DAY @

Met the Aussie at the Gateway to India to catch the boat out to Elephanta Island to see the historical caves there - meh... didn't think it was really worth the mission to be fair, but it was ok nonetheless...

In the evening went to Chowpatty Beach tho and that was way cool. Just sat and people watched for hours whilst the sun went down over the bay. Showed the Aussie boy some of the choons on ma mp3, he liked the Whip ;) whilst watching kids frolicking ni the sea, us takin pics of them and their parents taking pics of us. One couple even asked James (the Aussie) for permission a photo of me taken with his wife ;P, has happened quite a lot tbf.

There's a wkd little carnival at Chowpatty - all the rides are worked manually by men pushing/twirling them around, H&S knows no bounds in India.

(Examples of poverty will feature a lot in this blog, it's frikkin everywhere, all the time - so much so that it just becomes normal to say no to beggars, is well hard, I've written a bit recently that I'll get to in a min...)

DAY #

Decided to get out of Mumbai pretty quick, so headed for the station early ni the morning to get a train ticket to Aurangabad to see the Ellora caves. On the way to the station I met this young lad who questioned me bout me eating banana for breakfast and started chatting along the way. I immediately thought he was after something (most peolpe here are), but he said he wasn't and he was tellin da truth - he set the trend for me meeting nice people in each place I've been and I was really greatful for his help this day. The strap on my sandal broke on the way, he took me to a shoe repair man and made sure I only paid the price that an Indian would and then took me all the way to the station, navigated me to the reservation desk (would never have found it in so quick a time without him, CST train station is MENTAL!) and pushed to the front of the Q for me to get my ticket (tiz the done thing here). He even made up the 2R change I needed for the ticket, so I made sure I gave him 5R when I got ma change back. Proper little dude, he left to go get his arm x rayed after that - he was on the way to his appty when he met me. This little meeting did me some good, but I was still shitting it a bit when I went for my train ;)

No need to shit it, actually got the train pretty easy - tiz a really good way to travel here. There were some proper maddies at the station (particularly this dude with eyes going well skewiff) and most people loved staring at me, ya just gotta smile and roll with it tho, happens EVERYWHERE! Smells that dominated at the time, dried fish like.

It was a daytime express train to Aurangabad, so no need to sleep - sat all the way and didn't leave my seat - it was well full for most of it and did not fancy standing for 8 hours. Was well hot too obv, had some fatto with his sweaty armo for a few hours, rank.

Obvs there's a lot to see on the train, loadsa slums right by the track and people walk all over them everywhere. There was some arguing going on when more people got on with reserved seats, went on for ages as this old man wouldn't get up for some old woman who'd had it reserved, was ranting for ages - but everyone was good humoured about it and it got sorted in the end. Some maddie climbed in the baggage racks and kipped up there mosta the way - hehe.

There are loadsa food sellers on the way too, but will wait a bit and tell ya bout that later...

Hotel in Aurangabad was ok, pretty nice actually - Auranagabad is a shithole tho, just another stinky, dusty city - tiz ,main the base for Ellora and Ajanta caves tho, so alright like.

DAY $

Took the bus to Ajanta caves, twas the only whitey on the bus - probably for miles, but this thing aint knew now so won't hang about on the subj...

The caves were pretty fuckin mint, had said initially they were amazing, but then I went to Ellora the next day and I personally think they blow them out the water.

Ajanta caves are set in a beautiful gorge, right in the middle of nowhere - twas a bit dodge as you get off the bus, coz ya have to dodge the sellers at the bazzar to get the shuttle bus 4km to the caves. I have loads of pics, so will update when I can be arsed ;P

Met a nice Hindu man on the bus on the way back, Kishore (49) - he spoke good English and was keen to converse with me all the way back to the city. Other commuters on the bus were also interested to find out about me so that sparked conversation with him too, this happens a lot - makes a stark contrast to the lack of commuter interest on a Manchester bus or London tube...

DAY ^

On the bus again but this time to Ellora. Get a load of stares for a change, they're just well curious, but as soon as you give them a grin they warm up nice - gives you a good feelin that :)

Ellora = FUCKING AMAZINGLY IMMENSE!!!

The bus drops you right outside the entrance, so ti was much easier to manage than Ajanta. Ya still get the street sellers tho and this one guy in particular came up and started chatting, showing me the way to start my cave tour - but again, like the lad in Mumbai, he stated that he wasn't out to get anything from me, didn't want to be my guide, but that he was a Buddhist and believed in Karma - one good turn etc... Hmmm...

Anyway, to cut a really long story short - he was was well genuine, Vijay (25). He ended up guiding me through most of the caves, allowing me to roam around the massive ones on my own as he would haev had to have paid a guide fee had the guards have seen him. He also took me to some caves that I would never have found had I been on my own or with some other guide, they were pretty special. Right up high, Yoga caves with beautiful pools of water and waterfalls with no one in sight - well peaceful. He lived in Ellora because he enjoys going there to meditate etc... think he makes a habit of making traveller friends, he said that he got on with foreigners more that he did Indians, he's done the whole India tavel vibe himself - twas a proper dude. Bestowed me with gifts for me and my family too, proper treated me as his guest - was well mad. Took me most of the day to trust him properly like, I'm a bit of a natural skeptic - meetings like these have been good for me tho... Had the best day anyway, he even treated me to dinner!

There were a few whities around the caves, but not many. LOADS of Indian tourists tho, 100's - I became a bit fo a novelty in quite a few caves, having ma photo taken with whole families etc. Felt like I was on a presidential campaign trail at one point when they wanted me to hold their babies!! Tiz a good opportunity to get photos of them too like ;P

On a cave note, there were over 30 of them - mix of Jain, Buddhist and Hindu, all from about 500AD onwards I think... The 3 religions fit really nicely together and they are all equally as breathtaking and even managed to feel a bit spiritual like. The echoes in them are unreal - Vijay did some "Ohms" and chants in a few, the sound is magnified by the crystals in the stone, really powerful - could well have seen myself wigging out to the buddhist vibes had I stayed longer ;P may go back one day, and I well recommend going.

Got the overnight train that night to meet my friend Laura in Hyderabad for 2 days - she's been living in India for a year so it was well nice to get the opportunity to meet up with her.

Again, train thing was an experience. The stations are mental - peolpe just climb over the tracks and it smells like shit! Carriages are well full, trains are well long, old and pretty uncomfortable.

Caused quite a stir whilst waiting on the platform again, got the smiling thing going on tho :).

Another young lad started talking to me as he knew English - Akil (21) from Hyderabad. Interested that I'm on me own (most people are), where I'm going, where I've been etc... His friends were having a right giggle whilst we chatted - he worked in a UK debt advice call centre in H'bad.

Train was really noisy and ya get to smell quite an array of aromas throughout the journey. Had one of the most uncomfortable night's sleep of my life! Was well cold and only realised to get my jumper at 6am.

Got to Secunderabad (twinned with H'bad) at 9am and saw ma mate Akil when I got off. He was well sound, again - and helped me get a rickshaw to the hotel Laura had booked. Haggled the price down for me too. We had a good ol' chat and he gave me his number if I needed anything whilst I was in his neck of the woods - Sounds Indian man number 4.