When our tour agent first mentioned going to see caves, I wasn’t so keen on the idea; but I trusted her judgment. So glad that we did! These are not traditional caves in the way you might think. Rather they are ancient temples & monasteries carved out of solid rock with vibrant, magnificent, imaginative paintings still in their original colors. Needless to say, both sites are UNESCO World Heritage sites

The Ellora Caves are located about an hour drive from Aurangabad.

The temples & monasteries carved out of & into rock were constructed over 350 years in the 6th – 10th Centuries CE. They are hewn out of a vertical rock face stretching over several kilometers. The structures are both Hindu & Buddhist.

They were originally started to provide monks with a safe & dry place to stay on their travels throughout India.

Each cave became more & more intricate. In the first cave our guide did a small chant for us. The acoustics were mesmerizing!

One structure rivals & even surpasses Petra in Jordan & the rock-hewn churches in Lalibela, Ethiopia, in scope, scale, & intricate rock carvings.

The second day we drove 2.5 hours to the Ajanta Caves which are all Buddhist.

After falling into disuse due to constant wars & being covered by the jungle, the caves were rediscovered in 1819 by British Captain John Smith while he was hunting a tiger. Our guide even guided Smith’s great, great grandson to this site a few years ago.

The caves are cut from & into a rock wall in a horseshoe- shaped gorge. There are 30 caves here; but, many are unfinished because the sponsoring king died which meant funding stopped to finish the caves.

Unlike the Ellora Caves, many caves have paintings on their walls & ceilings that depict Buddha’s life & teachings. Because the paints were made from minerals, they have lasted 1,500 years & have never been repainted or touched up.

Even though they were smaller in size than the Ellora Caves, the structures carved from stone were just as beautiful.

Our guide told us that when they were in use, each cave would be occupied with monks & their followers.

Then, we tried to get enlightened & follow a monk’s life.

Or, maybe just be a little crazy.

We were once again very fortunate to have a kind & knowledgeable guide. He was able to explain the meaning behind many carvings & paintings as well as explain how these caves were carved with simple explanations. I feel I now understand Hinduism a little better. I know I enjoyed each site more with his knowledgeable background.

We enjoyed the best Indian biryani at our hotel in Aurangabad. When I told the chef it was the best biryani we ever had, he wanted to get his picture with us. He also gave me my new favorite snack food Bhakarwadi to take along on our trip.

For an extremely relaxing 20 hours we had our own houseboat to cruise the lagoon, river, & canal backwaters south of Cochin.

It took our driver about 2 hours to drive us to Allepey. Along the way we passed many small villages with short glimpses through the palm trees revealing sandy beaches along the Indian Ocean.

I saw a sign that said “Hot Chips.” I asked our driver what it meant & he said, “banana chips.” I thought it sounded like a great place to get some local junk food, so we stopped. Every thing we sampled tasted good; but, I only picked two kinds.

Once we arrived, a small power boat shuttled us to our private houseboat.

Over the next day, we enjoyed wonderful local meals & time to relax without all the loud, hustle bustle in the city.

A three man crew took care of us.

The view was always interesting.

We made one stop where we saw the oldest church in India which was founded in 427 CE during the Roman Empire.

About 2% of Indians are Christians; but, the % is much higher along the coast in Kerala due to the long European influence. We saw many churches on our drive to & from the houseboat.

It was a wonderful & peaceful way to wake up with a cup of tea.

Great experience.

Our next stop in India was historical, coastal city Cochin on the Arabian Sea (Indian Ocean). It is located in the southern Indian state Kerala.

This port city dates back to Roman times; but, a major change occurred in 1498 when the Portuguese arrived opening a direct sea route between Europe and India to export spices. Unlike Columbus 6 years earlier who thought he sailed to India, the sea route to India was established.

Even today Kerala is known to grow the world’s best cinnamon, cloves, & black pepper.

Today it is a thriving port city inviting cruise ships with many Western tourists. Unlike in previous places we visited, we are unremarkable to the locals, so, alas, our 15 minutes of fame has expired. 🤪🤣

Our hotel is located inside the original Portuguese fort that was later taken over by the Dutch, then the British.

Touring around the old fort, we visited Saint Francis Church which is the oldest European Catholic Church in India.

After seeing the church, we walked to the nearby coastline & saw the Chinese fishing nets that are lowered to catch the fish and raised for collection.

On our first morning, we visited a fish market & saw fishermen bringing in their fresh catch of the day.

An interesting site was the location where both hotels & locals bring their linens & clothes to be washed, dried, & pressed.

With many tourists there is no shortage of shopping in what is called “Jew Town”. It got its name because many Jewish people once lived here; but, now their homes are shops, hotels, & restaurants.

Jew Town also has many spice shops where you can buy the many spices grown in Kerala.

Not far from our hotel, I enjoyed shopping for a new summer dress & walked out with three for $20 each.

Besides finding clothes at a bargain price, you can also have alterations done quickly for a small amount. A skirt I bought a few weeks ago was too long. In 10 minutes it was altered & ready to go for only $3.50.

One highlight in Cochin was the Great K V Kathakali Theater where we enjoyed two performances.

The first was the traditional Kathakali Dance. The word “Kathakali” is derived from the Sanskrit words “Katha” which means “story” & “kali” which means “to play or perform”.

We arrived early enough to see the three main actors who were all men putting on their makeup.

At the beginning, one actor along with an explanation by an English interpreter showed the audience the variety of feelings she (played by a man) was able to portray with her facial expressions.

Every quiver of the lips, flicker of the eyes, & facial expression has great significance so they call this performing “eye dancing.

After the demonstration & explanatory comments, they put on a short play based on Indian lore involving lust, love, deception, & anger with a bit of violence thrown in. Just like your typical Hollywood blockbuster. 😂

The second performance we saw was a small classical Indian dance performance.

Here are a few more sights & memories from Cochin.