Mumbai and the Deccan Plateau Caves

Here I was, on the side of the main road that leads from Mumbai Airport to the west of the city. Sonja is no longer there. I had put the touring bicycle back together in front of the airport building in the morning. Julian, another bike traveler from Germany, had also arrived by plane from Muscat that morning, however with a different airline. In front of the terminal I now faced this constant stream of honking TukTuks, trucks and taxis. It was also not really clear how many lanes this road is supposed to have. After a night of no real sleep, I was quite drained. So just join the traffic anyway? Must be so. Briefly switched to driving on the left in my head, and then just cycled off. To my surprise, I quickly realized that the traffic was moving so fast that I was able to keep up quite well with the loaded touring bike. And then things started to get kind of fun. Look for gaps, accelerate, brake, shoot across an intersection. After the first two kilometers in Mumbai I actually had a pretty big grin on my face. From a hostel I explored this huge city in this completely different world in the following days. To do this, I took the metro to the city center several times. The trains here generally run with open doors – an air conditioning system, which at least cannot fail. That was a good thing, because the temperatures during the day at around 36 °C (97 °F) were significantly higher than in Oman. When the train runs over open bridges, you can get really vertigo at the door. A single trip costs 10 rupees, about 11 cents - remarkably cheap, like so much in India. I drove to Chhatrapati Shivaji Mumbai Terminus (CSMT), one of the busiest train stations in the world. The Victorian Neo-Gothic style building is an eye-catcher. At first, Mumbai really struck me: the crowded streets, the noise, the many brightly dressed people who, like ants on an anthill, criss-crossed each other as quickly and purposefully as they walked past. In the port I went to the "Gateway of India" from 1924, which has a special meaning for India, since the last British occupation troops left the country through this gate in 1948. Countless Indians visited the building that was important to them. From the port, I took a boat to Elephanta Island, which is known for its Hindu cave temples. Apart from me, there were only Indians on the boat, but rather a different social class than before on the metro: the men wore fine shirts, thick watches, several rings and sometimes bracelets. The women were draped in gold from head to toe. The young Indian middle and upper classes explore their country. On Elephanta Island, a long stairway past countless market stalls went up to the caves. Cows stood relaxed in the middle of the path. The main caves are decorated with impressive 6th-century wall reliefs worshiping the Hindu god Shiva. After the Middle East, I had really arrived in a completely different culture. But also the fauna had changed: numerous groups of Indian hat monkeys live in front of the caves. They dash across the terrain and up onto the rocks and trees. And they're smart. Very clever. When I wanted to photograph a mother with her baby, I put my camera bag and water bottle next to me. I wanted to focus on the mother monkey, but just then she darted past me and quickly grabbed my water bottle. Within a few seconds she had unscrewed the lid. Now she and her baby drank from the bottle. Were thirsty too. In the following days I visited, among other things, the Gandhi house "Mani Bhavan" and the archaeological museum with the simply name "Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya". And I enjoyed the varied and famous food of Mumbai. There is probably no other country in the world where you can try so many vegetarian dishes. Even meat eaters will not miss anything here for a long time. In Mumbai, however, one more or less inevitably encounters another side of India: slums and terribly polluted rivers. Please forgive me for not taking pictures of the slums for reasons of decency.

From Mumbai I pretty much always cycled northeast. On the first day out of town, the temperature suddenly felt particularly hot in the afternoon – it was like having a hair dryer shoved in my face while cycling. As I noticed when looking at the weather forecast, the thermometer had now climbed to 42 °C (108 °F)- a whole new challenge. Luckily you can buy drinks from small stands or restaurants every few kilometers along the Indian country roads (the price is always the same), but in these conditions it was also important to replace the electrolytes again. Bananas and the standardized rehydration salts (“ORS”), which fortunately can also be found in almost every small town, helped with this. I was soon climbing the Deccan Plateau. The region is known to geologists for its huge flood basalt formation, which was formed by very active volcanism about 65 million years ago. Experts are discussing whether this volcanism could have contributed to the extinction of the dinosaurs alongside the Yucatan meteorite impact. What remains today are large mesas of basalt, which protrude from the plateau. And this basalt was about 2,000 years ago the building basis for Buddhist monks, who carved their cave monasteries into the rock in many places. At Nashik, the Pandav Caves were first on my way. The caves are above the village on the flank of a table mountain. One can distinguish between two basic forms of caves: The ground plans of most caves have a rectangular central space, which is connected to simple chambers. This guy is called Vihara. Opposite the entrance there is usually a relief of Buddha. Other caves, on the other hand, look like a church nave: a long room with columns on the edge, with a simple stupa on the semicircular apse. This guy's name is Chaitya. From Nashik, I continued across the Deccan Plateau to the Ajanta Caves, which are among the most magnificent of their kind in India. An Indian guy in the hostel in Mumbai drew my attention to them. On the way there I always had friendly encounters with locals. Tourists are very rare in rural India, so Europeans quickly become a popular selfie subject. The Ajanta Caves are hidden in a narrow river valley. Like the Pandav Caves, it is a Buddhist cave monastery that is around 2,000 years old. Some of the Ajanta Caves have extremely intricate and detailed wall and ceiling paintings. The stupas and walls of some Chaitya caves are also much more complex than the Nashik specimens. The Ajanta Caves are among the finest specimens of their kind and I was deeply impressed by them.

From the Caves to the Temples of Madhya Pradesh

The state of Maharashtra was now cycled through and it went into Madhya Pradesh. As in previous rural areas, some people who passed me on scooters asked if they could take selfies with me. A request that I was happy to oblige, even if, due to my lack of Hindi knowledge, a real conversation rarely took place. Once the desire for a selfie led to a somewhat strange situation when – in the midday heat – I wanted to hide in the shade of a larger tree on the left of the road after a few climbs. There I hung slumped over a tree root and didn't know whether I should collapse. But even here in the thicket, I only remained undiscovered for a few minutes, until two passers-by encouraged me to take pictures, despite my exhaustion. The two of them didn't seem to have noticed that I was more or less fighting against the collapse. I don't blame them, of course, they just meant well. My first stop in Madhya Pradesh was the town of Khandwa, the hometown of Saroo Brierley, whose life story was filmed in the film 'Lion' starring Dev Patel. From Khandwa I cycled through a wide plain, which is used for agriculture. Passing endless banana plantations, I crossed the Narmada River, which is seen as a border between North and South India. North of the river are the hills of the Vindhya Mountains. And there I followed very nice, small, empty roads through extensive forest areas, past a reservoir and, for the first time, through a small tiger territory. I didn't see any of the big cats - fortunately. Soon I came to Bhopal which is the capital of Madhya Pradesh. And there I was warmly welcomed by Warmshowers host Sushant and his wife Veena in their beautiful home. Veena runs a pottery school there, so I got to try shaping the clay on the wheel myself. And that's really not easy - only with help did the undefined mass actually become a bowl. Really learning how to make pottery takes several months on the course. It was nice to have talked to someone about bike touring with Sushant again. He has already crossed Australia and East Africa on his bike, so he knows the really great adventures! And Bhopal itself? This is worth a separate mention, because in Germany the name of the city usually only stands for the greatest industrial disaster of all time in 1984. But the reality on the ground couldn't be more different: of all the Indian cities I've passed through so far, I liked Bhopal from the cityscape wise the most. The city has many green areas and, above all, several lakes, some of which are right in the city center. The streets are lively and colorful as usual. Only a closed-off area with ruins in the north of the city bears witness to the catastrophe. Life around it goes on. From Bhopal I cycled to Sanchi, a place known for its important Buddhist monuments. The Great Stupa of Sanchi was built about 2,400 years ago and later enlarged and provided with four ornate gates (torana). It is one of the oldest stupas and the oldest stone structures in India at all. The scenery is really impressive. The richness of detail of the approximately 2,000-year-old Toranas is terrific. I took the time to circle the Great Stupa several times and to look at it from many perspectives. The site also includes smaller stupas and some temple ruins. Many palm squirrels and a colored bloodsucker dragon were running around. The evening after exploring, I read an online article that India is likely to overtake China as the world's most populous country this week. And I'm right in the middle. From Sanchi, I continued north-east on nice roads with little traffic. Only the street cows were slowly becoming somehow more rebellious than before and tempted me to do some daring evasive manoeuvres. Sometimes they just lay in the middle of a bridge on the roadway, although there were green meadows to the left and right of it. In some smaller forest areas, I kept seeing many rhesus monkeys and hanuman langurs sitting on the side of the road and watching the traffic. I also saw some groups where monkeys of both species sat next to each other. So they seem to get along. At some point I realized that I am now as far east as I have ever been on my previous travels. After a few more days of cycling, I reached Khajuraho, a place known for its outstanding Hindu temples. There I even briefly met an off-road vehicle driver from Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany. The Hindu temples from the Chandella Dynasty are around 1,000 years old and are located near a small lake. Their entrances all face east towards sunrise. And their decorations on the facades are incredibly detailed and richly designed! Hundreds of intricate depictions of deities, humans, mythical creatures and animals have been immortalized in the sandstone. The temples are also known for their sometimes raunchy erotic depictions in the niches of the outer side walls. The temples are spread out over a fairly extensive complex, so I strolled back and forth between them for a while and took in the scenery.

See Varanasi... and not die

Khajuraho is almost on the northern edge of the state of Madhya Pradesh. Its population density isn't much higher than that of Saxony (in Germany), which might also explain why - apart from Mumbai - I hadn't yet encountered the ubiquitous crowds that travelers to India often report. That should change now, because on the small bridge over the river Ken I reached the state of Uttar Pradesh. This area is roughly the size of the United Kingdom, but its population density is greater than that of Berlin! I could never imagine what the bustling Ganges plain looks like, let alone how to cross it by bicycle. The first impression of Uttar Pradesh was actually a significant increase in traffic on the country roads, which also includes significantly more local cyclists. So bicycles also have their usual place on the streets here - something that can make cycling in India very pleasant compared to the Middle East and Southeast Europe. The first smaller town in Uttar Pradesh felt louder and fuller than the settlements before it, although this could also be due to selective perception. Unfortunately, the rather cool phase of the last two weeks (up to 35 °C / 95 °F) was now over, which is why I had to adjust to peak temperatures of 42 °C (108 °F) during the day. In concrete terms, this meant that after 1:00 p.m. there was not much left - at least the lion's share of the daily kilometers had to be covered by then. During the day I usually ate samosas, jalebi (an Indian sweet) and bananas, because you can buy them in Uttar Pradesh at stalls every few kilometers. In the evenings I usually wanted to combine the excellent bread “butter naan” with everything possible, but this is not so easy in rural areas, since naan is apparently only allowed to be combined with certain dishes. From time to time the order was actually rejected by the restaurant. But I didn't have this small problem in touristy places, where people don't judge the food wishes of ignorant travelers. After two days walking the south bank of the Ganges, I crossed the river at Varanasi. It is one of the holiest places for Hindus, some of whom come there to die and be cremated. For me, the city was not only one of the most exciting places in India, but of the entire trip so far. The old town rises on a rampart of the Ganges where, due to its elevated position, it is quite well protected against the floods of the monsoon season. Their buildings were primarily laid out 100 to 150 years ago, which is why many of the streets are so narrow that you can only get around on foot, by scooter or even by bicycle. Since in the past rulers from all parts of India sent members of their respective ethnic groups to Varanasi, the city is now a kind of condensed version of all of India. There are districts that are south Indian and those that are north. Accordingly, different languages are spoken in the city. In the streets there are countless small temples and active monasteries, which are hardly recognizable as such for outsiders. The city traffic on the (few) larger streets of Varanasi was sometimes extremely tough and due to the narrow streets even more crowded than in Mumbai. The scooter riders squeezed as far forward on the left as possible. Everyone wanted to be first at the bottleneck, like elementary school kids lining up in rows of two. In the end we all waited much longer than necessary because nobody wanted to stay in their lane (I don't want to except that, the driving style rubs off massively...). Varanasi is known for its "Ghats": stairways leading down from the high bank to the water and used for bathing or religious ceremonies. I explored the Ghats on a boat tour from the river. Just before sunset the boat passed Manikarnika Ghat. There were several piles of wood on fire, on which the deceased were being cremated. Two ghats are designated for this in Varanasi. According to belief, the souls of the deceased who are cremated here break the cycle of death and rebirth and reach the state of moksha. Lots of people stood around. Boats like ours passed this place on the water. In contrast to our European culture, where the cremation of the deceased takes place completely in secret, even for most relatives, here it is a normal part of everyday public life. After being washed and treated with various oils by the family at home, the body is carried on a stretcher by relatives to the ghat, where it is bathed in the Ganges. The body dries on the steps of the ghat for about an hour and is then placed on a pile of wood. A small amount of sandalwood or sandalwood powder is sprinkled into the pile. A male relative lights the fire. The cremation takes up to three hours and then the ashes are handed over to the Ganges. On my journey through India, I had often noticed the cremation sites on rivers or on the outskirts of small towns. What is special about Varanasi is the sheer number of cremations performed here, which is why the fires burn 24 hours a day, every day of the year. After sunset the boat went to the Dashashwamedh Ghat where the Ganga Aarti takes place every evening. This ritual honors Lord Shiva and the god Ganges. Five Hindu priests stand side by side on small pedestals and wave torches and large candlesticks with candles to rhythmic music. Countless people watch from land or from the water. Incidentally, traffic on the water is no different than on land: everyone wants to be first and fights hard. Another evening I went ashore to Manikarnika Ghat to have one of the volunteers explain the cremation process to me in detail. The mood at the ghat was neither dark nor gloomy. Relatives carried the body concentrated and composed to the Ganges and then to the woodpile. One should not cry during the cremation, as this would prevent the soul of the deceased from rising. The helpers are very willing to provide detailed information and let visitors participate in what is happening. Then I simply watched the scenery quietly for two hours. It's a difficult place to comprehend for an outsider like me. At the edge of the ghat, locals stand and chat casually, sipping tea and smiling while five meters away the skull of a burning corpse is poked open with a pole to allow the soul to escape. You should come here mentally prepared. Not only Hindu sanctuaries can be visited in Varanasi, one of the most sacred sites for Buddhism is also nearby. In the northeast of Varanasi is the town of Sarnath, which is known for the fact that, according to tradition, Buddha is said to have given his first sermon to his followers there. A huge stupa and the ruins of several temples and monasteries are reminiscent of this. Varanasi was a very special place that I will remember for a long time. It was the first place in India where I also met numerous other tourists from the west - understandable, because in my opinion this city should not be missing on any trip to India. Now I will continue cycling north to pay a short visit to Nepal.

About cycling on this section

City Traffic Mumbai: It's quite special. First of all: if you manage to come to terms with the flow of traffic, it can actually be a lot of fun. You need very good reflexes. Accelerating, sharp swerving, braking, red traffic lights are only recommendations for the ones involved - it's a kind of GTA with TukTuks. One advantage is that Mumbai's road traffic rarely moves much faster than 25 km/h, which is why you can definitely "swim along" on a bicycle. If you want to turn right at larger intersections, it can be helpful to simply hang onto a TukTuk, which is also preparing to turn (or you can stay at the right of the TukTuk and use it as a “shield” against traffic from the left). When navigating, you should stick to medium-sized and larger streets: in Mumbai, I have repeatedly experienced that some of the connections shown in the online maps are actually built over by the corrugated iron shacks of a slum on very small side streets. In India, traffic tends to drive on the left. In practice, however, everyone drives where he or she wants to. On the larger roads with directional lanes, the outer left lane is therefore shared with wrong-way drivers, both in and out of town, who can definitely get on your nerves. In order to give a better impression of the traffic, I simply included some of my 360° videos here. With the appropriate software, the video should also be able to be displayed as a 360° view.

The Country Roads: From Mumbai I followed the major arterial road No. 848 to Bhiwandi in the northeast. This main route is in a miserable state (not even the Green Velo cycle route in eastern Poland had such huge mud puddles) and quite busy, but you can still make steady progress. From Bhiwandi I followed road 160 to Nashik. This road is in much better condition and overall quite pleasant to cycle. From Nashik I then followed smaller side roads via Manmad and Chalisgaon to the Ajanta Caves - and this section turned out to be unexpectedly great cycling! With the exception of small stretches, the roads were in good condition and the traffic, which was not particularly dense, consisted largely of scooters - trucks, buses and cars were the exception rather than the rule on this section. To my surprise, the "pleasure cycling" continued through the entire state of Madhya Pradesh: along the route Khandwa, Bhopal, Sanchi, Sagar, Khajuraho I was mostly on very beautiful and empty small country roads. The supply situation en route was never a problem. I felt like I could get drinks or food every ten kilometers. The assortment of the small village shops was always very limited, which is why I bought e.g. hygiene articles only in bigger cities. I never cooked myself, Indian food is simply too good, too ubiquitous and too cheap for that. I almost always had breakfast on the way, usually at the stalls that sell fresh samosas or the sweet Jalebi. As the population density in the Ganges plain is skyrocketing (roughly four times that of Madhya Pradesh), the country roads in this state are also significantly busier. However, the highway No. 35 to Varanasi that I used was never uncomfortable to cycle, especially since bicycles have a permanent place on the roads due to the very numerous local cyclists. Only the cows felt more willing to take risks on the road, which is why there were a few near-collision with the ruminants.