Hampi and then there was one...

Although we were pelted with colors and Andrew has sworn to return with a paint-ball gun in 2010, Holi was a fun festival to witness. It seemed to carry on days after we'd left Belgaum. Taking a round-about route to Hampi (see map), we stopped briefly at the Badami caves and Patadkal ruins. The former were really spectacular, being carved into the mountain side.

Warning signs in the car park mentioned monkeys, and before too long we witnessed the hilarity of a small fury hand grabbing a woman's handbag and scampering back up the rocks. The cheeky animal sat on a ledge above our heads, and proceeded to rifle through the handbag, inspecting cards, paper and finally the purse. Anything inedible (basically everything) was then dropped carelessly into the crevice below. Seconds later another scream indicated another unlucky Indian tourist had lost her bag too. Brilliant entertainment. Patadkal was a brief stop at yet another World Heritage Site. Although it seemed to be about 40 degrees Celsius in the shade, Andrew, Paul and I wandered about and again were amazed by the architecture. It was a short stop though, we were still trying to make Hampi before dark. A few km's on a fairly good road, then onto an excellent, smooth tarmac, only to find ourselves sharing the space with hundreds of trucks carrying dirt, garlic, motorbikes and other goods. Some trucks are very fast, weaving in and out of the traffic with relative ease. Others are painfully slow, and Andrew becomes the weaver, taking advantage of their height as they wave us past on corners we would normally avoid.

We made it to Hospet, the city 15kms before Hampi quite late (early evening) and as it was dark we decided to stay there the night. Full of mosquitoes and with men playing drums out side, it was not the most restful evening. We left early for Hampi, a slow paced, hot and dusty town. The outskirts are make up of huge boulders, hills of ancient carved stone that look impossible, yet there they were. How did anyone have the patience to break each massive boulder (and using which method?) and then carve the intricate shapes that became the pillars, baths, windows and walls of the various temples, stables and accommodation? We hired an auto rickshaw for a morning and the driver took us on a tour of some of the ruins, explaining briefly what we were looking at and what it was used for. Our photos don't do Hampi justice, but this one is of a bathing site which was made of hundreds of perfect stone steps. The orange blur is me (Amelia). Because Paul was only with us for 2 weeks, we decided after our

week of culture to head back to Goa (via Belgaum again...) and subsequently the beach.
We passed many trucks laden with crops, as well as massive piles of chillies (see photo)
and cotton by the side of the road. It's been interesting to see these products at their source.
Back at Palolem, with over 40 beach restaurants for us to try, fresh seafood and cheap beer, we very quickly relaxed into swimming and reading with intermissions of food and drink.
Paul may regret this slightly as he says his guts are STILL not back to normal.


Unfortunately, for 2 of us this idyllic break has had to come to an end. Paul is back in London having started his new job, and Andrew has been flown back to Melbourne for two weeks for work.

So, as I sit under the bamboo shade cover with my new friends Amie and James, 50 meters from the water's edge with a fresh lime soda, I contemplate the next few weeks here in Goa by myself. I have fishing trips, shopping and lovely dinners to occupy me in the interim. We have secured a spot on the beach where a cocktail, Kingfisher or quick dip in the sea (or an hour lying on a flotation device, Amie) are at our fingertips. I must remember, Andrew is earning, I don't need to be constantly spending...