a bridge to today ... On the road again ...
Ooooooooh my god! There he is again, the most dreaded Elle Long-news blogger Robert, in full of freshness and ready to provide you with new stories ... But what was going on because only the devil? Well, every two Internet cafes in the neighborhood have closed and I had now for weeks without access to my blog or Skype. Dramatic, I must tell you, especially because my report now, unfortunately, a little is dissipated due to the increased need to catch up. But I hope this does not scare you and you are ready with great curiosity, adventurous reports from the country to read the thousand shocks filled with excitement and to share my experiences ...
A new record: 4.5 months I am already here and can hardly believe it. Germany is already incredibly far back and even my first two months in the hotel seem to me to have long passed. The daily bombardment by strange impressions makes every day so new that the last will again be just another day in which I had no idea what to expect here everything. And if it seems to me just daily life, Turn in, everything is new again ... The more I think to be here used to the life, the more surprised me any news and with decreasing number of news and increasing Ueberraschungstendenz holds the Aufregungsgrad the scale. It is never really boring.
What impresses me now is just as hard, that I suddenly can not make it, in the midst of this so often punished with miserable infrastructure environment. Only once as an example, a DSL connection in this country has a bandwidth of 256 kb, whereas in Germany in 2048 is now standard, and both the same price. Also, there are almost no e-commerce or web communities, such as we are accustomed to at home. If you want to buy something rare, you get neither in the (Indian) Internet, again just as around the corner, no search, you have to look for, find and be patient. And ultimately, it is found what you are looking for with luck and nothing else. Since I wanted to buy me a book recently and when I found that it was not available, I wanted to order it, of course, as I am so used to in Germany. But no! Here you can order any books that are not in the standard range of the business are. Instead, you have to figure out which business in this mega city could probably just lead this Schmoeker. Ultimately, by the way I have given up.
other hand, I have to this country in terms of educational books and again to admit one thing really, with admiration: there are textbooks in special low pressure only for the Indian market, so that even a poor student, been many international Standard work can be set. Many books you get here for the tenth of the price at home off the presses! For me it's worth it but not me here to create a small library on site, on the one hand I do not really have much time to read a lot and the other is the transport to Germany very expensive due to the weight of the books. Thus the world market ultimately holds the balance.
At this point I have the reflections stop about life in India for a short trip report, because, as one could indeed be read easily even from my last report, I am quite frequently on travel and the way it should, if possible, remain. In the meantime I would like two more short trips behind me, and so I now begin with the first ...
The caves of Ajanta and Ellora:
time world heritage site again. Two unique cave deposits in less than 100 kilometers away, but with a completely different story. The one, Ajanta, was only rediscovered in 1800 by a British, on the tiger hunt in the middle of the jungle thicket erspäte a cave and then discovered that it was equal to 20 in number. As real Kulturbanause course he carved his signature in the same centuries-old wall paintings, which have imitated him then prompt thousands of Indians. After all, he has not blown up the caves, as did the Taliban well. Nevertheless, his example has led to that is not too much admire the wonderful art. But the environment is staggering. Jungle, there are no more, but the caves are located in the steep wall of a canyon and hit the view from the top of the canyon was just great.
One of the most famous of the murals, which can be seen in Ajanta, a portrait of Buddha.
The scenic view from the top edge of the canyon of Ajanta. As you can see the access hatches jungle has given way to a steppe-like area (whether because of climate change is to blame?).
The end of the canyon. The river, around the top edge of the image its way down cuts down through the rocks, we crossed on foot. I love these landscapes.
The other caves, the caves of Ellora are, in no very impressive landscape, but architecturally far more exciting and full of skilful chiselling. The main temple was even beaten up out of the rock, so now he is free from a continuous, huge rock formed. The great thing is that both collections impressive cave on their own kind. So I had a nice weekend: the Friday night in the train, Ellora, a night in a shelter in Aurangabad, Ajanta in the next day and then overnight back to Mumbai, so I barely have time for a shower and fresh clothes, and then again to dash to the office. Yes, it can be a weekend! Refreshing tiring.
The beaten out of a piece of rock the main temple of Ellora.
a Buddha shrine in the caves of Ellora.
An image of Durga, one of the incarnations of God, war, came to earth to kill evil demons. Built
to the good old days when the temple was still in vogue adult and still enjoy all of it, of course, because it is heritage is ... otherwise but spoke of "something like" Please do not!
The complicated positions were hidden in the dark, of course not to damage the stone by artificial light. However, there were a few rebellious tourist guides, for a few turns but then Extrarupies their lamps (and pointed with an almost childish joy on the Tantric contortions, and I quote: "man and woman, very happy!").
Chennai:
Yes, since I have not written long, I was in the meantime, even twice on the road. The second trip was a surprise. Ramona, our trainee manager here in Mumbai, told me that a colleague had invited them to her wedding and she did not want to travel alone. The chance I took, of course, to optimize my travel experience even further. The outward journey was a 24-hour train journey on which I unfortunately einhandelte me an upset stomach, which then accompanied me the whole next day and my mood was dampened a bit. At least I was able to travel more and so I looked at a long weekend Pondicherry, a cute former French settlement south of Chennai, Mamallapurram, a place where even in the 20th Centuries some wonderfully preserved caves were discovered on Monday and finally my first Indian wedding, but unfortunately also the enttäuschenste Part of the trip was. was allowed because the bridegroom Christ and the bride Hindu, was the family's sake were all sorts of beautiful ceremony components left out and what remained was a 5-hour photo session at which each of the hundreds of guests once posing with the couple, while all other prior to this decorated stage waited. The poor bride was obviously happy to relax at the end of her mouth from the permanent smile and her 10 kg Ornate Jewelry, incidentally, was allowed to take stunning Sari (letzterens course not in front of audience). By the way: no sooner was I went back to Mumbai it better again, as if my body would tell me: please stay in Mumbai, to this place you're used to it after all.
posing for the photo album.
Ramona and Ashwini, the bride. Incidentally, this was the Vormittagssari and not the mentioned 10-kilo-Sari.
Since Chennai I was no longer on the road, unfortunately, but I must now save up a few vacation days so I have time in May, travel about with my girlfriend Nina. Fortunately, Mumbai has to offer enough and yes I have explored far from all clubs and all the restaurants and bars.
Now there are a few pictures as a food until the next entry ...
intermediate Ellora and Ajanta was the rare Shiva Temple.
This lady I met behind The same Shiva Temple. Somehow it reminded me of the wicked witch from "Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves", only that this woman was very kind (and even her grandchildren wanted to have the picture ...).
So I see that now consists of: After the initial culture shock to me all the hair turned out and put the extreme in the forehead worry lines, I then get even more bloody friction tracks. But now seriously, short hair suits my need in this country increased purity and the red color on the forehead was typical of the times Indian forehead spot. This point reflects the fact that I have prayed recently. And was also this: recently I was in the above mentioned, incidentally, very women-friendly, Temple, had all the men in the bare to the waist. The dot symbolizes the women thus: "The earlier you'd be able to see as too late."
Ah yes, good old Mumbai. Anyone who wonders where to spend the winter in the beautiful heron their time ... here at Mumbai's silvery-gray waste water, through which you can not see through an inch wide ... by the way: an exciting smell of old eggs and hmmm ... I'd rather leave it ...
And finally, the quiz question: what was the biggest tourist attraction of Ellora and Ajanta? Right. We do! The Aliens! After the first 10 group photos for which we should pose, we are tired and we tried before the Indian extended families to hide.
PS: I re-link a couple of new blogs and fun sites ... just have a look ...
