out with a take away, beer and shisha. Good times! Thanks Jon, great host x

More Caves at Ajanta

30.09.11

Another early start and 11 hours of travelling, but all worth it!

We got up and had breakfast and checked out of our hotel (they only charged us for 1 night-bonus, which helped us to overlook how dirty and incompetent they had been generally!) and they agreed to lock our bags up for the day.

Then walked down to the bus station to get on a local semi-delux bus to Ajanta. I was

aprehensive about this bus especially when we saw it, not looking very road worthy! But the good news was that we got on the bus first and managed to get a window seat and also had a seat each-bonus!

The journey was fascinating, everything looked so green after the monsoon season and we passed through lots of small towns, seeing tiny barber shops, butchers with chickens in cages, fruit stands with the vendor only fruit or veg.

When we got of the bus, we got led through all the shops by the entrance before we could get on a shuttle bus that would take us the 4km to the caves. On arrival we climbed up a steep hill before we had our first view of the caves, which was stunning. We tried to imagine being the first of the East India Company troops in 1819, guided by a scout from the

local tribe, to see this view. The caves are in the walls of a horse-shoe ravine carved by a the Wagora river, which is lush and green after the monsoons. The caves date back to the 2nd century BC and at their peak were the home of 200 Buddhist monks, which is hard to imagine.

The caves walls are adorned with stunning paintings which still remain to varying extents trhoughout the 28 caves. So along with statues and elaborate carved pillars, the ceilings were painted with repetitive tile-like patterns and murals, in reds,oranges and blues.

There is a curse supposedly attached to the caves because several early attempts to document the paintings at the caves have been doomed, with collections of reproductions, that have taken 27 years to copy, destroyed and attempts to preserve the paintings with varnish in 1920 causing more damage.

We spent a happy few hours admiring the 2000+ year old paintings and then began our journey back to Aurangabad (2.5hrs). We returned to the hotel to pick up our bags (and this pretty much sums up the hotel) and we trotted down to the room to pick them up where there was much confusion, with 2 or 3 people running up and down the stairs apparently to find the key

to the room, with no avail. A few minutes later, an eager chappy turns up grinning with a pairs of pliers. We thought okay, sensible he's going to try to cut the padlock. Oh no, he proceeds to whack the padlock with the pliers instead. Martin and I are looking at each other in disbelief, trying to stifle laughs. After a few minutes the matey starts giggling to himself as he realises this is probably no the most successful course of action! Luckily at this point the key is found!

We headed to the bus station to find lunch nearby. We rushed in to a small cafe and said we had a bus in a half hour would it be possible to grab soome lunch in that time? yes, yes of course sir, we 'll hurry. An hour later, with not apology or acknowledgement our lunch appeared!!

Then on to Pune (5 hours)..........