Welcome to the jungle...

Kerala Backwaters

I'll let the pictures do most of the talking... I did my backwater cruise on a local ferry for 10 rupees (25 cents.) It was a great way to see how people live here.... very not touristy... it was like a typical indian bus, but on water.

Periyar was sweet. They've got hills... and tea, and it rains! (first I've seen in 2.5 months... this is indeed something to be excited about) and elephants and wild boars and bison and monkeys and.... alas, there were no tiger sightings.

On the road to Periyar



Tea plantation near Putady

Periyar

Touch me not plant

Kochi

Chinese fishing nets


Chinese fishing nets

Driving Piles - Keralan style

Chacko is clearly the man

Protesters in Bangalore, followed closely by armor-clad riot police.

It's interesting to observe how the type of traveller present in a particular area changes as one moves throughout India. My initial impression of Kochi is that it appeals largely to affluent short term term tourists... El-cheapo dhaba rats such as myself are less well represented. Makes sense too, I've found the south of India to be much more relaxed than the north. Of course there are still scams... but it feels much more like a game here. People will more likely try to charm you out of your money rather than use any other method.

I spent a day in Bangalore enroute to here from Hampi. It's a big city, and parts of it are shockingly westernized: Air conditinoned malls full of western stores, english spoken everywhere by everyone..... And there are massive protests happening there. The state of Karnataka is on strike. I wish I could say what it is all about. The best I can do at the moment is pass along the word of mouth explanation given to me by a fellow traveller: Apparently it has something to do with a dam being built or some water being diverted, and certain places in Karnataka are suffering because of it.

Regardless of the reasons behind it, the end result is that Karnataka ain't working. Many shops and factories aren't open, and the buses don't run. Fortunately for me, the railway is a national resource and was running normally.

Added a couple of extra pictures to the "Hampi photos" post.

Hampi photos

Added a searchable map link to side bar menu. Type in the name of the place you're interested into the search bar.
Example: Type "Karnataka, India" NOT "Karnataka"

The dump or the zoo? Lots of places in India look like this.

Rural Karnataka road

Kids in Hampi bazar

Rice paddy

Sunset view from Hanuman temple

Bouldering

Carving on Virupaksha Temple

I decided to stay in Hampi for a couple of extra days. It's a fascinating area to explore either on foot or by bicycle (though cycling is a wee bit sketchy, for various reasons.) There are great areas for rock climbing (a bouldering film is being shot here) and a beautiful, clean lake for swimming.
I'm leaving monday evening for Kerala.

I added a couple of extra pictures to the "Hippy Life" post.

"Hampi is cool"

When I was researching this trip I came across a thread in a travel forum titled "Why should I go to Hampi anyway?" The replies ranged in length, detail, and eloquence, but the one that has stayed with me (and summed it up the best in my opinion) was "Because Hampi is cool."
It is.



I decided to return to India... sort of. Hampi (or Vijaynagar as it is also known) is pretty laid back... and ..... cool (though temperature wise it's fricken hot!) and it's easy to find seclusion if you want it. Ruined temples and palaces sit among gigantic heaps of granite boulders haphazardly piled on top of one another. The rocks in turn jut out of the dense green coconut palm and banana jungle and rice paddy. Sadhus sit on the paths and in the temples. Foreign tourists and pilgrims alike walk around with red dots on their brows.


I have just over 2 months remaining before my flight home leaves Bangkok. It sounds like a long time but I'm already starting to feel time pressure. There is so much that I would like to see but simply don't have the time for. I head south towards Kerala on thursday.

Hippy life

On a road near Palolem


Fishing huts - a few hours walk south of Arambol

About time for an update on my adventures (or lack thereof) don't you think? Yoga was great. Iyengar Hatha Yoga, the style I was taught, is basicly meditation in wacky positions. I was pleasantly suprised to find how compatible yoga and Vipassana meditation are. Many of the principles are the same; Awareness and non-reaction to sensation being the two most important. Arambol beach is a cool place. It's full of interesting people and there is always something going on. The beach stretches on for many many kilometers, some days I walked all day. Palolem beach, where I am now, is very beautiful but lacks the edge of Arambol. It's much slicker and the mix of people isn't nearly as interesting... no hippies :(. I'll be moving on shortly.

Beach cricket

My favorite breakfast: Chai, 8 kinds of fruit mixed with muesli, served with curd (yogurt) and honey for $1.50. Yes I know, not very indian, but soooooo very tasty and healthy.