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Published: November 1st 2006
After a teary farewell to Betty in Kerala we set off to our next destination. Tamil Nadu is a very large state just to the east of Kerala where we spent a couple of days at the former British Hill Station of Ooty. Ooty is a pleasant place to explore with beautiful views over the surrounding countryside, but alas we were not blessed with great weather and as a result our trekking opportunities were limited. The highlight of our trip here was the toy train we travelled on that brought us through the mountains. It consisted of an authentic steam engine that pushed five or six tiny carriages through some really beautiful countryside.
After Ooty we travelled into the state of Karnataka and spent a couple of days exploring the cities of Mysore and Bangalore. Mysore is a really nice city and is steeped in history and great architecture. The most flamboyant example being the stunning Maharaja's Palace, which is lit up like a fairytale palace by night. There are also some labyrinthine bazaars to explore where vendors sell exotic spices and fruits. We were lucky to be staying opposite the Jaganmohan Palace and Art Gallery which was formerly a
music auditorium for the Maharaja. The upstairs of this Palace is now a museum for some fantastic rare musical instruments including sitars and tablas and less recognisable dusty music machines. After Mysore we spent a couple of days in Bangalore which we found really tiring. It was the weekend of the Diwali festival and the sprawling city was in full party mode but we failed to find where the crowds were going and even anywhere to get a drink at this religious time of year. We resigned ourselves to a trip to the cinema to see the latest Bollywood blockbuster "Don" which is actually a pretty fun movie - even though we aren't in it!
Next stop Hampi. Hampi is a beautiful, beautiful place. It is the former home of the Vijayanagar, one of the largest Hindu empires ever. It is now an expanse of boulder strewn ruins that stretch over some 43sq km. The boulders are huge and actually quite beautiful as they take on different shades and shapes in the movement of the sunlight. In the morning, the light on the rock creates a vibrant white, and at evening time the whole place becomes a deep relaxing
red colour. Hampi is a place to slow down in India, to hop on a bike and go exploring and climbing. Another amazing highlight of our whirlwind trip of the south. Oh and I can't forget to mention Lakshmi the temple elephant who blessed us with her trunk when we gave her a rupee! In the morning we watched her getting washed in the river nearby.
After all that relaxing we had to say goodbye again. This time to Karnataka as we took an overnight bus to Palolem in Goa. Palolem seemed quite far away from our India experience so far, much more like a regular beach holiday place. It's a good place to chill out, but a little overrun with multi-cuisine restaurants serving up Tex-Mex and Jack Johnson Cd's. Not authentic India, but lovely people and beaches.
So all too soon we have to say goodbye to this beautiful country. Thanks again to everyone who made it so much fun! We will definitely be back again to explore the North.
Next stop? The land down under. Stay tuned...
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Betty
non-member comment
Hmmm
I thought you said India was crap after I left?? It looks like you had way too much fun 'n' TexMex.