Friday, Feb 25
When making plans our colleagues were so great with helping. They really wanted us to see Ajanta caves but it’s over 350km and requires staying the night in nearby Aurangabad. At first I was reluctant to be away for 2 days but Rahul told me that Taj Mahal is the number 1 sight to see when you come to India and these Ajanta caves is number 2. Put that way I couldn’t let the chance go by. Who knows if I would ever be back this way again. They booked a driver and hotel for us and we left for Aurangabad directly from the plant Friday afternoon.
It took 5 hours to reach Aurangabad but the scenery was amazing. The first 40km from jejuri was on a small rural road. First of all, this area of India is very fertile. The main crop that I see is sugar cane but there are also lots of tropical fruits such as mango and papaya. Along the road there were so many carts filled 6 feet high of sugar cane and pulled by oxen. At one point there was a traffic jam because the road was filled with cart of sugar canes. There were stands about every 50 yards or so, squeezing fresh sugar cane juice, I was so bummed we couldn’t get some. We follow a strict rule to not eat anything from roadside stands. Our driver told us that they were all going to a sugar processing plant which we eventually passed. I also trucks carrying processed sugar canes apparently they use this for fuel for fire. Since most home do not have plumbing people portage water from a community well and carry this in a 5 gallon aluminum jug on their forehead! Once in awhile I’ll see a women carry what looks like an impossible load on her forehead. One was carrying a big wash bin filled with pots and pans and dishes. Another had a big bunch of wheat on her head. All women here wear beautiful colorful sarees. I remember how Gary loved watching the scenery of Vietnam from inside the bus and thought he would have enjoyed this. Once in awhile we have to stop for big herds of sheep crossing or goat crossing or oxen crossing, you just never know! Got to our hotel in Aurangabad by 9pm with just enough time for dinner and then bed. We are on the road again tomorrow morning at 7! Ajanta caves is 100km from the hotel so we need an early start in order to fit both Ajanta and Ellora caves and make it back to Pune at a reasonable hour.
It took 5 hours to reach Aurangabad but the scenery was amazing. The first 40km from jejuri was on a small rural road. First of all, this area of India is very fertile. The main crop that I see is sugar cane but there are also lots of tropical fruits such as mango and papaya. Along the road there were so many carts filled 6 feet high of sugar cane and pulled by oxen. At one point there was a traffic jam because the road was filled with cart of sugar canes. There were stands about every 50 yards or so, squeezing fresh sugar cane juice, I was so bummed we couldn’t get some. We follow a strict rule to not eat anything from roadside stands. Our driver told us that they were all going to a sugar processing plant which we eventually passed. I also trucks carrying processed sugar canes apparently they use this for fuel for fire. Since most home do not have plumbing people portage water from a community well and carry this in a 5 gallon aluminum jug on their forehead! Once in awhile I’ll see a women carry what looks like an impossible load on her forehead. One was carrying a big wash bin filled with pots and pans and dishes. Another had a big bunch of wheat on her head. All women here wear beautiful colorful sarees. I remember how Gary loved watching the scenery of Vietnam from inside the bus and thought he would have enjoyed this. Once in awhile we have to stop for big herds of sheep crossing or goat crossing or oxen crossing, you just never know! Got to our hotel in Aurangabad by 9pm with just enough time for dinner and then bed. We are on the road again tomorrow morning at 7! Ajanta caves is 100km from the hotel so we need an early start in order to fit both Ajanta and Ellora caves and make it back to Pune at a reasonable hour.
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