Caves, caves, and more caves
Hello again, loyal readers. Come sit on Grandpa's lap as he tells you a grand tale of a weekend of cave exploration.
On Friday afternoon, no more than 3 hours after arriving back in Mumbai from Virar, we hopped in a rickshaw and headed to the airport where we were magically whisked away to the mythical land of Aurangabad, about a 45 minute flight from Mumbai. We flew on Air Deccan, which we had heard is pretty sketchy, but it turned out to be ok. Upon landing in Aurangabad, we were picked up by a van from our hotel, and this was truly the most hilarious van I've ever been in. There were lights flashing in different colors (red, green, blue, etc.) on the ceiling, and the interior had upholstery that was straight from the 1960's, with tassels and the whole deal. Oh, I almost forgot, there's a bed in the back of the van....pretty hilarious. We called it the Shaggin' Wagon and/or the Mystery Machine, because we basically felt like we were out solving mysteries with Scooby Doo. It was great.
We arrived at hotel Shree Maya at about 6:30 or so, and I think we were all pleasantly surprised by the accomodation. The rooms had A/C and supposedly hot showers, plus we had a TV (although we later found out that it didn't get any channels, so it was basically just a box on the table with some dials). So we were happy. After getting settled and resigning myself to the fact that I'd be sleeping with Jesse for another 2 nights, we headed out to dinner at a place called Tandoor that was recommended by both the Lonely Planet and Rough Guides books. The food ended up being excellent, especially my Chicken Khorma...yummy. After dinner, we walked back to the hotel in the rain (yes, the monsoons have finally come), and we returned to find that all of the power was out. So, in the end, all that A/C that we were so excited about turned out to be elusive once again. I took a shower by candlelight, and we slept over the covers in a warm room full of non-circulating air. It really wasn't so bad, but I think it was probably responsible for the weird dreams that I had.
Anyway, we woke up at around 8am on Saturday, had a quick breakfast, and hopped in the Mystery Machine for our trip to the Ajanta Caves. The ride was about 2 hours long, but it was actually really cool to see the Indian countryside. We've been so confined to cities for most of the trip that it's really nice to see some rural places. So basically, I had my eyes glued to the windows while I listened to Pink Floyd and checked out the wilds of India. It was very cool. We arrived at Ajanta, and aside from the throng of annoying merchants trying to convince us to buy their rocks, it was really peaceful. We drove to a spot from which we could see all of the caves down below, and it was a beautiful sight. We walked down into the cavern, past some monkeys, and over the river in the gorge to the caves themselves. The Ajanta Caves have a really cool history. Basically they are from the 2nd century B.C., and there used to be a large community living there, including over 200 Buddhist monks and a bunch of laborers that completed the excavation. The crazy thing is that after the 8th century, the caves were abandoned, most likely because of the rise of Hinduism in the area. After that, no one even knew that the caves were there until they were rediscovered in the 19th century by some soldiers from the East India Trading Company. Hence, they're really well preserved because they've seen remarkably little traffic over the years. The caves were basically amazing to see, with all kinds of cool nooks and crannies, plus incredible amounts of Buddhist painting (mostly chipped away) and sculpture. There are 26 caves in total, and it's quite a sight to see. Needless to say, we enjoyed the day, but we were totally exhausted after it was over. We ended up having dinner and a beer at the hotel, and we fell asleep quite quickly. Thankfully, the electricity was on, and we had all the A/C we could handle.
This morning, we woke up around the same time, had breakfast, and once again boarded the Shaggin' Waggon, this time heading to the Ellora Caves. Unlike Ajanta, the Ellora Caves are not only Buddhist. The first 15 or so caves are Buddhist, but after that there are a number of Hindu caves, and finally there is a series of 4 or 5 Jain caves. I have to say, Ellora was even more magnificent than Ajanta. The setting was not quite as grand, but the caves were more spectacular, with more intricate carvings and more sculpture overall. Not to mention the fact that we got to see the relics of three religions in one place! We got some great pictures, and we hiked around quite a bit. I think the Hindu caves were my favorite today. When we got to the Jain caves, everyone was pretty exhausted, and I hiked up a small hill by myself. I found a small Jain cave that looked like the Water Temple from The Legend of Zelda (for all those reading who are over the age of 40, it's a video game). No one was there, and it was pretty secluded. I found a little perch inside the cave, and I just hung out and meditated for about 10-15 minutes. It was a much-appreciated few minutes of peace and quiet...I remember thinking that this must be how Superman feels in his Fortress of Solitude. It was very cool. That being said, by the end we were all pretty "caved out." Overall, it was awesome, but I'm all set on caves for at least the next 6 weeks, thank you very much.
The way back was once again a nice ride, and we stopped at some random place in Aurangabad that is known casually as the "Mini Taj Mahal." It was actually really cool, but we were crunched for time, so we only stayed about 5 minutes, got a look, and peace out. We then stopped at a silk goods factory, where we got to see this old Indian dude hand-weaving silk scarves and blankets. Pretty much everyone bought something, and then we were off to the airport. The flight was basically smooth, although the landing was as close to a plane crash as I ever hope I'll be. I'm alive and well, though! I'm now off to continue reading the Kite Runner (I finally started it, it's pretty good so far). This week is clinic at a hospital in the slums called V.N. Desai, and then we begin our North India travels on Saturday. I'll try to post some more pics soon, but the broadband internet cafe was closed tonight, so hopefully it'll open up soon. Peace!
On Friday afternoon, no more than 3 hours after arriving back in Mumbai from Virar, we hopped in a rickshaw and headed to the airport where we were magically whisked away to the mythical land of Aurangabad, about a 45 minute flight from Mumbai. We flew on Air Deccan, which we had heard is pretty sketchy, but it turned out to be ok. Upon landing in Aurangabad, we were picked up by a van from our hotel, and this was truly the most hilarious van I've ever been in. There were lights flashing in different colors (red, green, blue, etc.) on the ceiling, and the interior had upholstery that was straight from the 1960's, with tassels and the whole deal. Oh, I almost forgot, there's a bed in the back of the van....pretty hilarious. We called it the Shaggin' Wagon and/or the Mystery Machine, because we basically felt like we were out solving mysteries with Scooby Doo. It was great.
We arrived at hotel Shree Maya at about 6:30 or so, and I think we were all pleasantly surprised by the accomodation. The rooms had A/C and supposedly hot showers, plus we had a TV (although we later found out that it didn't get any channels, so it was basically just a box on the table with some dials). So we were happy. After getting settled and resigning myself to the fact that I'd be sleeping with Jesse for another 2 nights, we headed out to dinner at a place called Tandoor that was recommended by both the Lonely Planet and Rough Guides books. The food ended up being excellent, especially my Chicken Khorma...yummy. After dinner, we walked back to the hotel in the rain (yes, the monsoons have finally come), and we returned to find that all of the power was out. So, in the end, all that A/C that we were so excited about turned out to be elusive once again. I took a shower by candlelight, and we slept over the covers in a warm room full of non-circulating air. It really wasn't so bad, but I think it was probably responsible for the weird dreams that I had.
Anyway, we woke up at around 8am on Saturday, had a quick breakfast, and hopped in the Mystery Machine for our trip to the Ajanta Caves. The ride was about 2 hours long, but it was actually really cool to see the Indian countryside. We've been so confined to cities for most of the trip that it's really nice to see some rural places. So basically, I had my eyes glued to the windows while I listened to Pink Floyd and checked out the wilds of India. It was very cool. We arrived at Ajanta, and aside from the throng of annoying merchants trying to convince us to buy their rocks, it was really peaceful. We drove to a spot from which we could see all of the caves down below, and it was a beautiful sight. We walked down into the cavern, past some monkeys, and over the river in the gorge to the caves themselves. The Ajanta Caves have a really cool history. Basically they are from the 2nd century B.C., and there used to be a large community living there, including over 200 Buddhist monks and a bunch of laborers that completed the excavation. The crazy thing is that after the 8th century, the caves were abandoned, most likely because of the rise of Hinduism in the area. After that, no one even knew that the caves were there until they were rediscovered in the 19th century by some soldiers from the East India Trading Company. Hence, they're really well preserved because they've seen remarkably little traffic over the years. The caves were basically amazing to see, with all kinds of cool nooks and crannies, plus incredible amounts of Buddhist painting (mostly chipped away) and sculpture. There are 26 caves in total, and it's quite a sight to see. Needless to say, we enjoyed the day, but we were totally exhausted after it was over. We ended up having dinner and a beer at the hotel, and we fell asleep quite quickly. Thankfully, the electricity was on, and we had all the A/C we could handle.
This morning, we woke up around the same time, had breakfast, and once again boarded the Shaggin' Waggon, this time heading to the Ellora Caves. Unlike Ajanta, the Ellora Caves are not only Buddhist. The first 15 or so caves are Buddhist, but after that there are a number of Hindu caves, and finally there is a series of 4 or 5 Jain caves. I have to say, Ellora was even more magnificent than Ajanta. The setting was not quite as grand, but the caves were more spectacular, with more intricate carvings and more sculpture overall. Not to mention the fact that we got to see the relics of three religions in one place! We got some great pictures, and we hiked around quite a bit. I think the Hindu caves were my favorite today. When we got to the Jain caves, everyone was pretty exhausted, and I hiked up a small hill by myself. I found a small Jain cave that looked like the Water Temple from The Legend of Zelda (for all those reading who are over the age of 40, it's a video game). No one was there, and it was pretty secluded. I found a little perch inside the cave, and I just hung out and meditated for about 10-15 minutes. It was a much-appreciated few minutes of peace and quiet...I remember thinking that this must be how Superman feels in his Fortress of Solitude. It was very cool. That being said, by the end we were all pretty "caved out." Overall, it was awesome, but I'm all set on caves for at least the next 6 weeks, thank you very much.
The way back was once again a nice ride, and we stopped at some random place in Aurangabad that is known casually as the "Mini Taj Mahal." It was actually really cool, but we were crunched for time, so we only stayed about 5 minutes, got a look, and peace out. We then stopped at a silk goods factory, where we got to see this old Indian dude hand-weaving silk scarves and blankets. Pretty much everyone bought something, and then we were off to the airport. The flight was basically smooth, although the landing was as close to a plane crash as I ever hope I'll be. I'm alive and well, though! I'm now off to continue reading the Kite Runner (I finally started it, it's pretty good so far). This week is clinic at a hospital in the slums called V.N. Desai, and then we begin our North India travels on Saturday. I'll try to post some more pics soon, but the broadband internet cafe was closed tonight, so hopefully it'll open up soon. Peace!
posted by david.m.marcus at 9:05 AM
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