Dehli, Agra, Orccha, Khajuraho and Ajenta and Ellora Caves

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Dehli, Agra, Orccha, Khajuraho and Ajenta and Ellora Caves When we arrived in Dehli airport it was 2 in the morning and we had to wait till 10 for Conrad to meet us, so we got comfy and had a bit of a kip. When Conrad arrived and the hellos had been said he explained that we were now waiting for Raman's uncle, who soon after came to pick us up. A very friendly man called Brij, he took us to his home, which was very fancy, and gave us a couple of rooms to stay in. His hospit6ality new no bounds as he fed us and then took us out to the largest temple in Asia. we wondered round the beautiful carvings and then had a tour, much like a theme park ride, telling us the history of the religion, a sect of Hinduism. By this point in the evening the jet lag of traveling for 2 days hit and we all started getting very tired. After some dinner we headed to a very appreciated bed.

The next day we went to Brij's work where he help explain the train system, and then preceded to take us to the station and help book our tickets. At this point I had decided that I would not go with the others but would spend the next 2 weeks heading south on my own. I wanted to experience traveling on my own and this seemed like the best country to try it, considering most people spoke English. After a quick look around Delhi with Bij, including a ride on a rickshaw, we headed back and i got an early night because i was heading off to Agra at 7 in the morning.


I caught the train to Agra and the Taj Mahal and so started this new adventure of traveling alone. Once i arrived in Agra i headed for a guest house recommended by Lonely Planet, a book that i was now completely reliant on, and from there took a auto-rickshaw tour of the town. We visited the major sites, including the Agra Fort, the baby Taj, and the rear view of the Taj its self. We also visited some less usual places, like a rug maker and a marble crafter. All in all it was a busy day and decided to get to bed early so i could visit the Taj for sunrise the next day.

The next morning got up very early and was one of the first people to see the Taj that day. A beautiful site that is something you have to see in person to really understand. Spent a good couple of hours exploring the gardens, taking photos, writing and drawing. Sadly later in the week i mistakenly deleted half my pics of the Taj, so don't have much to show! After breakfast I headed back to the train station where i caught a train further south to Jhansi and then a auto rickshaw from there to the small temple village of Orccha. It was a really cool place with very few tourists and you were very free just to explore the temples on your own with no hassle. I first climbed the main temple, through lots of small dark passages i slowly found my way to the top, where there were views of the whole town and all the smaller temples dotted around in the undergrowth. I then visited the Palace where once again you were really free to explore and find little rooms and baloneys. In the evening i climb into one of the smaller temples out of town, which was close at night, to watch the sunset. Since I had started traveling alone I had starting relaxing and while viewing things i would stop and read my book or write in my journal. It was a new type of traveling and i was really enjoying it.

I woke up the next day unsure of my next destination, I could head east back to Jhansi and then catch the train south to the Buddhist village of Sanchi, or I could carry on west and see the famous carvings of Khajuraho. As i left, still unsure of where to go, there was a French girl waiting outside, we started talking and she explained her and 2 others were getting a cab to Khajuraho and they said i could come along and we would split the money 4 ways. So we headed off to Khajuraho where all 4 of us stayed in the same hotel, once again recommended by Lonely Planet which we were all following. That afternoon I decided to visit the temple complex, a group of about 8 temples situated in some beautiful gardens. The temples were covered in there famous erotic carvings and were very impressive. That evening, while in an internet cafe, an Indian started to chat to me and then in turn invited me back to his dads hotel for dinner and conversation, so as to practice his English. He explained a lot about the temples and India as a whole and said he would take me to visit the local village and see the real India the next morning.

The next day up early, a routine now bed early up early, went to meet my new guide, never found out his name! We took his motorbike to other other temples south of the town and from there to meet his friend in the local village. We visited a few more temples, they were getting quite repetitive by now, and then we went into the local village to see what life was really like. The was told how each of the 4 castes had a different area and you could only live in the area of your caste. there were lots of little shrines and temples on the streets, as well as lots of animals just walking around, a trend in much of India. We then visited a local school that was used by all castes. The kids were taking there exams and it was good to see that education was important even if they had little money. After this experience, we went to the reservation office to book my night train to my next destination, Jalgeon. I had the rest of the afternoon in Khajuraho so spent it with my guide and a few of his friends. We had some whiskey as a going away drink while i was interrogated about my beliefs and spirituality . It was an interesting experience and while i was talking to these complete strangers about the meaning of life and our destiny, I realised I had stumbled on what traveling was about. With a bit of luck, in this case someone deciding to take me under their wing and show me around, and a bit of open mindedness, i was now experiencing real Indian culture. I was no longer seeeing or hearing what other tourists were, I was seeing and hearing what other Indians were, and it was fascinating. I spent much of my long journey to Jalgeon contemplating this "travel enlightenment" and how that fact I was alone had made it possible, and that i was really achieving what i had wanted to achieve, new and real experiences.

The train arrived in Jalgeon just after lunch, after lots of delays and problems. It was my first experience of the Indian sleeper trains and i realised the word sleep is really misused in the name! The Lonely Planet had very little about where i was and i found surprisingly good. I really explored the town with no real idea where I was heading, and this meant I saw a lot more. I went to a very busy local market where Indians were hassled as much as I was! I found a small local park and lots of interesting shops. In the evening, once again with no plan, I found myself a small restaurant, so local they didn't speak English, and had one of the nicest, cheapest and most authentic Indian meals I'd had. After i treated myself to a lassie from the very popular local juice shop, also one of the best I have had.

The next day i was back on the road again, on another local bus, heading to the famous Ajenta caves. They were quite interesting, built into a crescent cliff, but there were lots of tourists, it was very hot and they all look looked very si0milar. I must admit they were very impressive but i missed the real live Indian culture I had seen the last couple of days. I got back on the bus and headed to Aurangabad a pretty standard tourist hub for visiting both Ajenta and the Ellora caves I was going t6o tomorrow.


The Ellora caves were much like the Ajenta, very impressive but very touristy and very very hot, 40 degrees! However there was a little more freedom to explore and I went for a nice walk round and found a lot of smaller unvisited caves. There was also the main Temple, the biggest stone temple in the world, that was impressive. You could climb to the top and see the huge rock face it had been carved out of.

Frome Ellora i caught a communal jeep, used like taxis on set routes, that managed to squeeze over 20 of us in. This took me to the Daulatabad Fort, a huge fort on top a a hill that had once been the capital of India. I climbed this and had great views of the surrounding country side and the extent of the fort. I then returned back to town where I would catch my night bus to
Mumbai, "The Gate Way to India".

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Photos

Delhi Fort
Down the one of the very busy roads in Delhi is the large and impressive Delhi Fort.

Baby Taj
A small tomb, seen as the basis of the taj, with its beautiful gardens.

Taj Mahal
A view from the backside of the Taj.

Orccha
Some of the many temples in Orccha.

Khajuraho
The temple complex of Khajuraho with its perfcet gardens.

Jalgeon
The busy market of Jalgeon.

Ajenta Caves
A view across some of the Ajenta caves.

Ellora Caves
The massive stone palace at the Ellora Caves.

Daulatabad Fort
The ramparts of the Daulatabad Fort.

Taj Tower
One of the towers that surround the Taj.

Ajenta Caves
Inside one of the caves with its huge reclining Bhudda.

Ellora Caves
The main chamber inside the stone palace.

Comments

[Hatty]

Benjie, ur photos are absolutely beautiful. it all sounds so exciting, you describe everything so vividly and it sounds like travelling alone makes a big difference. really, its so inspiring!! hope you're still doing well, everyone at home sends masses of love xxx