Happy in Hampi

Traveling in India has not been conducive to writing a blog.  The internet connection, where one finds it is sketchy and even when it works is slow.  In addition, I find that my days can be quickly and easily filled up by simply looking around and searching out various simple needs.  There is no lack of things to write about but I find writing difficult as I find myself caught up in the experience itself rather than remembering and recording what has happened.  Still, I will attempt to convey some of these experiences to you.

 

We arrived in Hampi by bus early in the morning and were approached by several people wanting to show us rooms.  We looked at half a dozen or so before deciding on one but when we got back to that one the room was no longer available.  Then there appeared a young man we had not seen before who led us to our room, the room, the one with the temple view, the ceiling fan, mosquito net and cross breeze.  The room with all of the monkeys outside the window.  It was brightly painted as are most houses in India and the owner of our guesthouse was named Shiva.  Naturally.  He fixed us omletes and toast, coffee and chai. He stood in front of his house all day long, cooking food and serving tea to his friends and guests.

 

We took a temple tour, there are 2,500 of them in the area and even though it was hot in the middle of the day we were glad we did.  Apparently the king and queen used to live here and coins were made here which encouraged a large gold diamond and animal trade.  The above picture was the Queen's summer palace which had an air conditioning system where water circulated down through the walls.  She had oter palaces and a bathing house that looded like it was, well, fit for a queen.

I find that some of my best moments while traveling in India come when I least expect it.

There is no meat or alcohol allowed in Hampi town so, on the third day or so I made my way across the river to find a cold brew, or two, at the Evergreen cafe.  When I asked about the bathroom, they said, "Sorry, broken."  and pointed out into the street, "Feel free."  Ok.  I took a walk to the edge of the rice fields, which I have never seen before.  The sun was setting and I ended up in a most beautiful spot. the reflection of palm trees in the rice fields doubled up the visual pleasure of the moment.  I was thankful the toilet had been broken.

 

Nobody told us that the ferry stopped at 6 pm so, at 8 pm I found myself haggling with a boatman who was demanding a very high price to take us back across the river.  It wasn't really expensive, a few dollars but since haggling is part of the game here, we both played along.  As it turned out, we got a great ride in a round, floating basket sort of a boat.  Cool evening air, the sound of the paddle in the water, our oarsman spinning the basket around with its 6 passengers, guiding it precisely to the right place on the opposite shore.

A highlite of the stay in Hampi, really, and one I would have missed had I known what time the ferry stopped.  Unexpected pleasures can be the best!

 

Hampi was preparing for a festival, the BIG festival of the year with three stages and tens of thousands of people expected.  They lit up the temple in a special way, strung lights around the city and began shooting off fireworks.  We had already booked tickets out of town and were scheduled to leave before the festival. We contemplated staying until we were quoted room prices for those days.  As it  turned out, and as we later learned it was a festival for policemen and government officials who decreed that half of the rooms in Hampi be made available to policemen, at no charge.  By the time we left, the night before the festival there were thousands of cops all over the place and they shut down the city to all taxi and private cars so that only government vehicles could operate in the city, and outwards in a diameter of 4 km.  As we sped out of the city toward our train in Hospet, just minutes before the shutdown, the entire scene felt like a military take over and we were  quite happy to be leaving.  There will be other festivals.  Our stay in Hampi was great and we left just in time.

 

While we were there we climbed the mountain at sunrise to see the amazing landscape from Hampi's highest point.  The entire view was full of massive boulders stacked in seemingly impossible arrangements and temples carved out of granite by unknown artists from centuries past.  

Some of the best moments were not the big temples though but the simple things.  The look in the faces of the people, in a smile from a man who sat selling coconuts, the symbol of Shiva painted across his forehead, or from the bookseller who was genuine and curious about his customers from the north. A heard of water buffalo passing by the restaurant as we ate breakfast.

One day I decided to do a painting of the temple from temple hill where there were a number of unused temples with big stone porches which afforded perfect places to sit and paint.  Once situated on the porch of a particularly fine temple I decided at the last minute to use colored pencils instead of paint.  An hour later or so security came and, although it was hard to understand him, he wanted to see my permit to paint here. Painting permit? Seriously?  I think he wanted to take me to the police to see about this apparent crime I was committing, until I convinced him that I was not painting, but drawing with pencils, which seemed to be ok without a permit.  A woman who was custodiamn of the temple where we sat came and there was much talking between them in Hindi but I was allowed to continue.  

As we sat there two Chinese people came, a father and daughter with a  guide who shared the most interesting information.  He told us that the mandalas in front of the doors of the housed and shops were made of rice powder, which attracted the ants and kept them from going into the house.  Also, the dung from the cows that wandered the streets was spread out in the street to keep the flies out of the houses.  The urine from the cows, containing amonia, was used in the home as a disinfectant and tumeric was laid along the door jambs to keep the snaked from entering the houses.  Everything had a purpose he informed us, but many people in modern India have lost this knowledge.

He also explained about the many gods of Hinduism, which reflect the different emotions and aspects of human nature.  They are not to be taken literally, or worshiped as such, but rather stand as symbols, as reminders of ourselves and our relation to the world.  I wish that he had been our guide but we took in the time he had to spend with us there, on the porch of "our" temple.

 

 

The food here was fantastic!  Really!  A cafe called Chill Out was our favorite.  Every dish we had there was so good!  Cashew Curry, Molai Kofta, even the pizza was superb. REAL Indian food is the BEST!  There were cushions on the floor like a groovy little hippie pad and open air to the streets, the bustling village, it's cows, monkeys, and beautiful people.  After dinner, when it cooled down we would walk up temple hill to sit and watch sunset.  Everyone did it seemed.  The police, thet ourists, and the monkeys all sat side by side, as they have been doing for centuries I imagine, and enjoyed this piece of paradise.  Rocks, banana and palm trees for as far as the eye could see.

 

 

 

This was the view from the roof of our guesthouse where I liked to go in the evenings and talk with the owners son about the customs and people of this ancient village.  A good place to go and see the monkeys at play too!  Very amusing!

 

 

Lakshmi is the temple elephant in Hampi.  She is 25 or so years old and spending time with her was some of the best of times in Hampi!  Every morning her caregivers would walk her from the temple to the river for an hour long bath on the ghats.  After watching once or twice, and after meeting her in the temple where she spends her days giving blessings to those who offer money or bananas, I decided that I wanted to ride her. On my last morning in Hampi I helped bath her, scrubbing her thick hide with a brush, looking in her eyes and interacting with her trunk which came up out of the water like another animal.  Her feet were flat and hard and so very BIG! She is the gentlest of giants.

I had seen one girl ride her a few days before up by the temple and I asked if I could do this too.  After some time they said I could, I paid the price and instead of getting on at the temple they had me get on right there at the water and ride her up the stairs!  There was a small chain around the neck but it was loose and not secure.  There were no ropes on her and I climbed up on the stones and climbed on, straddling her neck, holding on with my feet, much like riding bareback on a horse, but, BIGGER!  She moved cool and easy up the stairs and I felt so proud!  Definitely a great moment.  If you ever get the chance.... do it!

When we dicided to go to India, I had ideas of what it would be like, none of them true.

Instead we have found all new experiences, seen faces that are at once both new and ancient and to say that we are having the time of our lives would be an understatement!  

I had imagined myself writing more, drawing and painting more than I am, but what is happening is that my days are being filled up with all new marvlelous experiences so rather than using the time to reflect, we are busy living these beautiful moments.

I will do my best to update the blog, when I can, and share pictures, when I can.

Until then, I encourage you to, if you have any desire at all to travel to India, do it!

Namaste baby!