Mandu

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About a month ago we went on our first trip since being back in India. We took a fourteen and a half hour train up to the northern state of Madhya Pradesh to the town of Mandu. Mandu is known for its relaxing plateau setting and many scattered Moghul ruins. It was told to us that this would be a perfect place to visit during the monsoon season because of the flowing rivers, waterfalls and lush green landscape. Luckily it didn't rain during the days and it was very green and peaceful.

In contrast to many of the other Indian cities that we've visited, Mandu was very quiet with virtually no cars or rickshaws. As we walked through the town, the people were very friendly and it seemed as though we were the only foreigners in Mandu. There was a small town center, and most the of the people lived in huts with mud walls and thatched roofs. Every time was passed a house someone from the inside called to us saying, "bye bye."

Because of the limited number of cars and rickshaws, we decided it was the perfect (and safest) opportunity for us to rent some bicycles to take us from one set of ruins to the next. There were a few small hills that put our lungs to the test, but it was a lot of fun and worth the adventure. Seth was happy that his bike came with a bell, which he liked to ring every time he passed some kids.