Next stop....Bangalore, then Bhubaneshwar!

So, I decided I wanted to go to Bhubaneshwar mostly because of the sound of the name, and because I thought I could probably handle a 30-hour train ride but probably wouldn't be able to pull 2 nights on the train and a 37+ hour train ride all the way to Calcutta.
So, perfect, I'll try to spend the minimum in Bangalore, my least favorite Indian city (probably only because I've never been in Chennai, tee hee) and head straight across the Indian sub-continent! That's right, crossing the whole country by train.
The fun part of trains in India is just about everything. The color of the stations, the noise of the train on the tracks, the wallahs who come up on the train at the stops to sell chai, chili-sprinkled fresh cucumbers, fried chat, dosa, fried peanuts, all the food you want and don't want to eat! Then there's seeing the landscape pass by, drifting off to sleep, listening to music, puttering around on your berth and slyly glancing at the other car companions while they aren't looking to figure out what they're doing on such a long train ride.
So, what's to see in Bhubaneshwar? Well, it's the capital of Orissa at somewhere between 1 and 2 million people, and supposed to be "the City of Temples". That's nice, because I like visiting temples. Lots of old ones. Also, nearby, there's a site with a bunch of ancient caves with cave paintings and then also ancient (or late medieval) cave temples. So, I also thought it was worth a stop to sample the Orissan food, which is reputed to be good, and you know me, I don't want to miss an opportunity to miss a different cuisine. Let's see if I notice any differences from other Indian cuisines.
And here's a picture of my rose from Jimmy, the Belgian. He's probably happily meditating on his own rose as I type.
Maybe later I'll inform you about my Satchitananda Ashram excursions!