To Faradpur: "Where are you from?"

February 25, 2016

"Where are you from? Where are you going?" Questions we are asking, not being asked for a change. Usually we are being asked these questions by a guy on a motorbike riding next to Patrick, or when we have stopped for a break.

We have been seeing foreigners riding unloaded bikes headed in the opposite direction when finally one stopped to talk with us. "They are roadies, I'm a touring cyclist" Bryan jokes when we mention he was the first to stop. He is from Rhode island, the group is with Tour du Afrique that does international rides. This tour is 40 days from Delhi to Goa. (Brian has updated CGOAB blog on his ride through India.) https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?doc_id=16910

We made the 3km climb back up the escarpment to the junction from Aurangabad and continue on to Ajanta. Haze is hanging low, only it's smoke. "Everyone is burning" Patrick says, attributed to India's open garbage system. Garbage waste is tossed in a pile along the road and whatever is not eaten by cows, goats, pigs, dogs, or chickens, gets raked in a pile and burned.

Finally we go through a town that's not so smokey and we stop for a break. Foods change when moving into another region. The potato vada has gone the way of the egg puffs, strange looks and wobble of the head, we try a new dish

of poha. This is a flattened rice stir fried with onion,cilantro and peanuts, at least this was the version we had this morning. Very tasty for second breakfast, not sure we could eat it early morning. Dhaba is another new word appearing on the signs. A dhaba is the name given to the roadside restaurants in India and Pakistan.

The distance is long today, except for the first climb, road stayed pretty much same elevation and then an awesome downhill with a nice view. We go past the entrance to Ajanta caves and continue a km to Faradpur and check into MTDC Tourist resort. At 3 there is a knock on the door asking if we want lunch, so we order a few snack items of finger chips (French fries), pakoda vegetables (veggies in tempura) and Kentucky fried chicken because the waiter said "very very nice".

At dinner,a man talks with us who is a local guide and loans us a book about the caves. It's pretty detailed with dates. We will see the caves tomorrow.

Smokey skies this morning. Everywhere people are burning small piles of garbage, leaves and grass.

The vada's have disappeared. We find poha to be the common breakfast food around here, there is a big pile of it on the tray in the front. We are not quite sure what it is make of, but it tastes good.

Bryan, one of the TDA cyclists stops to talk to us. We are surprised how many of the other cyclists don't even notice us, they are keeping their heads down, eyes on the road and trying to tune out the racket of Indian traffic.

We see camps like these fairly regularly. They are occupied by poor laborers and their families, coming from poorer regions. They either follow agricultural seasons or are found near large projects.

Who needs 911 if you can just call their cell? Trick is remembering the digits.

There is a small chance the stairs will make this structure work seismically....... Any engineers that want to comment?

Today's ride: 105 km (65 miles)
Total: 13,422 km (8,335 miles)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	0
Comment on this entry	Comment	0