On The Way to Delhi

The Ajanta Caves

Aug 10. With the end of the Alleppey boat races, the mad dash north to Delhi began. On the way stopping at Jalgaon so that I can see the Ajanta caves. The overnight to Mangalore was more or less on time and the same can be said for Mangalore to Mumbai along the fairly new Konkan rail route which follows the coast. In the morning some 200 km south of Mumbai the monsoon clouds blackened the skies and it was lashing down all the way. I think the train pulled into the terminus to the east of the city of Mumbai at about 10.30. I decided then to take an earlier train, heading for Varanasi, which started at 12.15.

To the east and south east of Mumbai, all trains have to climb up the hills called the Western Ghats and if there is a lot of rain all these routes can be badly affected. I suppose I was lucky as there was only one place that caused a really serious delay, although all the way from Mumbai train was steadily loosing time. All the way up the train passed gorges with raging torrents and over swollen rivers. About a kilometre before a station near the top of the Ghats we stopped for perhaps an hour. Judging from the water flooding over half of the tracks in that station I think they had logistical nightmare getting all the trains through this small junction just below the central plain of India. By this time I was getting concerned about finding a hotel in Jalgaon so late in the evening. This is almost always a problem. But it was resolved with a simple mobile phone call to the Hotel Plaza in Jalgaon, using the number given in my guide book and the phone of one of my very kind India travelling companions who would be arriving home in Varanasi somewhat later. So three and a half hours late, at just after 10.30pm, I had booked into the hotel close to the station and was looking forward to my first shower since the previous morning.
Jalgaon is not a particularly pretty place. For a sizeable city it seems a bit backward with a very low level of English and restaurants that cater entirely for Indians. I say this is a bit odd because many tourists pass through on the way to Ajanta, just as I have. Anyway, as planned, I went to Ajanta in the morning and then continued to Delhi on the train that same evening.

Aug 16. As you can see there has been quite a jump in time. Arrived here in Shimla yesterday feeling horribly ill. It’s a very bad cold that’s been brewing up for days and the type of cold that I usually get at the beginning after a week or so in India. This time felt very healthy all way until reaching Delhi. Anyway, I think I was very lucky to find a room yesterday. The 15th is India’s Independence Day and a national holiday. It appears that the whole of middle class Delhi has moved here for a few days, pushing up prices and reducing available rooms to a minimum. Once again at the Hotel Classic where I stayed 2 yrs ago and he remembered my face. Without going into too much detail, this had a decisive effect on his choice of guest for the room.
So now in cloudy and rainy Shimla and then later this week back to Delhi to fly home. Its been a difficult week or so, since leaving Kerala. The absence of good internet conections has made this particular blog a bit of a marathon. However, hopefully its ok now. Cheers Derek

Shimla