Bowman, Brahmans, and Bhaji: The Next Few Steps

Shalom, It is only funny to me because sometimes I feel like I am in Israel due to the wondrous amounts of Israeli travellers I have encountered. I came to Hampi three days ago and met up with two girls (Israeli) that I had met in Ahmadabad. They tell me it is too much and they want to leave, there are only Israeli's here. I, myself, do not mind although I do sympathise with them. If I had left Canada for a foreign country and ended up being surrounded with thousands of Canadians, I might want to get away too. One the other hand some days I wish I could run into someone I knew. Just chill out and speak normally. I mean anyone who has travelled or gone to a new place knows that you are asked 101 times, where you are from, what is your favorite colour, what is your job, and all the while you just don't care. We are all out here trying to reinvent ourselves. In some mad crazy attempt we are out here try to find out what our favorite colour is, honestly. Trying to find something. I am not getting all philosophical by stating that we are all out here lacking something and in hot pursuit of finding that missing piece, that sense of self we all seek. Rather it is a simple fact: We are here because we put ourselves here and are not where we were because we left. Usually when you leave and go somewhere there is a reason for it, whether it be the grocery story or the moon, your are either looking, seeking or just damn curious but curiosity is fueled by a seeking of answers.

Who cares where you are from and what you were before? What you are out here becoming is what I am interested in. Don't get me wrong, the other day I longed for a day on the couch, for a comfortable bed and not a rock with a yoga mat on it, which is what I am sleeping on now. It blows, and I don't mean like the wind, which is nice and refreshing. I mean like a vacuum that's gone haywire and blows all that dust back onto the surface it was removed from. Where was I going with this? Who knows. What I mean to say is that I do care where people are from. I have learned more about Israel, Australia, Slovenia, France and their history than in all my years of 'formal' education. But at some point it is exhausting and I would just like to chill out with a few Canadians, shoot the shit and drink a very very cold Canadian brew. So, although I do sympathise with the two girls, Yael and Nur, about wanting to be away from all the other Israeli's, I also don't because they never feel that longing for comfort that I have.

(above the women in the rice fields, so beautiful in their saris.)

I am not trying to sound like so lone ranger out here, there are many people who I have met and drank and sung and danced with, but that is different than what I am talking about. They are all in the same boat as I am. In Hampi though the people, often Israeli, come and stay for weeks, weeks. So it does in a sense become their home. Great people, they all are great people.

Okay, so I am staying in a small hut again. This one is made of clay and big palm leaves. It is dirty, dark, it has roaches and frogs in it and like I said it blows like a defunct vacuum. It is only 100 Rupees and I am, in a desperate attempt, trying to get on track with my planned budget. Most of the accommodation in Hampi is 450 for a single. So, I've got quite a bargain! "Woooo, shitty living condition save me 3 dollars, woooo!"

What a joke, but at the same time, what way to save and experience at the same time.

(Above is at a Monkey temple in Hampi.)

Hampi is beautiful. Is it a world heritage site. Most of the pictures throughout this post are from Hampi. For miles massive boulders are naturally piled, sometimes forming mountains. The area is surrounded by rice patties and banana plantations. If you have known me for the past 4-5 years you will know about my curious fascination that bananas grow upside down. I knew it, I had read it, but I had never seen it until yesterday. Bananas grow upside down.

I think, right now after seeing the upside down banana growing, I peel a bit smarter and more worldly. Poor joke, I apologize.

Back to Hampi. I rented a bike, not a scooter this time, and not a pedal bike, gears baby, gears. So sweet. Although riding a motorbike is not directly related to India, it is definitely part of the experience. There is probably 1000 to 1 ratio of bikes over cars.

I was planning on doing some serious sight seeing today but it proved to be impossible. Hampi is divided by a river that splits the town in two. There is only one ferry that can take you across and by ferry I mean small river boat. Getting to the side which I am staying was a breeze. What is it with the blowing and the breeze today, I should be more versatile in my adjective usage. Yes sticklers, I know that sentence is incorrect.

Anyway, today is like the new year for Hampi and I was told there is no possibility that I was going to get across, why, with the thousands of Indian's that do not cue- Good luck, Chris.

I left that area and decided to get a few other things out of the way today. A blog post was one and a plan for the coming weeks is second. The boat I have since heard has capsized and is being repaired, fucking crazy Indians.

I am heading to Indonesia on the 6th of February, one day after my sister Tuna's birthday. Before that I will spend 2 days in Malaysia and the weeks prior to that in Kerala. I am going to come back to India around mid-March and go north. It is much too cold in the north at present. Then back to SE Asia for a month before I return to the CDN summer at the spot I hold so dearly to me heart. The cottage, North Hatley, Quebec, Canada.