My latest field trip consisted of a journey up to the nature park to see the Kanheri caves, some Buddhist caves that were carved into rock for peripatetic monks to use during the monsoon season, when it was harder to wander. They are up north of the city and date from the 2nd to 9th centuries. (Thank you, guidebook)Indians were very nice today. That was sort of the general theme of the day.
I got to the train station and went to a platform with a north-going train. I asked a girl if I was in the right place to catch a train for Boravali, and she said I was. Then she let me know when the train came a few minutes later that it was definitely the right one. Then, when my stop came, she motioned to me, and told me which side to get off the train on and made sure I got off at the right place. So that was really nice of her.
I tried to get a rik to the park. I asked one driver, and he said no. Then a nice Indian guy who has lived in Connecticut for five years who was also waiting for a rik explained that the driver was saying no because he can’t drive into the park, but that he could take me to the entrance. So I said that would be ok, and the Connecticut guy offered to share a rik with me and drop me off, since it was on his way. Then he wouldn’t let me pay for the rik, since he had to pay anyway at the end of his trip. So that was really nice of him.
I walked in and was immediately approached by a couple of guys who asked if I needed a ride into the park to see the caves. Yes. Yes, I do. 650 rupees. 650?!!?!? Huh. Wow, that is a lot. Isn’t there a bus? No, not today. Sometimes it is cancelled because of the monsoon. Really? There really isn’t a bus? Well, 650 still sounds like a lot. We went over to the ranger stand and the rangers agreed that there was no bus today and suggested I hire a car. I stood there saying, yeah, but 650? As I was contemplating a 7 km walk through the jungle vs US$14 dollars, a few cars drove up. One of the guys who was trying to get me to pay him 650 went over to one of the cars and asked if I could get a ride with them. They were like sure, but we are only staying hour and a half or so. I said That’s ok, I’ll take the ride. I gave the 650 guy 100 rupees for asking the people to take me. That was really nice of him, especially since he was trying to get a pile of money out of me , and wasn’t necessarily going to get anything if I got a ride with the nice people.
(I would like to complain here that the guidebook was out of date on this point. It said that if there was no bus, you could hire a rik at the train station for 75 rupees or a taxi for 100 rupees to take you to the caves. Nowadays though, no riks or taxis are allowed up to the caves, you have to hire a car in the park or take the bus. Touristy stuff like this is getting more expensive in India. But geez, my guidebook is only from ’05!)
So I drove up to the caves with a guy and a girl who work together, but aren’t girlfriend boyfriend, but who were driving up to the caves to talk about some stuff and who had a conversation about the words friendship and love on the way back. They said they were coworkers.
Also, they confirmed that the buses don’t always run during the monsoon.
The 7 km trip took about 25 minutes because of the roads. I was glad I hadn’t walked. The guy who shared a rik with me from the train station told me that the squatters who live at the edges of the park sometimes lose a kid to the leopards. I don’t think I would have ended up walking.
We got up to the caves, and the guy insisted on paying the entrance fee. He kept saying, c’mon, it’s like 4 rupees. No big deal. But then, foreigner tax. When we got to the entrance we discovered that I cost 100 rupees. I tried to make him let me pay for everyone, or at least for myself, but he wouldn’t even entertain the idea.
It’s like 4 out of 5 people in this country are so incredibly kind- almost too polite, in a practically inconveniencing you, let me do that for you sort of way. They are so hospitable. But then the 5th guy wants to steal your wallet, so you have to watch out.
3 comments:
Nice statue! Do you know what kind of rock it's carved from? I normally think of winter time (particularly during the little ice age) as being a tough time to have been a wandering minstral (or homeless cleric) in northern europe. Trying to live outside and travel during the south asian monsoon season would been equally tough. A nice dry cave would be lovely.
I am a bit envious if only because it is so seldom I have the opportunity to use the word "peripatetic" in the field of wastewater treatment.
As for all the nice, considerate people...well some days are just sorta strange like that. Or maybe you had the "Benevolent Evelynt" aura cranked way up and this is the result? Never underestimate the power of your personality!
And of course, I must disabuse you of any notion that a young man and woman spending the day together has anything but the most obvious subtext. As for the generousity of your travelling companions...in some species, the displaying of conspicuous generousity by the male is a trait well considered by the female during the selection process. And to show such kindness to another female from whom he had nothing to gain only adds majesty to his "bower". (skating blithely away on very thin ice).
"Fullers earth" was one of those little bottles in my Testors chemistry set (along with "logwood") for which I could find no use. Looking up the chemistry of the aluminum silicate, it appears to be particularly good at adsorbing oils. I'll spare you the wikipedia entry on it's use in the processing of wool.
I love the pictures.
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Now I can imagine the Jack and the Giant and the beanstalk story. What a visual perspective you present. Mom
Good post.
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