Hampi

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Hi,

This is my last day in Hampi, a small village, about 10 hours east to Goa. Hampi is situated in a very bizar and very interseting location. All surrounding is full of boludres and monutains made of huge boulders. In some places there are well orgonized, one above the other (see attached pictures). An urban legend claims that Hanuman god (he is the one having a monkey body) had set them like that many years ago. Otherwise, I can't figure out how they here and how they were set like that so maybe, indeed, Hanuman is the answer.
Also, many rice and banana plantations.
In Hampi, one can stay in this side of the river, i.e, downtown Hampi, main village, shops, restaurants, etc, or at the other side of the river. The other side of the river is the 'rich' subborbs of Hampi. Most travellers in the suborbs in particular and in Hampi in general are Israealies, of course.
In order to cross the river, one needs to take a motor boat. Only one boat operates this conjusted line (the operator must be a milloner). The crossing takes about 10 seconds and costs 10 rupees (about 1 shekel), which is really expensive, comparing to India. Around 18.30, when it's dark, the boats stops operating and like Cinderella, one has to be on time. Although you can sometimes find a xasonit (xasonit is kind of a boat, looks like a bowl, made of wood) driver to take you to the other side. Or just take another room for the night, if you aree really stuck.
After Goa, I was thinking to myself, no more swimming for a while. However, it appears that there is here a really nice artifiical lake, made by damming one of the rivers. So we went to swim there a couple of times. The main transpost vechile here is either a motor bike or bycycle. So one day , we used a motor bike, one day a bycycle, one day we walked, again a motor bike, etc.
One day we went to the Hanuman temple, situated on a mountain. As it should, the place and the way to it, is full of greedy monkies. The sunset scenary from the top was buetiful.
On the way bacck, my motor bike chain fell down. 3 Inidans worked on it about 10 minutes and fixed it eventually. Of course that they charged money afterwards. No Indian is doing favours.
In a place of many Israelies, a Jewish organization is always there to remind the Israeleis their roots. In Hampi it is the 'Jewish heart'.
On Friday night, we went to Kabalat Shabat and dinner. It was really nice and the Tzubery family that runs it is very nice as well. The only problem was that there were not enough men for minyan (actually, there were many more women, but women are not counted by the orthodox Judaism). Actually, only one was missing, so some of the prayers we could not pray, fortuantly. I don't have too much knowledge about Judaism but it appears that some prayers need minyan while other don't. A Shiron was distributed at the beginning of the meal. The Shiron was consisting of mixture of Hassidic songs and new Israeli ones. And if this was not enough then we had also the 'First 1,000 songs for kids' book of the Tzuberi kids and we picked from there the Sabath songs. After every dish we sang. This was really confusing because after the first dish we were thinking, well, food is over, now it is the time to sing, only Humus, Tchina and Chapati. But, then, the soup has arrived, after the soup we sang again and then the rice and the potatos came. At that time, I was really full because I have eaten so much Humus...
On Saturday they offered a very good Hamin amd also a lesson from Rebi Kook about fear which was bery interesting.
On the following days there were lessons and a meal but this was enough for me and I did not attend them.

Tonight I will be continuing south to Bangalore and then Mysore.

Bye, Sharon

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Comments

[venkatarao]

Lake- Hampi
Very good pictures from lake Hanumantemple and Hampi. Yes you must see this place and enjoy the nature and boulders . But not to drink beer. This is very power full land of Lord Hanuman.