Rocks and Temples

After being lulled into a deep, almost unconscious state of relaxation by the lapping waves of the Arabian Sea on Palolem and becoming a little pudgy from the delicious buttered chicken and banoffee pie I was kick started quickly when I had to pack my backpack for the first time in three long and wonderful weeks. The whole frenzy and thought of it made my head hurt. It is not to say I haven't done anything for the entire time, just not a lot that requires thinking.

Goa highlights of the past few days with the Mo included a big day out to the very old Portuguese churches of Old Goa (another World Heritage Site - check!) and then another trip up to Anjuna for the Wednesday flea market where of course, I bought more earrings and Mom wandered around wide-eyed and bushy tailed in amazement of all the "stuff" they sell there. We had a great time and were totally exhausted by the time we returned to our hut just in time for sunset. The following day we went to see the dolphins who were wonderfully cooperative and put on a great show for us jumping and flipping their tails and all the rest - very cute.

As I waved goodbye to the 'coconut-papaya-pineapple-watermelon' guys I almost shed a tear as we started off on an overnight bus to Hampi. Now, in India, you can ask for one thing, pay for another, and expect another but you really really really, never know what you're going to get. As an intro into the absurd Indian bus system I opted to take Mum on the AC chair overnighter, so I paid a little extra. Instead what I got was a chair with a crazy Indian woman already in it, a fight with the bus conductor over an "extra luggage charge", a cockroach infested bus (yes, they were crawling out of the cracked laminate walls), NO air conditioning, and close to one of the worst bus rides in history - although, not nearly as bad as getting to Kathmandu. We survived and arrived in Hampi sans any permanent damage. But eew.

Hampi, like the caves of Ajanta, was well worth the detour and we spent two peaceful days exploring the bolder strewn landscape and the hundreds of ancient temples. In the 15th century Hampi was one of the largest Hindu Empires but was ransacked by Deccan sultanates and has only fairly recently become inhabited by the local population again. It's small and quiet and has a very holy feeling. We hired the cutest rickshaw driver in the world, who played all the latest Bollywood hits from Don and Doom 2 to take us templing for the day. We saw many Vishnu's, Lingam's, Ganesh's and lots and lots of rocks - big ones, little ones, perched ones, cut ones, rocks stacked, rocks carved, rocks rocks rocks ... Aaron would have liked it. hehe. We ended our Hampi adventure with a climb up some boulders to a wonderful view of the sunset and a tiny little temple created out of the caverns of fallen boulders where a polio stricken holy man survives on temple donations. We shuffled under the big rocks into the dark but candle lit cave for a blessing and some Karma sugar balls. A moving way to conclude an amazing day.

Although it was a Saturday and all the Indian tourists were out with their millions of children and grandmothers and pubescent teenage boys I found I only got a fraction of the staring I usually would with Lifa, and to this I credit the protection of a Mother. It was great. The weird Indian men only hassled other solo white girls to be in their pictures. And because of the official warning issued by the Israeli government for all Israeli travellers to leave Goa and the surrounding areas due to terrorist attacks targeted at Israelis there was a surprising peacefulness about the whole place which is usually filled with them. (Or so I heard from many other travellers)

We are now on the move again and after another, but hopefully the last, overnight bus trip we are in the hi-tech capital of India for Christmas. It's festive and funny to see elephants with hats on but will do for a make-shift holiday away from friends and family. There are all the familiar big city attractions like McIndia, cinemas, Forts and unruly rickshaw drivers but there's also an array of nice restaurants and clean streets.

I know I'm missing the annual and very epic Hibbert boxing day party and I'm sad. So for those of you wondering what I'm up to while you're partying your faces off in the sweaty basement you can see for yourself. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wGhqOFJ-xE

Merry Christmas and Happy Boxing Day party! Peace and Love!