First week

Hey guys! Sorry for the delay in writing! Here's what's been going on the past few weeks...

Day I- Chaos in Bengaluru (Wednesday)

Chris and I made it! After a very long flight (who knew India was so far away?) we successfully met up and made our way down town. After leaving our belongings at a train station, we ventured to a local market. This was definitely an immediate jump in, and proved to be a bit overwhelming; vegetables and spices were everywhere, as well as strange looks to the two of us. We took refuge in a small restaurant, and then at the botanical gardens.

The gardens were a strange mix of local history and bizarre American pieces. We were most surprised by the images below, particularly the immediate juxtaposition of the seven dwarfs and the famous statue

Afterward we checked into our hotel for a long nap. “Off the beaten path” was a far understatement, and it took us quite a while to find the place. Our biggest challenge was crossing a 5 lane road (the term “lane” used quite loosely); we ended up hiring a rickshaw driver to take us across for 10 rupees… Hopefully we would get more street smart?

In the evening Chris’ friend’s cousin, Ram, took us out to dinner with his girlfriend. They were incredibly kind and hospitable, even making sure we got home safely after the meal. It seems everyone here is ready to bend over backward for a guest, and as foreigners, it is like we are guests to everyone.

Day II- Trip to Mysore (Thursday)

We boarded our first train in the early morning. It was stunningly beautiful to watch the Indian countryside go by. We passed miles of slums by the tracks. Children and adults stopped to watch us go by, usually standing on mounts of trash or by their homes. The track side also passed as a bathroom...

We checked into our hotel in Mysore, quite different from the quaint cottage in Bangaluru. A springy Indian man nearly buckled under the weight of our bags, but managed to slide down the banister on our way to the room. We ordered a Southern style thali to the room (for which we were never billed); Chris enjoyed it all, including the sour milk that came with it.

Then off to the palace! Many families seemed more interested in us than the attraction itself; we realized by the end of the summer that potentially hundreds of Indian families would have our pictures on their computers, or maybe even their mantel pieces. Aside from the few older gentlemen, who I began to refuse, most of the photographers were children who were curious about our skin color. Still not well adjusted to the time zone, we fell asleep early…

Day III- Hiking and bizarre (Friday)

We got an early start (the one benefit to our prolonged jet lag) and decided to hike up to Chawmundi Hill. The supposed thousand-step trek felt a big longer than that, but gave us spectacular views of the city.

At the top was a small village, and hundreds of tourists who come to worship at the temple there. Feeling a bit overwhelmed by the crowd, I decided to sit outside while Chris experienced the chaos of our first temple. Though I attempted writing, I was approached by many, many children and families who wanted to chat and take pictures. Though most were quite bold in asking questions and taking my photo, others just walked by and pointed and giggled.

At one point a man ran screaming from a house. He was throwing himself on the ground and yelling, and a large crowd developed to watch him. After a few minutes a woman joined him, slapping herself and also wailing and crying. I imagine someone loved had passed away; this explicit expression of emotion is supposedly common in India. I found it remarkable, and oddly beautiful, how feelings can be freely expressed in physical manifestation.

We walked down the beautiful hill, and then grabbed a bite to eat. With some time to kill before our overnight train ride ahead, we decided to attempt purchasing a cell phone SIM card (the mobile itself purchased the day before). We stopped at one of the many stands on the side of the road marked “airtel” and bought one quite easily. However, shortly after it stopped working. What followed was a crazy adventure that took many, many hours and even more rickshaw rides. Fortunately, our rickshaw driver (Raju) stayed with us for the entire day and helped us navigate. His extreme kindness reminded us of this well-known characteristic of Indian culture, and also helped us to forget the sleazy nature of many of our encounters during the day with salespeople.

We ventured through the famed Mysore bizarre, filled with spices, silks, and even an aromatherapy store! I made several purchases. A very, very kind boy who was working at a perfume store allowed me to sample nearly every smell. He told me all about his shop, his dreams of becoming a doctor, and even gave me a parting gift (some incense).

We caught the night train to Hubli, which would then connect to Hospet. A little crunched and hot, we were in transit until the following day…

Day IV: Arrive at Hampi (Saturday)

We got to Hampi by bus. I sat on the ground by my pack, and a woman with an incredibly adorable baby came to sit next to me. I was surprised that the family wanted me to hold their child; I don’t think that I would see a stranger on a bus and ask them to hold my year old baby. Of course, the mother asked if I was married and if I had kids, and when I said no to both, why not.

Hampi was absolutely gorgeous. Giant boulders piled on top of each other in strange formations surrounded the community. It was markedly quieter than the other places we had been, and there was much less haggling and selling; unlike the cities, vendors took “no” for an answer.

Our hotel was so beautiful that we decided to stay an extra night. The rooftop restaurant showed us the whole landscape. After a quick break, we went exploring. I had thought I would be up to renting a scooter bike, but after a quick test ride decided it was not quite my thing. Chris got one, and I met him at the Royal Center by rickshaw. There we visited several temples and the Elephant stables.

After explored together, Chris decided to ride his bike around the area, and I sat to write for a while. In the two and a half hours in which he was gone, I wrote only a sentence. Group after group of Indian families came to say hello, ask me to hold their children, and ask me to take their photographs (on my camera??). One girl even gave me her phone number and asked me to call and say hi. They loved my attempts at Hindi, and though communication was quite difficult we managed to get our thoughts across.

David, a long time India traveler from England, joined me toward the end, and Chris and I invited him to dinner. We met up at the Mango Tree, a restaurant overlooking the lake. It was absolutely beautiful, and delicious, and we spent quite some time sitting and chatting there. He had been working in Delhi and traveling since December.

Day V: Explore Hampi (Sunday)

We got an early start. I decided to get a tour guide, and met him at the restaurant. Lauren, also from London, decided to join me. We started off at the main temple. Lakshmi, the elephant, gave us a blessing (a pat on the head) for a rupee. So cute! The guide, Basava, told us all about the stories behind the idols, as well as the prayer rituals followed by the visitors. We then took a hike up behind the temples to look at the rock formations and other temples. According to Basava, there are over 2000 temples in Hampi. He took us to some of his favorite spots off the beaten path, and then treated us to chai at a small hut by a river. We then walked back to meet the boys for lunch (who had been motorcycling/hiking around).

In the afternoon we rode a small boat (a perfectly round upside down dome, made of bamboo and plastic tarps) over to the musical temple. This completely stone structure had thin pillars that made noise when tapped. He told us where the dances had been, where the royalty sat, and what the inscriptions meant. We then walked through the marketplace; it was hard to imagine the now desolate rock structures supporting a colorful and lively bizarre some hundreds of years ago. We wrapped up the day watching the sunset over the present day market.

Basava is a true entrepreneur. He and his mother support two younger sisters; all three kids are studying at a university, despite their poor upbringing. He is studying business and history, and is torn between the two, but wants to bridge his interests by working for the tourism office in Hampi. He and a friend are trying to start a website, to bring tourists to the area, and hold traditional dance performances in the town. He says he wants to give back to his community, before he begins work somewhere else. He also told us about his childhood: hours of herding sheep with his grandfather and playing cricket in the street…

Day VI: Transit to Goa (Monday)

We took an early train to Goa (supposedly 7 hours, but in reality took over 9). Below our bunks on the train was a lovely Indian couple from Hyderbad. They split their time between the city and beaches, and gladly offered us advice (and to share their window seats!). We passed gorgeous waterfalls as we spiraled down the mountain to the ocean. I then had the idea to take a train to the beach (Palolem).

Goa does not feel much like India. In addition to nearly everything being in English, there being tourists everywhere, and the elevated prices, the area lacks some of the typical Indian chaos (and charm) of our earlier adventures.

This supposed hour-long journey took over two hours, and was extraordinarily hot and crowded. We finally made it to the hut in which we would stay (to our dismay, not air conditioned) and walked along the beach for dinner.

The next morning we slept in and ventured to the beach. Many women tried to sell us their crafts, but we did get to enjoy the relative calm of the beach. In the afternoon I sensed that Nick had arrived and started walking toward our hotel on the beach, and found him walking toward me! Our group was now three… a day of swimming, food, and a long nap for Nick, and then…

More to come!! Love,

Becky