Jalgaon: First Impressions of India
30 July 2010
We arrived in the city of Jalgaon last night about ten. The 7 hour train ride from Mumbai was air conditioned and restful. Jean and I managed to take the edge off our fatigue incurred from the previous sleepless night. Jalgaon is a small place by Indian standards with a population of around 1/3 of a million. We found a hopeful looking accommodation called Hotel Plaza in our Lonely Planet guide that was a mere 100 yards from the train station.
Stepping into the cozy lobby we were met by the effusive clerk/owner Mr. Chaatrasen. He was a dark haired middle-aged man wearing a white kaftan and loose trousers. We confirmed that we had called from the train and yes, we would like a room. However, Chaatrasen was insistent that we inspect his hotel before we decide to stay.
Setting our bags down he whisked us off. We started off with the palatial air-conditioned room for 1000 rupees ($22-24) a night. From there would toured another 3 or 4 other rooms ranging from 500-800 rupees a night. Chaatrasen struck me as being very meticulous and proud of his establishment. He and his father had been in business 20 years and operated it as his home. Arriving at a room, we would take a look from the doorway but he demanded that inspect each room carefully.
"Look at bathroom! Look at the bathroom!" He would say ushering us inside each room.
All rooms were spotlessly clean, with good showers, TV sets and most importantly high powered fans. We decided on a room at the back for 500 rupees (550 with Tax)]
We returned to the lobby where Mr. Chaatrasen inquired as to what our travel plans were. We admitted that currently our plans were a bit fuzzy but we wanted to see the Buddhist Cave Temples at Ajunta. He suggested that addition to the cave temples at Ajunta we try visiting the Ellora caves too. We had four days before our next train. Chaatrasen withdrew a notepad and began scribbling notes. He suggested we leave the hotel at 6:40 to catch the 7 am bus to Ajunta some 60 kilometers away. See the caves there. Catch a bus from there to Aurangabad 100 kilometers from Ajunta. Stay the night in Aurangabad. Take a bus to the Ellora caves 100 km from the Aurangabad. See those caves and bus back to Aurangabad for the night. Then bus the 160 kilometers back to Jalgaon, spend the night and catch our train to Agra the next day.
The plan was fantastic and he obviously knew his stuff. Finishing he turned his piece of note paper over and drew a map of area around the hotel with places to eat and use the internet. Finishing he gave me the piece of note paper detailed with where we needed to catch buses, disembark from buses what we should pay et cetera, et cetera.
After receiving the tour, getting extremely detailed travel plans, a map, unpack, and shower it was well past midnight before we curled up on the silky gray sheets that the proprietor and our host was so proud of.
When our watches started beeping at 6am Jean and I decided that one set of caves would probably do and we could give Ellora a miss. We didn't stir until mid-morning and didn't leave the Hotel Plaza until after noon. We stepped off into the bustling hubbub of horns and engine throttles. Our hotel is within sight of the train station so we didn't see much of the town last night other than a small army of auto-rickshaws spewing blue exhaust as they picked up passengers.
The day was warm and muggy. A stream of Auto-rickshaws and motorcycles sped up and down the divided slick, wet street in front our hotel tooting their horns. We turned up the street and began walking toward a statue at the roads' nexus (the first landmark on our hand drawn map)
The first thing I noticed was that pedestrians walk in the street. Sidewalk space is either non-existent, in bad repair making it impassable, or taken up by street vendors or used for motorcycle/moped parking. Loads of people share the roads with bicycles, motorcycles, auto-rickshaws, and cars as they weave in out of traffic.
It was terrifying at first. If I was walking with traffic I couldn't help continually looking over my shoulder. Crossing the street was a whole other deal entirely but as the trip to the restaurant involved a left turn and then another left it wasn't something we had to deal with.
We overshot the restaurant at first and ended up in a vibrant yet sad park. It was lush and green but contained a fair number of denizens who I had a feeling had no other place to go.
We doubled back, found the Arya restaurant. We ordered several different entrees from their prodigious menu. I don't have much experience with Indian food but I was blown away by the richness of flavor. Service was also fantastic and the whole meal cost us the equivalent of $5. We wandered around town a bit afterwards until we found a movie theatre advertising that it had A/C. As we were both damp with sweat we inquired at the ticket office. There was one movie showing Khatta Meetha and it started in 15 minutes. I bought two tickets.
It was all in Hindi but the story was fairly easy to follow. The handsome and hapless owner of a contracting company stumbles upon a bribery conspiracy involving the road works administration. Meanwhile, he falls in love with the daughter of a man's house who his bumbling employees manage to steam roll over. There's a poor quality CG elephant and of course lots of singing and dancing.
All in all my impressions of India have improved dramatically.
We arrived in the city of Jalgaon last night about ten. The 7 hour train ride from Mumbai was air conditioned and restful. Jean and I managed to take the edge off our fatigue incurred from the previous sleepless night. Jalgaon is a small place by Indian standards with a population of around 1/3 of a million. We found a hopeful looking accommodation called Hotel Plaza in our Lonely Planet guide that was a mere 100 yards from the train station.
Stepping into the cozy lobby we were met by the effusive clerk/owner Mr. Chaatrasen. He was a dark haired middle-aged man wearing a white kaftan and loose trousers. We confirmed that we had called from the train and yes, we would like a room. However, Chaatrasen was insistent that we inspect his hotel before we decide to stay.
Setting our bags down he whisked us off. We started off with the palatial air-conditioned room for 1000 rupees ($22-24) a night. From there would toured another 3 or 4 other rooms ranging from 500-800 rupees a night. Chaatrasen struck me as being very meticulous and proud of his establishment. He and his father had been in business 20 years and operated it as his home. Arriving at a room, we would take a look from the doorway but he demanded that inspect each room carefully.
"Look at bathroom! Look at the bathroom!" He would say ushering us inside each room.
All rooms were spotlessly clean, with good showers, TV sets and most importantly high powered fans. We decided on a room at the back for 500 rupees (550 with Tax)]
We returned to the lobby where Mr. Chaatrasen inquired as to what our travel plans were. We admitted that currently our plans were a bit fuzzy but we wanted to see the Buddhist Cave Temples at Ajunta. He suggested that addition to the cave temples at Ajunta we try visiting the Ellora caves too. We had four days before our next train. Chaatrasen withdrew a notepad and began scribbling notes. He suggested we leave the hotel at 6:40 to catch the 7 am bus to Ajunta some 60 kilometers away. See the caves there. Catch a bus from there to Aurangabad 100 kilometers from Ajunta. Stay the night in Aurangabad. Take a bus to the Ellora caves 100 km from the Aurangabad. See those caves and bus back to Aurangabad for the night. Then bus the 160 kilometers back to Jalgaon, spend the night and catch our train to Agra the next day.
The plan was fantastic and he obviously knew his stuff. Finishing he turned his piece of note paper over and drew a map of area around the hotel with places to eat and use the internet. Finishing he gave me the piece of note paper detailed with where we needed to catch buses, disembark from buses what we should pay et cetera, et cetera.
After receiving the tour, getting extremely detailed travel plans, a map, unpack, and shower it was well past midnight before we curled up on the silky gray sheets that the proprietor and our host was so proud of.
When our watches started beeping at 6am Jean and I decided that one set of caves would probably do and we could give Ellora a miss. We didn't stir until mid-morning and didn't leave the Hotel Plaza until after noon. We stepped off into the bustling hubbub of horns and engine throttles. Our hotel is within sight of the train station so we didn't see much of the town last night other than a small army of auto-rickshaws spewing blue exhaust as they picked up passengers.
The day was warm and muggy. A stream of Auto-rickshaws and motorcycles sped up and down the divided slick, wet street in front our hotel tooting their horns. We turned up the street and began walking toward a statue at the roads' nexus (the first landmark on our hand drawn map)
The first thing I noticed was that pedestrians walk in the street. Sidewalk space is either non-existent, in bad repair making it impassable, or taken up by street vendors or used for motorcycle/moped parking. Loads of people share the roads with bicycles, motorcycles, auto-rickshaws, and cars as they weave in out of traffic.
It was terrifying at first. If I was walking with traffic I couldn't help continually looking over my shoulder. Crossing the street was a whole other deal entirely but as the trip to the restaurant involved a left turn and then another left it wasn't something we had to deal with.
We overshot the restaurant at first and ended up in a vibrant yet sad park. It was lush and green but contained a fair number of denizens who I had a feeling had no other place to go.
We doubled back, found the Arya restaurant. We ordered several different entrees from their prodigious menu. I don't have much experience with Indian food but I was blown away by the richness of flavor. Service was also fantastic and the whole meal cost us the equivalent of $5. We wandered around town a bit afterwards until we found a movie theatre advertising that it had A/C. As we were both damp with sweat we inquired at the ticket office. There was one movie showing Khatta Meetha and it started in 15 minutes. I bought two tickets.
It was all in Hindi but the story was fairly easy to follow. The handsome and hapless owner of a contracting company stumbles upon a bribery conspiracy involving the road works administration. Meanwhile, he falls in love with the daughter of a man's house who his bumbling employees manage to steam roll over. There's a poor quality CG elephant and of course lots of singing and dancing.
All in all my impressions of India have improved dramatically.
Comments