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Published: February 21st 2008
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It seems like over a week since the last blog, so much to catch up on! I am currently relaxing in lovely lovely Kerala, and it seems like the entire journey so far was just a big prelude leading up to this, but more about that later. Blanks to fill.
After the horrendous experience at Bellary, we finally got to Hampi. In what seems like the middle of nowhere in barren middle-India is an ancient ruined Hindu settlement littered with temples and shrines set amongst astonishing rock formations. A few people I met compared it to Angkor, with its countless ruins and temples. You could spend a while here and discover something new everyday.
We arrived and found ourself a cheap guesthouse. I'm paying 120 rupees a day, that's about £1.50 ..! Plus... looming over the back of the house is the Virupaksha temple to Shiva. Extraordinary historical edifice included in the price!
Also included was a padlock to secure my room. Forget Yale, Samsonite or Antler brands, my padlock was made by Hitler. That's right, Hitlerâ„¢. Am I supposed to feel safe?
The guesthouse doubles up as a mini school. Come the evening, all of downstairs is
Diddy dogs
Nominated for cutest pic 2008! chocked with a rabble of mischievous kids (supposed to be) doing their homework. The place is run by a nice people and you get a real family treatment which I like.
Room itself is agreeable, but the fan is rather badly fitted and clacks in a rhythm that is far too groovy to ignore. At first this was pretty cool and I began tapping my foot in bed. After 4 hours or so of no sleep, the sound began to drill its way into my skull and I had to turn it off. A hot and sticky night of little sleep ensued!
Malaria meds giving me messed up dreams!
Escaping my room and my impending madness, I ventured out into Hampi. The main settlement fittingly named 'Hampi Bazaar' is just that- a massive Bazaar with tourist orientated shops and stalls. Avoiding the rampant commercialization I explored the main temple, walked a while down the river to Krishna temple and Vittalha temple. All ridden with monkeys.
Have seen an astonishing amount of history, and am somewhat impressed, however I do feel like the experience has been wasted on me a little. Perhaps I'm not that appreciative of the history,
however I love the setting and amazing landscape around here. Huge boulders are scattered around the site with no apparent explanation. Walking up the hill at sunset was a great spectacle.
And then, I got the poos. At last! I thought there was something wrong with me! The standards of hygiene here are substantially less spectacular than the setting, and after eating some dodgy cheese on chappati (that I didn't even order!) I got rather wobbly.
Two days were spent in my room with no energy except a little that could only be summoned when it was time to pay an 'offering' to the ceramic shrine. For all other purposes I was incapacitated, and I got to know the ceiling of my room pretty well (and the toilet door!).
I shall spare you the rest of the details!
I was on my (wobbly) feet again by the time we had to move on. Avoiding dairy food like the plague!
Next stop was Mysore. A city famed for its silk, incense and sandalwood. A colourful place but as with all cities, plenty of traffic.
India has made me realise how mind-bendingly much I HATE heavy vehicles with
horns. I want them to die die die rust and rot in hell ihateyouihateyou!!! Cannot take to the streets most of the time without being put permanently on edge and feel like I have come close to being splat sandwich a few times.
If I became prime minister here, first thing I'd do is outlaw vehicles. Well, those with wheels, I got no beef with boats.
Did plenty of shopping in Mysore, it has a colourful market and plenty of shops. I won't say how much I spent...
A friendly chap wearing a rather funky coloured garnment struck up conversation with me at some crossroads while waiting for the traffic. We got walking and talking, and went for lunch, he didn't seem to have an agenda, other than he was bored, it was Sunday and he liked meeting new people!
The amiable chap, named Imran, offered to show me a great place to buy authentic silk so I obliged him. In the auto-rickshaw I inquired as to what was his profession. At first his reply seemed to be the recital of an odd list. It was only when I asked him to repeat I gathered a few of the
The river at Hampi
Was good for reading and passing time items- "charlie, opium, hashish". And that's when I realised I was openly cavorting around town with the local drug dealer. Great.
Felt a little ill-at-ease needless to say when he started getting his wares out just to prove to me (he seemed not to care that we were in public!) Started to wonder whether I should really be hanging around with him!
But he was friendly, and nice to me- can't hold that against him! The silk shop turned out to be quite reasonable and I thanked him for taking the time to show me, made my excuses and left.
A few days passed in Mysore. At this stage I'm still with the Belgians, who I meet up with for meals, but I try to do as much as possible solo. Longing to be alone again, which is strange seeing as I was pretty lonely a week or so back. For some reason knowing that companions are at close proximity means I go into autopilot. Being on your own you are forced to think on your feet and not rely on others. I managed to organise transport to Kochi, my next stop and I am looking forwards to being
alone again!
18th Feb- Pretty hair raising bus ride to Kochi. 11-hours of pure fear! The one thing I regret doing before leaving home was writing a will- Each time I take to India's roads it feels like I'm going to snuff it. Have been in some arse-pounding auto rickshaws (essentially a motorbike with flimsy tin frame attached)- once we squashed 5 people plus 3 hiker's sacks into one and I had to hang out the front for dear life. Quite exhilarating and rather brainless probably-going-to-die-might-as-well-enjoy-it fun. This particular bus ride involved speeding around bendy hilly roads, all through the night. Plenty of horns. Fear. No sleep.
India is a perplexing place. Infuriating sometimes but then uplifting. There have been a few times where I've been quite adamant and honest with myself; I was definitely NOT enjoying myself, and what was I doing putting myself through misery if I wasn't? Then again, in the same evening I'd be relaxed and happily unraveled in my exhaustion and yet enjoying myself- looking back retrospectively the stressful events of the day somehow surmounted to a personal achievement!
I have encountered many more genuine people as I work my way south
Cheeky Kids
so so cheeky and out of the cities. The south has a much less confronting attitude to it and the people extremely approachable. I had begun to get extremely jaded with people in general, it had seemed that every act of goodwill or friendliness emerged to be a guise in order to get my money! Starting to shake off the rude, cold front I was developing but feel more thick skinned for the experience.
Now I just find myself resenting the rude, hedonistic, westerners who wobble around barely-dressed and snap happy.
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Shonette
non-member comment
Mister KIm, your way of writing these blogs is very eloquent and atmospheric, am very much enjoying reading them. You seem much more chilled out and confident in your surroundings now, where are you on to next? Take care and don't get run over please. x