Mumbai and Goodbye ;(

December 2, 2015
Currently: Sitting in the Mumbai airport and reeling at the fact that this blog has already come full circle.

So, all that is left is Mumbai. And what a fitting end to this trip. Much like Kolkata it is a bit of a shock and assault on the senses. A flurry of activity, noise, sounds, culture, food, dirt, people, and heat. Mostly heat. 95 degree heat. And humidity. Which makes for a very sticky, sweaty, stinky Lena. And let's not forget the masses of people. Little known fact, this city is actually India's most populous with estimates of around 20 million people living in its cosmopolitan center. Imagine 20 million people. It's over twice the amount of people in the entire country of Switzerland. Insanity! Indian Insanity!

Mumbai traffic

With only one full day left to explore the city, I tried to squeeze in as much as I could! Luckily, Mumbai is all about that architecture. Our walking tour captured the British influence perfectly. At every turn of the head, you find yourself amazed at yet another brilliant example of colonial architecture. Mumbai is the first place I couldn't get away from the British influence. But enough talking. Let's get to those impressive-looking structures I keep yammering on about.

 Taj Mahal Palace Hotel

 Gateway of India

 Horniman Circle Garden - where a lady followed us around talking at us (probably mad at us for being culturally insensitive in some unknown way) for over 20 minutes. Her persistence was admirable.

 Headquarters of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, aka the largest civic organization in the country

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus - aka the train station, which just so happens to be yet another UNESCO World Heritage Site

Despite the heat/humidity combo trying to drag us down, Nicola and I persisted with the help of ice cold bottles of water and tasty Fancy ice cream bars to walk over 9 miles across the city. I was so grateful to be able to spend my last day in Mumbai with someone so wonderful! Nicola was the perfect companion and I can't thank her enough for trudging through the streets and embracing that never-ending sense of adventure you need to have to survive as an active tourist in Mumbai. We walked north until our noses couldn't handle the rotten stench of sewage, turned back, and sheepishly trudged on newly worn blisters all the way back down to Colaba. It was miserably wonderful, if you can imagine that feeling. It was an Indian experience through and through. Love it until you hate it until you love it all over again. In a random turn of events, Nicola and I stumbled into a weird celebration of the Indian Navy. Cue masses of Indians, and even more people wanting pictures with the token blondes. I got a pretty awesome picture out of the Gateway to India from it though.

Because food is 2/3 the reason I booked this trip (not really...but kind of true), my last meal has to be documented as a masala dosa with a naan thrown for good measure and a lassi for dessert. All for 125 Rupees. The food is one thing I'll definitely miss. I did the impossible. 51 days of Indian food. They said it could not be done and I still wasn't ready to let it go! I will admit to a shameful McFlurry or two, but all in all, I stayed true to the cuisine.

Side note - I did count the number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites I managed to cover in this trip and it was around twelve, but I ended up missing quite a few easy ones in Delhi and Mumbai that could have pushed it past fifteen. Crazy to think there's over thirty total in India. So much left to see (foreshadowing!)...

I could do the whole sad "it's over" bit, but that's tired. India was awesome. I couldn't have asked for a better trip. Or better tour leaders. Or a better truck. Or better travel buddies. It's funny. I sold myself on this trip by saying, "This is it. This is your trip of a lifetime." But it's not the trip of a lifetime. It's one trip in my lifetime. Those who really know me, know that it's not even close to my last. It's my last until my inevitable travel bug itches again.

Farewell India. You did good. I've got ten years to take advantage of that pesky visa again. South India... I'm coming for you. Until we meet again!

Lots of love,

Lena

Mandu, Ajanta, & Ellora: Palaces on Caves on Caves

November 29, 2015
Currently: Scrambling to catch up on my blog before the trip ends. Two days! Only two days left in this beautiful country!

Ticking off a few more UNESCO World Heritage Sites, we continued our journey through India this time taking the rustic, rural route under the watchful eye of Rafik, our trusty local guide/cook. He's been around a few times (ten years) so he's got the routine down. Last year, Rafik even starred with Daisy in a Top Gear India article in December. He claims Ellora as his home and is a wonderfully quiet, kind family man who really knows how to cook!

one roadside lunch stop, coming right up!

Besides bush camping it for a little bit, we continued our never-ending attempt to further culturalize ourselves in Mandu, an old fortress from as early as the 6th century BC. Ownership of this fortress bounced around from the Parmars to the Khiljis to the Mughals to the Marathas to the Aghans and then back to the Mughals (Akbar's reign, of course) and finally deserted to become the ghost town it remains today. That history is a little sketchy (there were a lot of men with really big egos who kept fighting each other, so it got confusing) and probably not totally accurate, but you get the idea. Remnants of the fort are found all over the little town. One set of royal palaces are relatively well-kept and help create the illusion of life back in these eras.

 An overview of the complex

 Jahaz Mahal or Ship Palace is situated between two artificial lakes and is supposed to look like a ship floating in water. I don't see it... but that's just me

 Hindola Mahal or Swinging Palace. I actually get the nickname for this one.

 Hoshang Shah's Tomb - India's first marble structure and a template for the construction of the Taj Mahal. I see the resemblance.

gotta love that repetition and beautiful colors (photo cred to Kate!)

We were also on a mission to take a trip back in time, caveman style. Okay, not really that far back, but definitely BC level. Ajanta and Ellora are two cities known for some pretty extensive cave systems that highlight the best artwork ranging from the second century BC to ninth century AD. Ajanta is the more extensive and older of the two, protected within a horseshoe shaped valley. 

These caves showcase some of the finest Buddhist Indian paintings. Some caves served as monasteries while others were used as temples for worship. Both types of caves were way impressive. It was unreal to imagine people using only a hammer and a chisel to create these masterpieces. Literally just a hammer. And a chisel. And human strength. That's it. Those who started the caves had no chance of seeing their hard work realized. Even 800 years weren't enough to finish them off. Could you imagine starting something knowing you'll never even be close to seeing the final product? Talk about demotivating. Even today a few of the caves remain unfinished because of a lack of funds.

a famous painting of Vajrapani, protector and guider of Gautama Buddha

 stupa hall for worship - amazing acoustics for prayer time

it's got some atmosphere, no?

On to Ellora! These caves were completed much later and included not only Buddhist caves, but also caves dedicated to Jainism and Hinduism. This grouping of caves celebrates the harmony between different religions during this time period in India. The Buddhist caves in Ellora were similar to those in Ajanta, but were from a later time period. Though the history of Ajanta was more captivating, the Buddhist stupa in Ellora was the most entrancing.

 the staring actually helped make for a good picture

 buddha, buddha, buddha, buddha

 my favorite cave, once again amazing acoustics

envision 300 monk students sitting here for daily school lessons and meditation sessions

On to the main event... The Hindu Kailasanatha temple is unrivaled in its size and intricacies. As you enjoy these views, remember this was all carved out of one single rock. It covers an area double the size of the Parthenon in Athens and, as you will see, is multi-storeyed. Say whaaaat!

It really is a good thing I'm almost done with these blogs, because my vocabulary isn't extensive enough to keep up with all of the wonders I've seen. I'm sure sick of using "beautiful," "amazing," "incredible" and I'm sure you're sick of hearing it. I guess that's kind of a good problem to have, so no more complaints from this girl. I guess I'll have to go buy myself a thesaurus!

Lots of love,

Lena