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TRAVEL BLOG ENTRY
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“I didn't really get what it did apart from make a little waterfall.” |
Day One
After our long bus journey from Goa (made remarkably faster due to some sleeping tablets we picked up on the way - best not to mention these I guess) via Margao where we indulged in a Dominos Pizza - still thinking of you Shelagh, we arrived in Auranghabad. The main reason for us to stop off here was it broke our journey up nicely as we headed North, but also because there are some breathtaking sights to be seen, and not many tourists going here to see them. After checking in, we decided to get straight into the whole tourist thing and got ourselves a TukTuk driver (big mistake!) to take us on a tour around the city. Mustafa, our driver, seemed to be a nice fellow, though was more than happy to keep telling us how bad luck plagued his family, and how everyone around him had either died or was very ill indeed. We visited a Himroo silk factory where the garments are still made by hand, and have prices that still reflect that fact, before going on to see the Panchakki water wheel, which was apparently invented around the time that fish sprouted legs and left water for the first time. It was nice enough though I didn't really get what it did apart from make a little waterfall. Actually, I have just been told by Eileen that it was an extremely important historical invention that brought in water from over 6km away for the pilgrims, and it was used to make flour as well! Wow!! To be fair, the place was nice and you could sit under a Banyan tree and feed fish pretty much whatever you wanted as they eat anything, though the waterwheel itself could do with a good lick of paint and something to tell me what it was for (Aaron)!
The crowning glory of the first day though, had to be our final stop-off at Bibi-Ka-Maqbara, or as the locals know it - the mini-Taj. Now we have never been to Agra (yet) but if it is anything like this, I think we will both be impressed. It is quite a sight to behold, even though it takes some finding as it is tucked away at the back of the town. The only downside to the visit there was the fact that it is in dire need of a good lick of paint, the gardens need sorting out and they need to get the fountains to work again (but these are just small picky points). As you can see from the photos, it is a magnificent structure and would have made a good finish to a great day, if that was the end. Sadly though, we still had the journey back with Mustafa, and his hard sell for the next day to contend with! We will continue the story soon, but right now we have a mountain to climb, so you will have to wait till another day for the next part where hopefully we will bring you right up to date.
previous travel blog entry
ECW says:
Dude, Just off to Camp Bastion. Will keep reading your blog, it's cool. Richie Dix was asking after you, made some very complimentary remarks and wishes you both all the best. ecwil@tiscali.co.uk, if you get a minute. Ed