Aurangabad Afternoon

Completing a trilogy that started with my “Gone to Goa Post”, then with my “Daring to Defy Darjeeling” and now I’m gonna wrap up blogging about my last year's trips across India (that originally began with my “Hooray for Hyderabad” post, even though I’m currently stationed there), so today, allow me to share with y’all about my last year in Aurangabad.  

Let’s shortly start off with these temples (Pictures: Top Center), fancy aren’t they (yep, having that “templed-bored feeling again, just like what happened in my final days in Egypt and this was before my Egyptian trip months later, read more about that in my “The Egyptian Expedition Post”) 

  

Of the 3 other cities of India that I traveled to last year, Aurangabad was the hottest (hotter than the beaches of Goa), but it features some interesting temples located on the side of mountains, stone-carved elephants, long dragon cannons, and even encountered some bats while walking inside a narrow passage (as well as witness this “unlikely animal friendship” between a bird and a squirrel, in India as well as in Nepal, the squirrels of the city resemble a bit like chipmunks, but int he jungle, I’ve had a brief encounter with Black Monkey-sized Squirrels, but that was back in Nepal and I don’t have a picture).    

The most popular animals within all of India (outside of Hyderabad) are the Langurs (Pictures: Bottom Center), they are the only creatures (besides the little critters) that are able to cope with these harsh heated conditions (I remember spotting a small troop in Goa). So, always remember, when walking around temple areas populated with Monkeys, make sure you don’t have any food or water, if you don’t have any of that then you’re in the clear, otherwise they’ll come at you (though in Africa, I’ve read about Baboons literally charging at humans and grabbing their belongings in a violent manner). 

If you don’t believe me, just watch this video and see for yourself:

But everybody should be smart enough about what to do in case you’ve confronted by a wild animal, but as long as you don’t provoke them and them plenty of space, they’ll back off, but if you have food or water, better keep that in your packs and not so much in the open, otherwise (yeah) you’ll definitely attract the Monkeys (and that’s definitely the wrong kind of crowd to wanna attract)...       

(Perfect song for these Monkeys)

Once again, during my trip to Aurangabad, we encounter once more ancient tombs, temples, and statues of people elephants (Pictures: Bottom Center), several of them (including the elephant statues) were badly damaged, though it would be right to try and fix them, that'll be like disturbing ancient ruins that were made many, many, many years ago, carved in a very old-fashion style. Plus, as you can see, when I and my parents were walking, we could get a glimpse of the other side of the mountain area, which included other hidden temples alongside the mountains, but the walk was so long, every passing minute I was dying of thirst, it reminded too much of my Summer Band Camp years, but this trip did prepare me for my trip to Egypt months later that same year, (read more about that in my  “Egyptian Expedition” Post) 

  

(This is a theme that goes on in every stray dog’s mind when looking for water)     

And judging by these ruins, anybody would think my time in Aurangabad would be similar to “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”, well…you thought terribly wrong

(Anything Goes…Expect in Aurangabad, but the Heat) 

The only relief from the heat was whenever alongside the mountain temple area whenever we were inside the caves, saved by the coolness from within these caverns…  

On our 2nd to-last day in Aurangabad, my parents and I just decided to remain over at our hotel (as it was extremely too hot), so we just chilled in our rooms, swam in the pool, got haircuts and a massage (some barbershops in India or Nepal would get their customers head/neck massages). Months later, My Piano Teacher and her family would go on vacation in Aurangabad and go through the same experience that I did (or maybe they did things a bit differently, but still had to deal with unbearable heat conditions).   

Thus, having traveled to 3 different Indian cities during my time in Hyderabad, I guess you can (almost) say that I (nearly) traveled all over India itself and was ready to hightail it…

(Ethan Stranger Signs off…with Pi’s Lullaby)