Arriving in Aurangabad at 1.30 in the afternoon we left the station concours amid a crowd of Indian faces - standing out a little with our backpacks and pale skin, but causing little more than a ripple, until we stood outside. Immediately we were besieged by tuk tuk drivers "where you wanna go? " was ringing in our ears as we smugly dismissed each one - pointing out that our hotel was next to the station. John frequently telling the persistent tuk tuk drivers that "walking was good enough for Ghandi". A few minutes later we were checking into the Preetam. For £7 a night we weren't expecting the Ritz but were surprised to find that this place had a good standard of decor and all the public areas were cleaned to a high standard, so we were both happy with our choice. Wishing to make the most of the afternoon we hiked off to see what we could find in the neighbourhood. The journey took us along the highway through a couple of neighbourhoods, past groups of pigs, cows, goats and horses, and gave us a glimpse of life here. The atmosphere is currently a hot and dry 35 degrees, so the early start combined with the walk and the heat, resulted in a prolonged afternoon nap for the two of us, before tea and an early night. The following morning it felt like we'd slept on the pavement. The noise from outside persisted well into the early hours and then the honking of the traffic kicked in again at what seemed like 4 o'clock. Guess there are always pros and cons to staying near the transport points, especially on hotels which don't have glass in the corridor windows! The mattress did however provide the perfect platform for some early morning stretches. I'm not sure pocket spring or memory foam are words you're likely to hear In the budget hotel market. John has a long way to go with his Ashanti positions, but inspired by Saddhub figures in the Mumbai museum he is persevering. I'm sure he will be able to get his big toe behind his ear by the end of the trip. We took advantage of the early start and the services of Shaik, one of the hotel's taxi drivers, to get to the Ellora caves 45 minutes away. The 34 caves date back to between 5 & 10 AD having been constructed with hand tools by Buddists, Hindus, and latterly Jains. They form an impressive collection, and have been acknowledged as such by the World Heritage folks. It's just a shame they didn't stipulate that touts and beggars shouldn't be allowed to harass people on the site. We soon discovered that Shaik had his own little mafia in operation, with one of the local retailers- a small shack selling crystals, and basalt ornaments. Soon after arrival one of the brothers from the shop , Asis, came alongside telling us we didn't need a guide. " They don't take you to all the caves" he said. Giving John a guide book he suggested it would make more sense to visit the caves in chronological order. He then disappeared and left us to walk on alone. Relieved that he wasn't going to try and accompany us, and then demand rupees, we meandered around the first 16 caves before needing a toilet break. Now those of you not familiar with the Indian system may also not be aware of the variety of toilets you can encounter. This was one of the more basic variety. Pretty much a small square of porcelain suitably positioned in front of a wall, with a gulley along the back, and two strategically placed foot grids to stop you sliding under the cubicle door. I was surprised to find there wasn't the usual hose, which is always useful to keep things sparklingly fresh and clean, instead just the a small jug and a tap. What more do you need.? Eco friendly- no trees damaged in the process, no limescale under your rim, easy to use providing you've got good quads muscles. I'll try and remember to attach a pic in case I've persuaded you to install one at home. Anyway to return to the tale - we carried on through more caves- John especially enthralled by the carvings and the bat colony's we kept discovering. After 27 I wasn't sure I could take any more, the remaining seven were some distance away so I abandoned the trail, in favour of a trip to the watering hole and left John to it. On the way back I was constantly harangued to buy beads, rocks, carvings etc....all the sellers given the same answer. I don't need it, and I can't carry it anyway. "We can post it" then followed , quickly followed by an even quicker "NO, I still don't want it". As I sat down in the.small cafe to relax in the shade enjoy a mango lolly it was hardly a surprise to find myself being joined by the brother of the guy who had escorted us to the start of the caves. 'Hello, you have met my brother Asis' 'Have I?', ' Yes, we run a shop by the gate. It's family business! Started by my grandmother. We make many things. I have worked here since nine years' and so the conversation went on. Eventually he got up to leave and left me to enjoy the shade. Lolly finished I meandered off, this time to a nearby tree - only to be harangued this time by the same sellers as before, this time selling a range of different goods. Each one getting the same reply. By this time the site entrance was becoming very busy, as people arrived by car, coach and tuk tuk. 'You must be missing many sales by talking to me' I said to the one currently trying to persuade me to buy some crystals. 'oh no, Indians never buy' was his reply. I guess as they only pay 5 rupee admission compared to our 250 (5p versus £2.50) I guess it's pretty unlikely they would shell out 1000 rupees buying a basalt elephant, or bit of crystal rock. The thing that freaked me out most was when Asis's brother kept popping up and telling me which cave John was currently exploring. He seemed impatient that John had not returned, and arranged for Shaik to go and collect him. On their return I hopped in the car, and there was no surprise when the brother jumped in the front and we were taken to his shop. Some of you will already know the tale John tells of the leather Moroccan pouffe. Well having already had experience of this situation, and fuelled by frustration at the continual touting and mafia style tracking tactics I was ready for action. We assumed our good cop, bad cop routine- I'll leave you to decide which one is which. After turning down offers of refreshments and after watching whilst he proceeded to demonstrate some if his "finest products" I stood up to go, insisted I really didn't want to buy anything and left the shop to return to the car. Shaik and the shopkeeper exchanged a few words before he rejoined us and we pulled out onto the road. The journey back was significantly more like Grand Prix than formula three which we had experienced on the way out. Sheik, suitably miffed by his loss of commission seemed to have a death wish. I was impressed that John didn't feel the need to push his feet down hard through the floor pan. At home he comes close to that if I forget to indicate. We sat in the back marvelling at Shaiks ability to stick his hand out of the window at overtaking vehicles who were on his side of the road, without losing so much as a finger nail, never mind an arm. No expletives left his lips as he drove in silence just making these occasional gestures to oncoming drivers. As we approached the town the traffic increased, and frustration at not being able to mobilise the lorries in front led to an interesting bit of off-roading as he careered on the inside, following a couple of tuk tuks over some rough ground, round the traffic. lights and back into the fray. Needless to say we were both very happy to eventually part company with Shaik when we reached the bazaar area- handing over the prearranged 900 rupees, and beating a hasty retreat. We enjoyed our time in Aurangabad, it has a lively vibe, although the burgeoning tourist industry on the back of the World Heritage Ellora and Ajanta caves may lead to an increase in exploitation of tourists rather than a sincere welcome. If you visit be warned that there are lots of drivers who will offer lifts - it's unlikely you will go without a ride, so you can bargain. Whereas in Mumbai they accepted a simple no thanks, here many would persist to try to get you to commission them to take you to the caves. Just make sure you are clear about where you want to go before leaving and have a good idea how you want to get there. The caves are certainly worth a trip, and the best of the caves if you only have time for one cave location.