Mon 8 Dec Bhopal
Our hotel breakfast today consists of poha and paratha and tea. The potato filled paratha, with a side of "curd" (yogurt) reminds Carol of latkes and sour cream. She is irritated because every interesting museum in Bhopal is closed on Mondays. We had about 1 1.2 hrs to squeeze in a museum yesterday afternoon, but didn't. So after breakfast we undertake a walk of 1.5 km or so to the Taj-ul Masjid, supposedly the largest in all of India. Since our hotel has a 24-hr check out policy we can still keep the room for a while.
There's still a crush of people on the main street for that Muslim convention so we triangulate. We find a Muslim cemetery nearby, a quiet garden-like place in bustling old-town Bhopal. We can see two large minarets in the distance. Carol proposes that we follow interesting (and 100% no tourist) streets that trend uphill, while looking up to track the minarets.
We reach a major traffic circle with an imposing statue of some ruler (?) or conqueror (?) and eventually make our way to the masjid. You could probably fit 20-30 K worshippers in the courtyard for Friday sermon - maybe a lot more. Today, the huge courtyard is mostly empty. The masjid itself has a center and two wings, all facing west. Inside the masajid (the term for this "mother of all mosques"), we spend time studying a world map with Arabic writing for the location names. Near one doorway is a list of do's and don'ts: among them - "Maintaining Good Smell".
Near the mosque is a body of water; older men throw bread to the fish. We catch the SR5 bus back to our neighborhood. We do a final pack and check out - storing our bags by the front desk. We have about 3 hrs to kill on the internet.
Then out to Manohar. It is 1500 - time to stuff ourselves, because we have a long bus ride ahead. Carol orders a South Indian plate, with vada and udappam. Great. Mike gets a veg pizza. The Indian pizzas rate about a C+. Carol will really miss this restaurant, as much for the wonderful mix of clientele as for the food, drinks and sweets. There's something very nice about sitting with white-clad Muslims, turbaned Sikhs, sari-wearing women, hip kids with their electronica. Lots of families, too. We look at all the sweets but don't buy. However, Carol asks for a lidded plastic container. After all, we have a long bus ride ahead.
At 1615 we grab a rickshaw. The driver wants 150 R "because it is 11 km to Newmarket". Mike pulls out the bus ticket from the day before showing the mileage as only 4+ km. We settle on 100 R for the fare.
We are at the Hans bus at 1635. Packs are stored underneath. We have bunk seats 13 and 14, which are both lower. Four young Aussies who are also headed to Aurangabad are several rows behind us.
Off we go at 1700. This bus is very nice - bedding, warm blankets and big pillows. And, wonder of wonders, there is a restroom onboard for women (the sign says "urain only"). The chatter ceases after a while and we get in some sleep. The bus heads westward.
At about 2100 we are in Indore - here we change buses. This is a major transfer point for all the Hans Travel buses (after all, Hans Travel is based in Indore). We are about to get on the Pune bus - luckily, someone intervenes. Quick, grab our luggage. Our correct bus is still across the street, revving its engines. So we run, load our bags once more, and hop on for the long ride south to Aurangabad.
Our hotel breakfast today consists of poha and paratha and tea. The potato filled paratha, with a side of "curd" (yogurt) reminds Carol of latkes and sour cream. She is irritated because every interesting museum in Bhopal is closed on Mondays. We had about 1 1.2 hrs to squeeze in a museum yesterday afternoon, but didn't. So after breakfast we undertake a walk of 1.5 km or so to the Taj-ul Masjid, supposedly the largest in all of India. Since our hotel has a 24-hr check out policy we can still keep the room for a while.
There's still a crush of people on the main street for that Muslim convention so we triangulate. We find a Muslim cemetery nearby, a quiet garden-like place in bustling old-town Bhopal. We can see two large minarets in the distance. Carol proposes that we follow interesting (and 100% no tourist) streets that trend uphill, while looking up to track the minarets.
We reach a major traffic circle with an imposing statue of some ruler (?) or conqueror (?) and eventually make our way to the masjid. You could probably fit 20-30 K worshippers in the courtyard for Friday sermon - maybe a lot more. Today, the huge courtyard is mostly empty. The masjid itself has a center and two wings, all facing west. Inside the masajid (the term for this "mother of all mosques"), we spend time studying a world map with Arabic writing for the location names. Near one doorway is a list of do's and don'ts: among them - "Maintaining Good Smell".
Near the mosque is a body of water; older men throw bread to the fish. We catch the SR5 bus back to our neighborhood. We do a final pack and check out - storing our bags by the front desk. We have about 3 hrs to kill on the internet.
Then out to Manohar. It is 1500 - time to stuff ourselves, because we have a long bus ride ahead. Carol orders a South Indian plate, with vada and udappam. Great. Mike gets a veg pizza. The Indian pizzas rate about a C+. Carol will really miss this restaurant, as much for the wonderful mix of clientele as for the food, drinks and sweets. There's something very nice about sitting with white-clad Muslims, turbaned Sikhs, sari-wearing women, hip kids with their electronica. Lots of families, too. We look at all the sweets but don't buy. However, Carol asks for a lidded plastic container. After all, we have a long bus ride ahead.
At 1615 we grab a rickshaw. The driver wants 150 R "because it is 11 km to Newmarket". Mike pulls out the bus ticket from the day before showing the mileage as only 4+ km. We settle on 100 R for the fare.
We are at the Hans bus at 1635. Packs are stored underneath. We have bunk seats 13 and 14, which are both lower. Four young Aussies who are also headed to Aurangabad are several rows behind us.
Off we go at 1700. This bus is very nice - bedding, warm blankets and big pillows. And, wonder of wonders, there is a restroom onboard for women (the sign says "urain only"). The chatter ceases after a while and we get in some sleep. The bus heads westward.
At about 2100 we are in Indore - here we change buses. This is a major transfer point for all the Hans Travel buses (after all, Hans Travel is based in Indore). We are about to get on the Pune bus - luckily, someone intervenes. Quick, grab our luggage. Our correct bus is still across the street, revving its engines. So we run, load our bags once more, and hop on for the long ride south to Aurangabad.
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