There is a lot to write about.
Leading up to my first adventure, I was quite nervous. There were plenty of what-ifs, and far too many, "Oh God where did I put my's." Not long after I got outside the airport, sensory overload took over. Sheet-metal buildings next to modern-looking high rises, an unbelievable number of people wearing clothing I wasn't familiar with, little old British-looking taxi cabs with yellow roofs and motorcycles everywhere, and everyone with a horn is using it, a lot. I started to enjoy myself when we went to the Elephanta Caves.
The Caves -
The Caves are on an island. We got to them on an old, painted wooden ferry. Some of the baseball-stadium-style seats were held together with twine. After getting there, it was sensory overload again. All the way up to the Caves the stairs were lined with shops all selling drinks, trinkets or bags. Stray dogs were walking around and monkeys were climbing on poles. At the top, the caves themselves were impressive, and I learned a lot.
The Caves are dedicated to the god Shiva. He does 3 things, create, protect, and destroy, each of which is represented differently, and in the most important statute, all 3 of his faces are shown. For create, there is a structure that is supposed to represent a body part in male anatomy. For destroy, he is depicted slaying a demon. There is a complex backstory to his life and he Si considered of the larger gods. The Caves temple is considered no longer living, because the Portuguese desecrated the sculptures in the early 1900s, but there is a certain time of year when the temple can still be used as a temple. There were all sorts of people there, including a group of monks that came all the way from Nepal.
When we got back near the hotel, I tried Indian food. Luckily our Indian instructor assisted in ordering the food. Can't say I'm a huge fan, but it wasn't bad. I'm gad that I will be able to see plain old American steak again in the not-too-distant future. Things are starting to look like they are going to go well. I hope things continue to improve.
Leading up to my first adventure, I was quite nervous. There were plenty of what-ifs, and far too many, "Oh God where did I put my's." Not long after I got outside the airport, sensory overload took over. Sheet-metal buildings next to modern-looking high rises, an unbelievable number of people wearing clothing I wasn't familiar with, little old British-looking taxi cabs with yellow roofs and motorcycles everywhere, and everyone with a horn is using it, a lot. I started to enjoy myself when we went to the Elephanta Caves.
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| Some ships from the first day on the way to the Elephants Caves |
The Caves -
The Caves are on an island. We got to them on an old, painted wooden ferry. Some of the baseball-stadium-style seats were held together with twine. After getting there, it was sensory overload again. All the way up to the Caves the stairs were lined with shops all selling drinks, trinkets or bags. Stray dogs were walking around and monkeys were climbing on poles. At the top, the caves themselves were impressive, and I learned a lot.
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| An entrance to the Caves |
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| Statues inside the Caves destroyed by Portuguese soldiers |
The Caves are dedicated to the god Shiva. He does 3 things, create, protect, and destroy, each of which is represented differently, and in the most important statute, all 3 of his faces are shown. For create, there is a structure that is supposed to represent a body part in male anatomy. For destroy, he is depicted slaying a demon. There is a complex backstory to his life and he Si considered of the larger gods. The Caves temple is considered no longer living, because the Portuguese desecrated the sculptures in the early 1900s, but there is a certain time of year when the temple can still be used as a temple. There were all sorts of people there, including a group of monks that came all the way from Nepal.
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| The most important statue at the caves |
When we got back near the hotel, I tried Indian food. Luckily our Indian instructor assisted in ordering the food. Can't say I'm a huge fan, but it wasn't bad. I'm gad that I will be able to see plain old American steak again in the not-too-distant future. Things are starting to look like they are going to go well. I hope things continue to improve.
Awesome review. I almost feel as if I experienced this myself.
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