At Hampi there's a group of around 20 caves all carved into the side of an outcrop of rock. Getting there involved a 7 hour train journey from Mumbai then 45 mins on a local bus. We couldn't get hold of AC tickets but were told we could book a seat in the standard carriage. The train left Mumbai at 6 in the morning so was nice and quiet. However the return departed in the middle of the afternoon and was one of the most scary train rides I've ever been on. Basically on the standard carriage everyone just squeezes on until there is literally no more room. The photo of the sitting woman gives a rough idea of how rammed the train was. The only place left to sit was between the rows of seats, on top of Lauren's feet. This is where she spent the 7 hour journey. At one point i considered sticking my head out of the open window (or door) to see if there really was anyone on the roof. I don't think I'll be complaning about the commute on Arriva Trains again.
But the 14 hour round trip was worth it. The caves were stunning. Its difficult to get an impression of the scale from the photos. Hard to believe they were all carved straight out of the rock.
A quick stop at Hospet for lunch before the train. Ended up having one of the best curries I've ever tasted. Simple curry sauce with balls of cheese.
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