Blogs from Orchha, Madhya Pradesh, India, Asia - page 2

I currently write from a one-computer little installation in the lazy town of Orchha. It has proven to be the ideal place for me to relax and gear up for the months alone that now loom ahead! Though it hasn't got the hassle and noise of other tourist centres, Orchha is blessed with a heavy spattering of 16th century Mughal temples, forts, palaces and other ruins which I've been having fun exploring alone. It conjours happy memories of years gone by when I would scamper and clamber over old dusty staircases and bat-infested caves in far-away countries! I stay one more day here before moving on to Khajuraho and one of the best tourist destinations in all of India. But first, an update on the 25th - Aneirin's last day - when we visited the undisputed ... read more

ORCHHA, MADHYA PRADESH, INDIA. Sunday 1 April, 2012. We were collected by Mr Barun at the crack of dawn and taken to Agra Station for our second train ride to Jhansi. We had again reduced our luggage to a couple of backpacks and Mr Barun was going to take our large cases on to Delhi. The journey took 2 hours 40 minutes and we were met again by a local agent and introduced to our guide. We then drove through the countryside out of Uttar Pradesh (where Jhansi is located) into Madhya Pradesh. The journey took about 3 hours. Today was the last day of a major Hindu festival, and as we approached Orchha we were caught in a huge stationary throng of people, two wheelers, three wheelers, bikes, carts and everything else under the sun. ... read more

In India under the left supported alliance which has allowed the Congress Party to stay in power, a number of radical bills have passed through the Parliament in recent years. These include The Right to Work Bill; The Right to Information Bill; and most recently The Right of children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (or The Right to Education Bill as it is known) which came into force on April 1, 2010. This historic law gives the people of India the right to an education on the same legal footing as (for example) the right to life as provided by Article 21A of the Indian Constitution. Under this Act, every child in the age group of 6-14 years is to be provided 8 years of elementary education in an age appropriate classroom in the vicinity ... read more

Salimos de la región de Rajasthan y llegamos a Madhya Pradesh. Comenzamos una nueva etapa del viaje, sin chofer, con muchísimo equipaje y transporte público. Nuestro primer tren no fue tan grave, como lo que pensábamos, tuvimos la suerte de compartir el trayecto con un grupo de españoles de Andorra, super divertidos, que quedaron fascinados escuchando nuestras anécdotas de NZ durante 4 hs. Llegamos a la ciudad de Jansi y después de pelear con miles de tuctukeros logramos que uno nos lleve al pueblo. Después de ver alojamientos no muy felices encontramos uno que nos tinco y pasamos dos noches allí. Esa tarde caminamos por el pueblo y nos dedicamos a hacer sociales con una linda familia, a la que por supuesto no pudimos dejar de comprarle algo, les enseñamos a perfeccionar el español a sus ... read more

Day 4 - Orchha Sorry no internet connection for a few days in the jungle, trying to play catch up, but still no photos. The day started with a tour of 4 of the palaces of Orchha. Our guide told us that there are 6 palaces and 22 temples in the town and it's surroundings. Our tuk-tuk's took us into the town, where everyone was being very offical, as there was a ministrial visit to the town so the police were trying to direct traffic and look like they knew what they were doing. The Jahangiri Mahal Palace was one of four built that we saw that formed a complex. One was built by the son of the king, one for his dancer mistress, one by the King and one for his friend. The one built ... read more