Hail that is. It’s not often you get to shelter from a hail storm in a cave temple carved out of a cliff face 2300 years ago. Took a local bus to Ajanta caves and wandered round taking photos (will post when I can get to a computer with a working CD drive) and listening in on other peoples guides (I move too slowly for them).
Watching Korean tourists postrate themselves on the floor of the cave in front of a Buddha Stupa and some Japanese monks pass themselves off as Indian residents to get the cheap price added to what was a very interesting day.
The famous Ajanta wall paintings are great, but it’s the ceilings and pillars that are the most amazing. Buddhist baroque is a riot of flowers, fruit and fat people. Each image not quite contained by the painted cell it inhabits. Leaves break out across the ceiling, faces are hidden in the shape of vegetables and deer leap from beam to beam.
Tomorrow I’m off to Ellora where a friendly co-passenger of the bus back from Ajanta says I should do a ritual that will guarantee Amitabh Bachchan plays the role of Rajiv in the film. His response makes me feel the film could be big in India, he liked the story but felt it needed more ‘heart’ like King Kong.
Maybe you should quit the film and do one of those exciting realty travel shows. (You may need a fake English accent though!)
I once thought of having a TV show where I would travel the world having dinner with families in different cities, villages, tents wherever. I would make witty, insightful conversation with my fake English accent and reveal that actually we’re all just Kiwi’s at heart.