Into the Heart of India
We are still hunting for an Internet connection that is fast enough for us to upload more pictures. In the meantime, here is the latest from out trip. Also, we have been updating the interactive map (to your right on the website), which shows you where we have been and where we currently are.
January 27th -- the trip to Aurangabad
Before arriving in India, we had been told that it is a land of stark contrasts, and nearly everyday we have found this to be true. Perhaps one of the most extreme dichotomies is between rich and poor. On our drive to Aurangabad we drove through some of the poorest slums we had seen. No shelter at at worst, and tin roof shanty towns at best. India now is very dry, so dust covers everything. In monsoon season these communities must be a muddy mess.
We were stuck in traffic near the airport and a woman came to our window to beg for change. We had no change on us to give, but no matter how many times we said no she stood at our window saying "Hello Sir, Hello Madam, one rupee." She must have stayed for 5 minutes. It felt so callous to say no, but at the same time you are constantly bombarded by people here asking for money and you can't help everyone, even though you want to more than anything.
Five minutes later we are in the domestic airport in Mumbai and it is truly immaculate! You have to show a printed flight itinerary to even get into the airport. This was our first sight of India's rapidly growing middle and upper classes. Women were dressed in beautiful sari's and jewelry. Businessmen shuffled about waiting for their flights. It was such a different world from that we had seen only minutes before on our drive.
On a completely different note, though still related to the airport, there was a stall inside the airport that served "American corn," but believe us it was some of the best corn we'd ever had. They served a big cup of it mixed with spices of your choice for less than $1.
At night as we flew over part of India we were surprised by the complete blackness below for most of the flight. The only lighted areas seemed to be large fires, which were probably incinerating garbage. We arrived in Aurangabad that night, and went to grab dinner at a great restaurant called Tanjoor.
Aurangabad itself is not much to write home about. It appears to be a small, dusty city. Its main attraction is its proximity to the Ellora and Ajanta caves as well as its own "Mini Taj Mahal."
On our way back from dinner we walked into a large store that looked like a Target or KMart. A salesperson asked where we were from and we told him the United States. He looked puzzled, at first, and then we added America. A big smile spread across his face and he said, "Oh, I like America very much." Then he added, "I like America just because."
Behind our hotel, from our hotel window we could see a family washing and chopping vegetables. We fell asleep to the sound of scrubbing, and the next morning we awoke to the sound of the man singing loudly.
January 28th -- Ellora & Aurangabad
We hopped on a rickshaw to head to the Ellora caves in the morning. Driving in India is a crazy adventure. Alison keeps thinking of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, though that doesn't quite capture the insanity. Vehicles weave back and forth across the road. The only rule seems to be that the bigger faster vehicles rule the road. If you have a smaller, slower vehicle than get out of the way. Cars, rickshaws, motorcycles, pedestrians, bicycles, cows, dogs, and even sometimes monkeys share the road. It is a regular occurance to see a truck filled with what appears to be 30 people, men hanging on the back with their feet barely on the back, hanging on so as not to fall. You will see a whole family on a motorcycle. The man will likely be driving, the woman sitting sideways holding a baby (and not even holding the driver at all)! It is a wonder that they stay on, but they seem to do it with ease. Locals will walk across the street and come within inches of cars and show no sign of fear at all. We on the other hand have taken the tactic of running to the middle when its all clear, then running to the other side when that is all clear.
Despite all this craziness, don't worry, it all seems pretty safe. We know that sounds odd, but the roads prevent people from driving too fast, and even though it all seems so chaotic, everyone seems to know exactly how to handle it to avoid accidents. We haven't even seen a single fender bender. Anyway, back to Ellora -- our rickshaw made it there safe and sound. It is actually a fun way to travel. Rickshaws, in case you don't know, are basically 3 wheeled vehicles with motorcycle engines. The driver sits in the front and then people sit in the back, and it is open air but covered by a roof.
There are 32 caves in all at Ellora and they are really quite amazing. They come from Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain traditions and were carved out of a cliffside. There are enormous sculptures in the caves of Buddha, and Hindu deities (the Ellora caves are also a UNESCO World Heritage site). One cave that really stood out was a temple where the ceiling stone was carved to look like wooden beams. If one stands and chants Aum or sings inside there is a magnificent echoing vibration -- really amazing acoustics. It was so beautiful to hear the sounds in there. The other outstanding cave is an enormous Hindu temple. This temple was extremely large and ornately carved. We'll try to post pictures as soon as we can, as it is quite a site to see.
On our way back to our hotel we stopped at the Mini Taj Mahal. While it holds a slight resemblance to pictures we've seen, it didn't seem to be that impressive. We decided not to go in because our rickshaw driver told us that it wasn't very nice on the inside.
That evening back in Aurangabad a couple of kids ran up to us in the street when they saw that we had a camera. They said "One picture please." At first we were confused, then we realized they wanted us to take their picture. So we did, and showed it to them and they giggled with delight. Then two other boys, slightly older came up and asked for their "one picture please." So we took their picture and again they laughed when we showed them.
Right now we are in Meherabad, near Ahmednagar, On February 1 we head further south to Kerala, on the southwest coast of India.
