Orchha

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164_6445-4.JPGThe bus ride from Khajuraho was infinitely better than the bus ride there. This is mainly due to the fact that we made sure to catch one of the two government buses that departed Khajuraho daily (of five total). Although the bus was in worse condition than the one we arrived in and it seemed that it literally just fall apart every time we hit a bump or pothole, it was much more comfortable. We stopped picking up passengers once the seats were full, we only stopped a few times, and we departed and arrived on time (which is a miracle for any bus in India, nice or not).

 

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MP Highway

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Dusty Indian Town

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Typical Bus Stop

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Common scenery in MP

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Our relatively nice bus

            A small town of only 8000, Orchha was easy to navigate. The town had about a dozen budget hotels, all extremely basic. Having traveled with Joylani for a few months now, I knew the number one thing to look for in a room was possible bug-entry points. We settled on the cleanest of the limited selection of rooms. I was glad we did because Orchha was full of insects. From dusk onwards, the town was filled with giant grasshoppers and crickets. Like 3-4 inch grasshoppers that were everywhere. They’d fly through the air and smack your legs, torso, and head/neck. We tried to eat at indoor places for dinner, because we’d be attacked by grasshoppers otherwise. It was like a movie or something, the number of grasshoppers. Luckily in our room, only one got in, which I was able to get outside. Other than that, I only killed a handful of crickets and a few mosquitoes (although they got me good). I think the extremely fat gecko in our room took care of the rest.

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ruins in field

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villagers crowding around a stall to watch a movie

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windows in Orchha Palace

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Orchha Palace

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Renovations at Orchha Palace

            Aside from the bugs, Orchha was a cool place. It was extremely small and kind of boring, but the ruins were cool. They were everywhere and could be seen in every direction; towers rising out of fields of crops, crumbling walls and ramparts all over the hills, as well as the preserved ruins in town. Even the preserved ruins were in a state of disrepair, which had its pluses and minuses. On one hand, the ruins are really ruined, with barely any of the original colors, decorations, or even details left. On the other hand, its cool because they aren’t restored and they’re largely still undiscovered. Grasses and plants growing out of the domes and walls, lime-green parrots and man-sized vultures (Orchha had BIG animals) nest in the tops, and bushes block entry to many doors. Up on the ramparts (several stories high), Joylani and decided not to walk on several of the walkways, as parts of them were crumbling and other parts had fallen completely off. Plus, the ruins were not very touristed and we had the place largely to ourselves to explore. We saw one other foreign couple and a half-dozen Indian tourists the whole time we were there. It was incredibly cool.

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