Hampi Hop

Sunday, December 27, 2009
Hampi, Karnātaka, India
Okay. Writing from.. The Future.. Oooo. I have a lot to catch up on, but let's see if I can compile my notes from my weeks of internet-free beach dwelling - broken for just a couple of days by the Hampi Hop! (Uh, also no internet. Or phone. Such is Ancient India.)

Soo ... Christmas Eve was pretty uneventful, for me. My stomach went kind of sideways that day, and so while I had good intentions of eating dinner with Elin & Erland (dubbed "My Norwegians" in there somewhere, as I didn't need any more, due to my already having a set), I ended up having to just call it and go to bed early. Santa would have been happy. On the flip side, I missed out on some interesting action at the House of Munna... This English guy (he and his partner were neighbors on the other side of me from E & E) got... there is no other way to put this... TEE-RASHED, and so I was treated to stories from Elin the next day about his antics. The stories are a little too embarrassing even to write, so I won't get in to too much detail, but suffice it to say that I missed something of a show. E & E were pretty turned off by the display and went to bed, though, so I guess I didn't miss OUT. Times like these- or stories like these come around, and I feel kinda old, or maybe even prudish, and I'm really OK with it. ..Really . 110%. A-OK. (How does one end up rolling on the ground, ending in a full circle, dangerously near the fire pit; trousers 'round ankles, crying/screaming "Rooooooo-beeerrrttt! Dooonnnn't leeeaaavveee meeee!"  Ok, that's it for details.. Though it was fodder for an excellent hardcore metal song we made up later. Title: “Too Drunk To Crawl”.)

From Christmas til Hampi, and then afterwards til New Year's; one hiccup in the daily slo-mo there, but otherwise there is really nothing too notable that happened. Interesting people, puppies getting born, funny stuff, falling asleep in the sun, swimming in the Indian Ocean, sweet dreams under mosquito netting with only my silk sheet for "warmth".. Trips to Chaudi to try to find an internet solution, and morning after morning of the same breakfast: Watermelon juice, banana lassi, and masala chai... that's about it. Well, til the last days, when I finally showed the boys how to make a PROPER banana pancake- this was after self service started behind the bar, we were regularly going back to the kitchen to place and start our own orders, and Munna was yelling at tourists eyeing the place, "You come my shop?!!! Come look my SHOP!!!" when he didn't feel like working .. Which was hilarious.. But this is about Hampi.

The Norwegians and I opted to hire Malesh to take us to Hampi for a quick overnight. I've had my eye on Hampi for the last two years- it's the well known home of ancient Indian ruins, temples, giant rocks balanced upon giant rocks... Knowing how stone walls are still built today in India- stone by stone, carried in baskets on the head, piled and then carefully placed and mortared- I can't, seriously can't, imagine how these temples were built. Probably with the help of elephants, I'd guess, and many lives sacrificed. I'd probably have the same astonishment at the temples in Egypt.. Or hell, I've been to Angkor Wat, not too different in terms of “Wow.” Angkor Wat is immensely cooler.. No disrespect, Hampi, but it is what it is. Anyway. We didn't have much time there, as the beach has a lazy pull that is hard to leave and demands your return sooner than is rational... So we hiked up and around the largest temple at the west end of the bazaar, and up and around the bazaar .. Saw Laxmi, the baby elephant, collecting banana offerings and dispersing holy head taps with her trunk. It was a rushed trip, but I'm really glad I finally made it there. I think that if I'd been there alone I would have done much more hiking around, but if I'd gone alone.. I probably wouldn't have gone, because getting there is tricky and expensive- or both. With Malesh as our driver, it was much easier; and with the three of us, it wasn't prohibitively pricy to hire him- and more money in the family's coffer- all good. I was hella tired when we got there but I know I would have spent the night wandering around and probably hiking up the hill on the east end of the bazaar if I'd been solo; no worries, though, and though I enjoy My Norwegians, it was a gentle reminder of how much more I sort of enjoy My Self when on a quest...

I don't have too much over all to say about Hampi.. Beautiful, historical, amazing, quiet, still touristy but- that's OK, that's Hampi. I do love climbing around on temples and rock-hopping, always fun . Oh, saw a really scary giant red millipede. Yuck. Not in to giant bugs (I know- I travel in the wrong countries for my insect aversions). Reminds me of a breakfast conversation in Patnem one morning:

Liz, smokes a cigarette over her black tea and peppered toast, heavy English drawl: “So, Andrea, how do you feel about spiders?”

Andrea, not stupid: “Where is it?”

Liz gestures only with her eyes, cigarette dangling from mouth.

Spider is nearly disguised in the sand, about 2.5” in diameter, a few inches from the left foot. Andrea jumps as if on fire, leaps to the other side of the table; tucks feet in to chin, wraps lungi tightly around body like armor.

Andrea: “Don't love them, Liz.”

So. Hampi was neat. Touristy, but the beach thing is pretty touristy- except definitely (Oh, DEFINITELY) like family- and so it was a bit of a leap, but not much. I finally found something there that would pass for a towel (forgot my usual rayon sarong that I bring along for a towel.. One of zillions I've picked up over the years, which is why I pack them because I sure as sh*t don't need any more.. I figured that finding one by the time I needed one wouldn't be a problem. It's INDIA, after all... Rayon sarong? No problem. Wrong... Initially, weird. Afterthought: Typically, they are Balinese. Yes. ..Hmm. I dried myself with my old pashmina for the first while before I didn't need to dry off, at the beach.) So... Enough news from the shower! Well. I'll upload photos, eventually, and now I'll trot along to New Year's Eve...

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