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Published: February 25th 2012
Today has been pretty much the best day so far. Like, really amazing. But I think its been a while since I've updated on here, so I'll rewind a wee bit!
We spent a week in Varkala. There's not an awful lot to do there, except everything which was needed right at that very moment. Sun, sea, facials, beer, cocktails, ace new friends, and a jolly good laugh. Picture this.... sun setting, feeling snoozy on the beach, some guy playing a wee wooden flute next to us... then a pack of dogs come over, and one pisses right next to us. Nice. The beaches are crazy. Dog and cows, and even goats walking about!
After seven nights of lazing about, we packed up our belongings in the hut (the same hut which some cheeky little chancer broke into!), with a poorly Joanne in tow 😞 and we trotted off to the train station to get a couple of trains to Goa! We arrived in Goa at 4am and took a Rickshaw to Anjuna, which we thought was a short ride, errrrm nope, an hour and a half later, on THE bumpiest Rickshaw ever, with THE most tired driver ever, we arrive. A beach never looks nice at 6am. Especially this one. It was filthy, a little bit chilly, and we were tired and grumpty, and bless Joanne she was poorly still, but she braved the 19 hour train journey (with a little bit of help by upgrading to Air Con class.....). We found what looked to be a decent enough place to stay... a simple tent like hut thing, no en suite bathroom, but the place looked okay. We agreed 600 rupees a night, about 3 pound odd each, but we did barter though, my perspective on money and what things should cost at home has gone completely out the window! We all went straight to the hut to sleep the journey off....
Its amazing how sleep and sunshine can make things look so much better! The beach was lovely, and the place we were saying in was pretty special! I wish I could upload a couple of the photos I took of there, but the dude in the internet cafe is hot on my case. Its situated right next to the famous flea markets, and its made up of loads of platforms where you can chill in the day, looking right on to the beach... but people actually sleep in these at night, its dirt cheap! Actually, here's a wee youtube video of the place
We got to party too! A proper Goa psytrance party.... (there's an election on in Goa at the moment, which means no alcohol after 10pm, because apparently, if you drink after 10pm, it alters your mind, and you might make a wrong decision, apparently) - so the parties there are 10am - 10pm at the moment, but still, it was ace, got some good pics again... I'll upload later 😊 We had a couple of hours sleep, then had to get an 7 hour train to Hampi! Which is where we are now!
Hampi is amazing. Its peaceful and vast, and millions more than I expected.
Today we hired bikes, and biked around Hampi visiting all the temples. The little uphill bit were a struggle in this heat, but going down hill was massive fun! We were chatting to a old hippy in Goa, she was telling us about the musical temple in Hampi, and how if you tap the colums in there, they make sounds, all different sounds! So today was all about finding this temple. Which we did! We had to ditch our bikes by the river, and walk for about 30 minutes, across the boulders and rocks, it really looked like we were on another planet, its mad! But, we found it! There a loads of parts to this temple, and we tapped a few pillars, but nothing.... not a peep. So we asked a guard who seemed to be protecting this ttemple with all scaffoldiong around it where the musical temple was, and he pointed to the one he was guarding 😞 Big boo.
But..... we're not girls to give in!
We told that we have come all the way to Hampi to hear the sounds of this musical temple (also imagine three pairs of puppy dog eyes here too... plus massive amounts of sweating, I think we may have given him the impression that we had just trekked all the way from England). He looked around, and looked around again, and said in a shifty way: "Okay, come back in five minutes" - Wahey! So, we went back and we waited for the moment it was safe (we were mega excited by this point, like literally on the edge of the teeny tiny 600 year old temple step we were waiting on). He'd even got another guard in on it so he could keep watch out! Then, after a price was agreed (yep you have to pay for everything here) of 100 Rupees ha to which we were all like, 100 RUPEES!? (yeah its about a quid something...) he walked over to the first stone pillar and tapped it gently, and the most incredible sound echoed through the temple (which was supposed to be a guitar), then the second... like horses running, the third and forth like bells, ah it was amzing. He saved the best until last though - he walked over to the corner of the temple, right be where we were perched (on that teeny tiny 600 year old step) and tapped a cluster of pillars, and it sounded like a drum kit! It was SO loud, and so amazing, that we shrieked like 16 year old girls, and his face was a picture, he was SO happy that he had made us so happy! I love that guard, and I'll never forget that moment. The second best thing about today: Slipping him the 100 rupees in a sneaky handshake. I've always wanted to do that.
Anyways, that me done - my poor sunburned fingers are hurting from typing. We're going back to Goa tomorrow evening. Palolem and Agonda this time. So update you soon!
Leave me some nice messages if you may, its nice to hear from y'all back home!
xxx
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tomek
non-member comment
:)
really nice Jules, and it is not to long at all.x