Blogs from Madhya Pradesh, India, Asia - page 4

It was the dawn of a fresh day and the auto rickshaw dumped us off at the tiny Orchha train station. We purchased two general tickets onward toward the small town of Khajuraho. Although the distance wasn't too far, it was slated to take about five and a half hours. Each ticket cost us only 20 rupees. We boarded the crowded train and since it was a public train, it was every man for himself type of deal. We stood with our bags for a while and then two gracious passengers offered us both their seats. I sat by an older bearded man and had a view of the window and the outside world. The train passed along from station to station, often stopping for quite some time, while people disembarked and boarded. The old man ... read more

Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India January 7/8/9, 2016 “Somebody show me A place I can go where love’s around …. I just need to get far from town ” Jessie Sykes: Troubles Soul “Memory is not letting an object experienced be carried away ” Patanjali: Kriya Yoga Sutra 11 After 5 weeks in Pushkar, Rajasthan, it was well time to get out and find some new adventures... but more so to just get out of the relative ease and lazy days of that place, and away from some of it's memories for me (pleasant yes, but painful to recall in the absence of their source), and to find some solace and inner centering. It was not easy to motivate myself for leaving, and new friends also made me consider just staying. But once ... read more

Khajuraho 25 November 2015 We drove 170 kms to Khajuraho. The road was better but narrow. As always there were a lot of villages dotted along the way and stayed at the Ramada. Khajuraho has a population of 24,000. It was a quieter town and we learned that tourists are still 60% less than pre-GFC. The most famous feature of the town is the erotic and romantic Kama Sutra Temples which is protected as world heritage monument. Its walls are covered in erotic carvings. The carvings show the life that was then, and of gods, goddesses, warriors, musicians, and real and mythological animals. Two elements that appear repeatedly - women and sex. Legend has it that Khajuraho was founded by the son of the moon god Chandra, who descended and saw a beautiful maiden as she ... read more

Arrival into Deli India, I think no matter how you prepare yourself for India it's a confronting experience. Driving from the airport to our accommodation the realisation of not only have you arrived in Mystic India, but also a place were millions of Indians live below substandard conditions. Driving down streets that is packed with traffic that seems to be heading nowhere, horns beeping tuk tuks weaving in and out impatient drivers cram into 5 or 6 lanes on a 2 lane road. Also add the people walking, horse and carts and the sacred cows that wander the streets that stop the traffic. And their you have it by the time you arrive at your hotel your in shock and shown to the solitude of your room. "Your Sanctuary" Our hotel in the Defence Colony of ... read more

Day 33 - Move to Orchha Anna and I have the early morning run well sorted! Anna always needs more time to get herself sorted, so always gets up half an hour earlier than me. Then I follow on after her. By the time to go, we always seem to be organised at exactly the same time, and ready to go! I am happy to be sharing her space. This morning we left the hotel at 7.15 to get the train to Orchha. We are expecting a two and a half hour journey this morning. I am treading on new territory, as from today, so really looking forward to see what there is to see! Anu has informed us that Orchha is a contrast to the other busy towns that we have been to so far, ... read more