Goa and Hampi

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Hi all,

As usual, once I get started visiting places where I don't stay for long, I get way, way behind in my blog. Since I left Goa, I have been to Hampi, Bangalore, Mysore and am now in Ft. Cochin (not Munnar the identification above indicates. )

This'll be a two part blog because I am just going to give a little overview of Goa (little compared to my usual tomes). Why? Because I'll be back in Goa in August, plus I plan on spending next Christmas there also. That means there will be plenty of opportunities to expand on the charms of Goa. Which one must assume I like, since I'll be spending a lot more time here in 2008 and 2009.

I arrived on 12/19 from Bombay and found that this woman who I met in Bangkok and had volunteered to get me a room, came through. I spent three weeks in a rustic room, but perfectly acceptable room, with a nice lanai which had an overstuffed bamboo reclining chair just perfect for relaxing and reading. My little temporary 'home' was about a 3 minute walk to the beach and the grounds, while not grand, were pleasant, with lots of trees and flowers.

First, a little history lesson. As you may, or may not, know, Goa, from the middle of the 16th century until 1961 was under Portuguese control (Indian Independence was in 1947). It was along the spice routes between Europe and India, thus their desire to control the trade in the area. And, of course, during those days, where the traders went, the missionaries - in this case the Jesuits - followed. To say the least, they were extremely successful. Goa is the most Christian part of India. This is one main reason that travelers head for Goa during the Christmas season. That, plus the sand, surf and partying (big time for the young set).

Goa a mixture of tourists. The north and south ends tend to be for the young travelers, while mid-Goa is more for the middle-aged, middle-class package tourists from Europe, mostly Britain. That is where I was. Left to my own devices, I'd have chosen another area because these are very touristy spots. However, when I tried to get reservations at other spots, the prices were outrageous (for me). So, I fell back on my Bangkok gal and this are is where she lives.

Now for a description of my little area. The best way I can give you a feel for the place is to imagine what Hawaii might have been like 100 years ago. Even though I was near two crowded towns (Candolin and Calengute), it was quieter and less develoved than them. To get to the beach, I walked through tall grass and tropical foliage on red-sand tracks. To get out of my guest house/small hotel/small apartment area, depending on my destination, I could take a dozen tracks through the palms and other tropical plants. I feel that, given the two busy places to the immediate north and south, I was fortunate to end up where I did. It was quiet and felt rather secluded.

Now, the non-100-years-ago Hawaii characteristics. First the beach. When you wind your way down one of these short trails to the beach for the first time, you get quite a surprise. First, the beaches along Goa are quite wide. Room for lots of commerce. The first thing you run into are the restaurant beach shacks. They are covered with palm leaves and look like they belong there and the tables and chair are usually in the sand, but they have full kitchens and service. Usually they have about 20 tables. Now, in front of them about 40-50 feet down close to the waves are the beach chairs with umbrellas. These 'restauants' and beach chairs are lined up along the beach, literally, as far as you can see. Plus, you cannot use one unless you are a customer of the restaurant that owns this particular set of chairs in front of their restaurant....or pay 100 rps. ($2.50...May not sound like much, but you have to remember, my room only cost 400 rps a night, so, in Indian terms, quite a lot).

So you earn your right to a chair. Unfortuntely, while you sit/lay in there (after eating or drinking at the restaurant), you get the wandering sellers...massage, clothing, tours, manicures/pedicures , jewelry and various tidbits to eat. Reminded me of the beaches of Thailand, totally. Although in Thailand where I was you didn't have to pay for the chairs or eat the food.

To be fair, there was a reason for all this. When I first went down there and was told about how it all worked by one of the gals in one of the restaurants, I asked her why I had to pay to sit in a chair. I got the right person, because she was articulate and took the time to explain the system. These restaurants have to pay the Goa government for their restaurant spot and each chair...and it is quite a lot by Goan standards. Plus, if they get caught with one extra chair, it is a huge fine. When you think about it from their end, it makes sense. The season in Goa is from November through March. That means they have to make all of their earnings in 5 months, plus pay the government its share.

In one way this wasn't all so bad. The restaurants in Goa turned out to be quite expensive, while these beach shack restaurants were cheaper and the food was every bit as good. So, I ended up eating quite a few meals down there. Plus, it was the perfect spot to sit, have a beer or fresh squeezed organge juice and watch the sun set over the Arabian Sea...does that sound exotic, or what!!

However, there was one huge exception to my eating habits. Every morning I would wonder up to the road to a great little coffee shop and for 3 week I was treated to a fabulous latte...sometimes 2, if I was near the place in the afternoon. Oh, what a treat that was. Only my second one in India; the first was in Calcutta - ironically, by the same chain, . This guy who seemed to be on duty 24/7 really truly made excellent lattes....and I should know after owning Java Kai.

I wish I could tell you that all sorts of interesting and fascinating things happened to me in Goa. But, they didn't. One day just drifted into another and before I knew it the three weeks were up and I had to rouse myself to travel on. But, you may be wondering why, in the beginning I said I plan to be back in August.

Well, it all has to do with my teeth, an ongoing problem with me. A tooth needed some attention, so I went to a dentist to get it fixed. In the process, we started chatting. I realized that this woman (her husband is a dentist also) was very sharp and used to taking care of foreigners. So, the conversation progressed. Well, Goa is a huge place where Europeans come and have all sorts of dental work done because it is cheap, expert and they can lay on the beach between sessions. Sooooo, I made a monumental impetuous decision. I decided to have some major work done...inplants. Get rid of my ongoing problems forever. The 'inplantoligist' that does this work in the area had done 189 of the kind he did for me and over 100 or another kind. Because I had some bone loss in a certain part of my mouth, they put in some new 'bone'.. that turns into 'real' bone in 6 months (as you can tell, I don't exactly know what I am talking about here. Hopefully, you get the idea). Six months means August. That's when I have to go back and get more implants. If any of you ever decide that you want something like this. Goa is the place. About 1/3 to 1/4 or even less of the cost of in the US and they are extremely well trained and experienced here because of all the Europeans who come for this very purpose.

That's why I'll be back in August. Should be an interesting report, since it will be still monsoon season and probably hot, rainy and miserable. As soon as this is done, I am going to head for the mountains to wait out the hot summer. I had planned on going to the Black Sea for the summer but it just seemed to add to much to the costs. So, maybe 2009 summer, if I'm still traveling.

Anyway, it means I'll be spending more than half of 2008 in India. Which is just fine with me. I really do like it here. While in Goa I met this gal who has an apartment and she wants someone to share the rent with her. So, I think I'll spend three months there next winter. Her place is close to where I was and, while not so big, very nice with a kitchen, living room and 2 bedrooms. And, she doesn't want much money for it. Terrific deal!

Unfortunately, no pictures of Goa this round. First my camera stopped opening. I paid about $75 to get that fixed and about 2 days later I left it in a taxi. It was lost forever. Fortunately, the only pictures I lost were of Goa. But, I'll be back so can send some at a later time.

Now, on to Hampi.

Hampi is a small town that wouldn't exist if there weren't tourists. It is totally a tourist place, Indian as well as foreign. In fact, while I was there, a big important festival was happening and the small town was very crowded with Indian families for a couple of days. But, the town was very pleasant and it had a beautiful little river (little when the monsoons aren't flooding everything, that is). I found a charming outdoor restaurant right above the river and spent almost every afternoon there under the trees, drinking chai, eating pakoras and reading a book. Life just doesn't get much better than that.

The attraction in Hampi is the ruins of the once great Vijaynangar empire from the 14th to the 16th century. A half million people lived there. It gained its wealth from trade (cotton and spice). Like all empires (and we Americans should remember this) eventually end or lose their power, so did this one. Again, those fighting Moguls from the north finally defeated them in the mid 16th century and destroyed the whole city. What remains are parts of temples and ruins of the bazaars. Plus, one other fabulous temple that the Muslims were afraid to touch because it was 'guarded' by a stone image of a pig. And, you know how they are about pork. It's a most impressive and is the first temple I've seen of it's kind...the southern Dravidian style of temples that are in southern India.

An interesting thing I learned about the other temples that were only partially destroyed. In the Hindu religion, once a temple or shrine is damaged the 'gods/dieties' no longer are there and it ceases to be sacred. Tourists could walk into these partially destroyed religious monuments with their shoes on. That would absolultely not happen in a real temple.

One of the most unusual features of Hampi, other than the huge number of interesting ruins, are the rock formations. Our guide said it was once under a great sea. Maybe he is right, but it didn't look like that to me. It looked like a monstrous volcano exploded and tossed huge boulders for as far as the eye can see...and farther. Either that of there was a war between giants who used bolders to throw at each other. There are these unbelievably huge rocks all over and so many of them are resting very precariously on others or tipped like they are ready to roll down hill. Just the geology alone is enough to warrant the visit. The closest thing I have ever seen - and it really isn't the same - are some of the rock formations down in our Southwest around Bryce and The Grand Canyon. To be honest, there probably is probably no geological site quite like this in the world. And, of course, this is one of the things I absolutely adore about India. You think you can't possibly see something new....and there it is, surprising you again and again and again.

I have a little secret to share. Remember, I lost my camera. I knew the best place to buy a new one would be Bangalore, the Hi-Tech capital of India and the next stop after Hampi. This meant I would have no pictures of Hampi that I could share. I was not happy and spent lots of time trying to figure out how to get around this problem. I tried to buy a CD of Hampi; but the only ones they had were like mini-documentaries, not pictures I could upload. Finally, I had a brainstorm. I didn't know if it would work or not, but I bought some of the postcards that evey kid in Hampi was selling. Then, when I got my new camera, I took pictures of my postcards. The pictures on this blog are the results. I know it is sort of cheating. But, I am rather proud of myself for figuring out a way around my problem and promise to always tell you in the future if I am using this 'technique' to share blog pictures.

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Photos

Ganesh, the Hindu god of happiness
Shiva (a god) thought that his wife, Paruti, was 'fooling around' with this young man (he hadn't seen his son for years). So, he cut off his head. Then he learned the truth and said that to make him live again, he would attach the head of the next thing he saw. Guess what that was! The people really like this god. He's a friendly, likeable looking fellow

The Dravidian Hindu temple in Hampi
This is an example of the architecture of the southern Indian temples. It is about 10 or twelve stories high. One of the tallest in India

The Rocky Landscape of Hampi
I wish I had more pictures of this to show just how astounding all these huge boulders are. This is the only postcard I could find of them. It was along this river, in an outdoor cafe that I whiled away some lovely afternoons

Comments

[Michelle, your dentist]

Brave Soul
You are the bravest and smartest women I know! I'm so glad you found Goa!