I think I owe India a bit of an apology... OK, so she and I don't see eye to eye, but perhaps I was a little too harsh. I feel a bit guilty, like I've scolded a child who didn't really know any better. It's not India's fault that I'm used to pavements and beef steaks, that I've been taught that burping in public is uncouth, it's not her fault that that I'm used to the polished surface of the West where a lot of the ugliness is swept into pipes, piled into dumps or hidden behind closed doors... So India, I am sorry for being so harsh; this will clearly never be a love affair but there is no reason we should end this brief encounter on a sour note. You've showed me some ugly realities and made me discover some of my limits so thank you for your honesty.
What I realised today is that the reason India is so shocking is that ALL of it is on display whether you like it or not. The good, the bad and the ugly is all in your face, all of the time and there is nowhere for you or it to hide. If you spend the right amount of money, there is a way to enjoy only the good of India and I'm sure it's a grand experience but I don't think it would feel right. So I can't on one hand complain about the dirt and noise and squalor and then on the other hand say I wouldn't want to travel in a way that would make this comfortable and enjoyable for me... There's a side of India that I'm sure I would love but it wouldn't feel real. As tourists I guess it's difficult to ever really experience anything that isn't sugar coated so now that I'm feeling less stressed and more reflective I can appreciate something positive within the chaos. Anyway, back to the travelling....
Hampi in Karnataka blew me away with its stunning landscapes worthy of a Disney film - A beautiful river winding round giant golden boulders broken up by palm trees and banana plantations and decorated with beautiful ancient ruins. Sadly, in an attempt to preserve the beauty of the place, conservationists have managed to all but destroy the community that live there... What we arrived to was a shell of what was until very recently a bustling and lovely
small town. As of next year there will be nothing modern left in Hampi Bazaar as the whole village is being demolished and moved some 14kms away which seems a real shame. Thankfully the highlights of our visit there were things that will remain unscathed. There is a resident elephant in the temple called Lakshmi whose daily wash in the river we witnessed in the morning - once convinced that she was suitably clean we headed to the temple to be blessed by her (for ten rupees of course). In the evening we clambered up piles of boulders and broken steps with a Polish guy we had met who kindly acted as our guide. The trek to the top was rewarded with stunning views but our moment of zen was soon cut short when a pack of giant evil demon rabies monkeys from hell with giant teeth and glowing eyes came and made us back away after an epic battle which we fought like the bravest of warriors. OK, OK, some tiny fluffy monkeys growled at us and the three of us squealed and ran away... But the rabies part may have been true and that's reason enough to have been terrified! Eventually we found a primate-free spot and enjoyed a stunning and tranquil sunset.
The most uncomfortable night bus ever got us to Mysore in the early morning where we spent a good 2 hours wandering around with our backpacks looking for an inexpensive hotel that wasn't falling apart. Eventually a rickshaw driver helped us out and we agreed to go on a day tour with him as well. He took us to a couple of temples, and then dropped us off at a tiny little oil shop where we were overwhelmed with 100 different beautiful smells but chose to buy the black jasmine and the water lily - good for skin and as mosquito repellent respectively. He then semi-kidnapped us and took us to a bar to show us off to some of his friends who we had a bottle of wine with (the men drink whisky with water, the women drink wine mixed with coke which is surprisingly nice). Our last stop was the amazing Mysore Palace which was completed 100 years ago. Unfortunately photography was not allowed in the interior (I managed to sneak one in) but you'll have to trust me when I say it's the most beautiful residence I've ever stepped in. From golden gates, to statues of panthers, marble floors, colourful pillars, stained glass windows and ivory inlaid doors and corridors... So far South India is slowly managing to cover some ground in redeeming my opinion of the country.
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