Heading to Dwarka

 

Last night we stayed in the noisiest town on the planet which may have something to do with why we were up and getting ready to move on so early this morning. We're off to Dwarka on the coast.... this is evidently a very religious place with great significance to the Hindus.

There wasn't too much different to see on the drive apart from the Reliance oil refinery. We could only see it in the distance but it looked like a city skyline... enormous!!!! A whole town with a shopping mall has been set up around it.

The drive into Dwarka was very impressive with the water and the temple. 

Tarun's TomTom lived up to it's reputation and took us to places that cars should never go. It's quite cool driving through these little alley ways and getting up close and personal with the locals and being able to window shop from the car, but as happened today, there comes a time when the car just can't go any further. Again Tarun impressed me with his driving skills, managing to turn the car in an impossible space with a large audience and the help of a couple of locals. Entertainment for the locals as well as me.

We checked into the hotel, Tarun caught up with some cricket, and then we went for a walk to find some food... It was a long walk with no food in sight. Yesterday we were in India's noisiest town and today I think we might be in the quietest . This place is just lovely. Hardly any people round and about and also very few cars and motorbikes.... plenty of cows though, either ambling round the streets or lying in the sun... no one or nothing moves quickly here.

The buildings are old and a bit like some of the old buildings in European towns. It is a bit of a photographers dream and Tarun has been playing tourist and taking lots of photos too... which is good for me as I'm going to have to get them off him as I left my camera charger in Delhi !

 I was lucky enough to see a cremation as we walked along the sea. I had seen smoke from some distance without thinking too much about it, but as we got closer we saw a human chain bringing up buckets of water from the sea to dowse the fire. Couldn't bring myself to take a photo of that.

This is definitely a place that sees few westerners. I was very much a curiosity as I walked around. This is the India I asked Tarun to show me and once again he's given me exactly what I wanted. Everyday brings surprises and shows me the diversity of India.

After a bit of a rest we ventured out again to visit the temple. I love just people watching at these places. The women look so interesting in their saris.

As it got dark we retraced the path along the water that we had taken earlier in the day. There was a bit more action in the cool of the evening. I am really enjoying this town as it has a really nice, peaceful feel to it. We sat for a while on the seawall, watching the people and listening to the music from the temple and the sound of the sea.

Tomorrow we move on again.