Unwritten Bhopal - Sanchi - Madhya Pradesh

And then I finally treated myself to first class on an Indian train, which was actually extravagant. Because this journey from Jhansi to Bhopal only took 4 hours but I had only this one ticket left to choose from. Except maybe in the General Class, but I wanted to indulge in this luxury for 15 euros.

After 4 hours of travel at 1 o'clock, the "NZN JPB SUP EXP" reached Bhopal. As usual, I was once again received by several rickshaw drivers (even in the middle of the night). One won and he quickly brought me to the nearby hotel. The staff slept soundly near the reception as usual, so they peeled themselves out of their sleep and performed the quick check-in, even in the middle of the night, with Indian thoroughness. So with an entry in the huge book of every reception and a copy of the passport, of course.

In the morning, I immediately went to the "Nandra" bus station, which was a 10-minute walk away, and was blocked there. There's a bus at 5 o'clock! What? I asked twice more and it was always the same. Well then, I should walk to the train station and ask about a possible train. After 10 minutes of walking, the light bulb went off. Why the hell am I asking here all the time for a bus to Satna (that was days ago and far away), I want to go to Sanchi. I walked back and as soon as I arrived, I boarded the yellow local bus that took me to Sanchi, 40 km away, in 90 minutes.

First, I decided to have a fruit salad at the next fruit vendor, a little refreshment. Then I paid the entrance ticket of 600 rupees (40 rupees for Indians as always) and set off for the small climb up the hill on the edge of Sanchi. Up here, Buddha was on the program again, There are a few very old stupas up here, which have been beautifully restored, and besides me and a few Indians, apparently few tourists stray here. Scattered all over the hill, there is also an old monastery, unfortunately only the foundations remain, but you can still imagine its former size.

On the way down, I visited the corresponding museum and then took a rickshaw to the Udaigiri (Jain) caves. Jain monks used to live here. These are scattered on a hill in the middle of the wide landscape on the edge of a small village.

Back in Sanchi, I waited for the bus back to Bhopal, during which a young Indian approached me (small talk). Then I saw a car stop and he talked to the driver, he turned back to me and said, come on, get in, we'll go by car, the price is the same as with the bus, 50 rupees (61 cents / 40 km).

Back in Bhopal, I walked to the hotel and noticed that around my hotel the hustle and bustle doesn't start until the afternoon, the large quiet streets have now become a big bazaar with 1000 stands and 10000 motorcycles narrowing the way.

The next day I didn't really have a plan, the only thing I knew about the city was a major disaster in 1984. It happened in a fertilizer factory operated by the USA, which wanted to save 70 USD per day by cooling, but a gas leak occurred in the middle of the night, spreading over the entire city. Many people suffocated in the cloud or were immediately blinded (without warning). The consequences can still be felt today, even leading to deformities in newborns.

As a sightseeing point, I discovered 2 large lakes in the heart of the city. I simply walked in that direction and discovered some beautiful old buildings and mosques, which of course I immediately took out my camera for, a nice stroll. In the late afternoon, I took another walk near the hotel through the bazaar. Like yesterday, I stopped at a wok stand that prepared delicious and especially very large noodle dishes for 30 rupees (37 cents). And later, I took a rickshaw with many funny photo interruptions (even in the middle of the main road at the traffic light) to the airport.