Orchaa

It's been just over two weeks since Agra but it feels like so long ago when I think of everything in between.

I'm in Kathmandu, Nepal, finally escaping the heat wave that is enveloping Northern India. It's hotter than anywhere else in the world from what I could see from the BBC World weather. When I decided to come to India at this time of year, I thought it would be too hot to go South so I would venture North to the mountains instead. But having wanted to go to Varanasi, and getting distracted en route via Orchha and Khajuraho, I found myself in temperatures that exceeded the South anyway.

The heat increased with each stop on my journey. By the time I got to Varanasi, the humidity was just the cherry on the cake as to how ridiculously hot it was - mid 40s. And it gets even hotter in May and June. Nearly 50 degrees. I can't imagine. After a while though, you do get somewhat accustomed to it. Or at least, just know not to make any sudden movements.

Orchha was very chilled in spite of the heat. It is a small village on the side of a river opposite a rather majestic old Fort along with ruins galore. There is actually a hotel and restaurant that is inside the old palace - beautifully decorated (I had them show me one of the rooms) and really reasonably priced considering it is literally palatial. One of those 'some day I'll come back and treat myself' situations. The village also houses a number of worthwhile sights - temples, and more temples basically - you can buy one ticket to see them all in one day. The architecture was really stunning and it was extraordinary that this relatively small place had this backdrop of so many amazing structures. This is the sweetest smelling place I have yet to find in India. Bougainvillea, jasmine and butterflies.



Amy and Tom (the two English people who had suggested Orchaa to me at Agra train station) ended up being not only on the same train as me, but in the same carriage. So naturally, by the end of the journey we had struck up conversation and I ended up travelling with them for about a week. The Betwa resort, where they were staying in Orchaa, had a pool! A blissful respite from the heat.

Orchaa was also a relief for the relative lack of harassment - the most hassle I got was from the hoards of children that seems to instantly materialise when I started to hand out biscuits. I had come prepared as the day before I had be coerced into buying ice creams for about six of them, before making a hasty retreat, much to the dismay of the late-comers.



I planned to stay three days, but in the end opted to travel with Tom and Amy who were booked on a late train to Khajuraho from Jhansi on the third night. Jhansi is about 18 km from Orchaa and we reserved a tuk-tuk to take us there at about 10pm. Our train was supposed to be at 3.30am and having stashed our bags at left luggage, we passed the first five hours amazingly quickly in the refreshment area playing cards. It was a great spot, open 24 hours, in the parking lot outside the main train station, thankfully far enough away from the ridiculously loud train horns that sound through the night. There was a chai stall, an omelette stall and round the other side they were dishing up thalis. Feeling rather pleased that we had managed to pass the time so painlessly, we headed to collect our bags and get situated on the platform, ready for our train. Of course, it being India, the train was delayed another three hours by which point our high spirits were waning as exhaustion crept in. The light was starting to change as the train finally arrived and we happily climbed into our berths to sleep through the seven hour journey to Khajuraho.