Blogs from Maharashtra, India, Asia - page 134

Today was another one of those travelling days that are all too common in large countries, with the majority of my waking hours occupied with getting to/from/between train stations. My neighbour on the train back to Mumbai had an intrusive case of BO, which kept my nose in business for the duration. Otherwise nothing to report. I had decided to stay at the same hotel I'd been in on my previous visit, and when I turned up there at 10:30PM they (like the last time) said they had no record of my reservation and then (unlike the last time) offered me a significantly worse room for only a slightly lower price. Given the time, and with a 3:30AM rise on the cards tomorrow morning, I wasn't in a position to argue so I took the room, ... read more

With Ellora being only 45 minutes away from Aurangabad by bus, I decided to brave the public bus system again and was rewarded with a comfortable seat and a pleasant journey. The caves at Ellora, which are apparently the most visited site in the state of Maharashtra, are all in a row along a 2km ridge. With the exception of the Kailash Temple, the caves are temples or living quarters carved out of the solid rock. They contain statues and friezes executed with great skill, and the earliest date from the 5th century AD. The first few are Buddhist, then (arguably the most impressive) Hindu, and finally Jain - though the Jain ones are somewhat further afield, and by the time I had reached the point where visiting them would be the next logical thing to ... read more

My India Adventure ended February 26, 2006. The Welcome to Canada sign at immigration was a pleasure to read. Since December 26,2005, when I left cottage in the woods in Northern Ontario till today is a long time to be away from Canada. Am now doing a slow re-entry while staying with a friend in Toronto. Since I have been such a busy tourist I deserve rest, relaxation and a good read. Started with "Memoirs of a Geisha". Will be in my own house by Saturday, March 10. The final day in India was spent having a luxurious breakfast at the Taj Hotel. The old part of this hotel had originally been a Gentlemen's Club built by Mr. Tata becuase he and his friends were not admitted to the British Gentlemen's Club. Now the old ... read more

There was no hot water this morning, which made no sense as I hadn't touched the set-up at all since having a shower yesterday, but it turned out the cleaning man had unilaterally decided to turn off the inlet pipe. With that resolved, I headed off to Victoria Terminus, subsequently renamed to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus but commonly known as VT, a highpoint in Raj-era architecture in Mumbai. It was certainly impressive and encompassed a variety of different styles. The exterior was covered with numerous sculptures of assorted flora and fauna, including mythical creatures such as griffins. Oh - and about 2 million people pass through it every day, boarding or disembarking from 1,000 trains. While searching for a lunch place, I passed Churchgate Station, itself no mean bit of architecture, and spotted a number of members ... read more

Greetings from Mumbai!! Here's what's happened since my last update. It's pretty long so perhaps copy and paste it into Word so it looks like you're working, or print it off and read it on the loo. Wed 15/2 - Very easy day. Read a book called Chasing the Monsoon by Alexander Frater who travels up the west coast of India with the monsoon - funnily enough. Thoroughly recommended. Was thinking of hanging around in India long enough to see it but apparently the humidity is so unbearable it drives even the locals to murder & suicide and I'm struggling enough as it is. Thurs 16/2 - Up at 9! Earliest yet. Only to get my laundry in though. Then back to bed. Then a little frollick in the surf. Plenty of Israeli's in Goa. I'm ... read more