Bundi

Only in India can two Backpackers on a humble budget afford to stay somewhere so beautiful as The Dev Niwas Heritage Hotel. Once a Haveli, the building has been lovingly restored to its former glory, and whilst lavish, it retains the tasteful charm one would expect from such a place.

We stayed out of season and therefore were able to barter a room down to R500 per night. Although small, the room was perfectly formed, dripping with character, cosy as home and cleaner than most. We were invited by the owner to explore the rest of the hotel and we did so excitedly. Including Wedding Suites, Dev Niwas has many spectacular rooms situated around a beautiful courtyard. It has a wonderful terrace with amazing views over Bundi and is situated in a central location. The restaurant is excellent, both the service and the food are first rate. We felt most welcome and were looked after beyond all expectation. We were even entertained by the Manager who showcased his cheeky dance moves for us whilst we ate. The hotel is due to be reviewed in the next edition of the Lonely Planet Guide to India. Speaking from experience, we can certainly say that it is an affordable treat if you are planning to visit Bundi.

The main attraction in Bundi, and the principle reason why people visit, is to see Bundi Palace. It is a beautiful building which was left to rot before finally being leased to a private company. Some of the painted walls and ceilings have kept their vibrancy and this allows one to imagine the Palace in its former glory. There is a beautiful Garden which is well maintained and a room which is decorated with peacocks and depictions of Lord Krishna.

As you may already be aware, we love Chai Tea (in truth, being from the North, we just love Tea, but in India this happens to be of the Chai variety) and Bundi is home to the self proclaimed but popularly recognised 'Best Chai Seller in India.' Krishna has been running his Chai stall for years and in that time has collected letters, cards, paintings and photographs from customers around the world all raving about his Chai. On meeting Krishna you are quick to see why people hold him in such regard, he has a kind smile, warm laugh and a mischievous charm that few could resist. His Chai isn't bad either, in fact, its beautiful. Made with Cinnamon, Clove, Massala, Cardamon, Black Pepper and Ginger it is a wonderfully spicy blend that leaves you firmly refreshed. Understandably Krishna is very proud of his trade and swears that his heady mix of herbs and spices has holistic qualities which will help to heal bodies and soothe minds.

Krisha asked us to return that evening for a Lassi which he proclaimed would give us 'The Power of Shiva.' Apparently it is a drink he will only make once the sun has gone down. Obeyingly we returned and Krishna served us with a frothy Lassi designed to make us strong and help us sleep. Like his Chai, the Lassi was deliciously spicy. It was made with Buffalo Milk and therefore was extremely rich. What we did not know, but later found out from Dev Niwas, is that Krishna's Shiva Lassi contains an ingredient that is a derivative of Cannabis and is otherwise known as a Bhang Lassi. These Lassi's can be quite dangerous and tourists are advised to avoid them. Krishna's promise of good sleep suddenly felt less holistic. We had a long bus journey ahead of us and were initially a little worried about the effect the Lassi might have. Luckily we were fine and Krishna was quite correct, drained from all that power we slept until late afternoon the next day.

We decided to visit Bundi because it is one of the towns in Rajasthan which is off the travelers trail. Unlike neighbouring places it offers a lot without asking for much. It is not saturated by tourism but we expect that this will change. Bundi is certainly worth a look if you are planning to visit Rajasthan.

Udaipur

Udaipur is a City which has the relaxed feel of a town. It is far more tourist orientated than most places we have visited, comparable perhaps to Hampi, but this came as a welcome break for us. Quiet, clean, market-lined streets weave together in a way which makes Udapiur a great place to ramble around. A more recent claim to fame for Udaipur is being the setting for the James Bond movie, Octopussy. Thus many restaurants play the film every night at a set time for (some) enthusiastic tourists.

Our first excursion was to a local Museum called Bagore-Ki-Haveli which houses a rather ecliptic mix of artefact's, including the worlds largest turban. The building had only been part renovated and was charming for it, there was a central courtyard off of which many ram shackled rooms made for great exploring. Although the Museum is not worth a visit to Udaipur by itself, it is a lovely way to spend a few casual hours getting lost in local history.

After visiting the Museum Emma had her hand hennaed by a young lady in the Museum Ticket Office. She did both sides of the right hand for R150. The beautifully intricate design took her about 15 minutes to complete, she did so without stencils or props and the end result was lovely. Should you decide to have some Henna done whilst visiting India, you must leave it on your skin for about 2 hours (longer if possible), you can then gently brush it off. Do not use soap on your Henna for the first 24 hours after application. It should last for approximately 7 days.

The following day we visited the City Palace. A glorious and well-maintained complex, it sits at the top of a hill overlooking Udaipur and is Rajasthans largest Palace. We spent a few hours exploring the place, admiring its artwork and architecture, learning its history and fancying ourselves as part of the next Royal Family. From the Palace you can take a boat ride to Jagmandir Island which is home to another Palace (now a Hotel) that is said to have inspired some of the architectural design behind the Taj Mahal. The island is flanked by stone elephants cloaked in red robes and from it you can see impressive views of the City Palace. Where possible, visit City Palace and Jagmandir on the same day to avoid paying additional fees to reach the departure point which is housed in the Palace grounds.

It was Mewar Festival (Festival of Women) whilst we were in Udaipur and in the evening it really came to life. It was fantastic, women and children paraded the streets, families gathered at the large variety of street vendors, death-defying rides scared people silly and the evening rounded off with a glorious firework display. Indian people really know how to celebrate! For dinner we had a Rajasthan Thali at The Little Prince which is situated on the river. The Thali was divine, it consisted of Cooked Vegetables, Paneer Massala, Lentil Stew and Butter Chapattis. We drank Kingfisher from fantastically ugly mugs because the owner did not have a license (our beer being referred to as Cappuccino *with a wink*) and enjoyed a 90's soundtrack that included George Michael and The Backstreet Boys. 

Good Times.

Ahmedabad

Our stay in Ahmedabad coincided with Shane's birthday. during the day we decided to visit a local Art Gallery and Museum. We haven't seen much Indian art work whilst here and thought this an ideal opportunity to do so.

The Gallery was devoted to Miniature Paintings. Each piece of art was wonderfully intricate and colourful and most depicted scenes of Hindu legend. Although we could not fully understand each scenario (there was little to explain them), we were impressed by the originality of the works - their style being unlike any we had seen before.

The Museum was well presented and housed items which were familiar to us from previous excisions in India. Lines of excavated sculptures and carvings are spread over the space and showcase Hindu, Buddhist and Jain works. We both liked the intricacies of the Jain pieces in particular.

That evening, to continue our celebrations, we went to the As Agashiye Restaurant which is recommended by Lonely Planet. The menu changes on a daily basis dependant on what is available from the local market, the premise is always the same, a freshly cooked Gujarati Thali. The evening is marketed as an indulgent one, and although pleasant enough it was not quite what we had hoped for. A Thali can be quite a complex dish which varies dependant on the area you are in. Instead of explaining the Gujarati Thali as expected, the restaurant supplied us with a leaflet that we were not given an opportunity to read. The experience was quite rushed, overpriced and a little disappointing. To be honest, we have had much better Thali dishes from local eateries for a fraction of the cost.

If you are coming to India, you must sample a Thali. When done well, they are fabulous! A Thali consists of several small dishes served on a metal plate and is traditionally eaten using your right hand. It should consist of food native to the region but typical dishes include: rice, dhal, vegetables, roti, papad, curd and pickle. Many restaurants offer a vegetarian Thali and some include bottomless refills on all components of your meal. They are enjoyed by locals and are generally a tasty meal at a bargain price.

For our last day in Ahmedabad we took the short trip to Sabarmati Ashram which was Gandhi's headquarters during his fight for Indian Independence. There was a wealth of accessible information about this remarkable man and we strongly recommend spending some time browsing the Ashram's archives and galleries. There is an on site store in which you can purchase many Gandhi related articles. We left with a book called An Introduction to Gandhi for Children and Beginners - we all have to start somewhere!

Aurangabad (Ellora and Ajanta)

Slowly working our way north, we arrived in Aurangabad after a night tossing and turning on the train. The principal reason for being in Aurangabad is that it makes an excellendt base for visiting the world heritage sights of Ellora and Ajanta. Our three-night stay extended in to five due to some sickness. Our bodies are taking a real beating whilst here. Thankfully the hotel was comfortable enough for us to rest up in.

On the third day we woke first thing and made the one hour journey to Ellora. Ellora is home to thirty-four caves comprising of Buddhist, Hindu and Jain. The caves were chipped right out of the mountain in labour spanning five centuries. It is believe that their coexistence signals a time of relogious tolerance.

Cave 10

We started our tour at the Buddhist caves. There were twelve in total, most were simple but the more ambitious caves were impressive. By far our favourite, so much so it is our favorite sight in India so far, was cave number 10. It was the only Chaitya (temple) in the Buddhist group and is considered one of the finest in India. It's arched ceiling once held wooden panels where now there are only grooves. It had two side isles lined with pillars and a central nave where a gigantic Buddha sat. Although relitively simplistic in comparison to other temples, the Chaitya instantly drew us in and we sat in its cool, calm sanctuary for a while. One of the incredible aspects of the temple was its acoustics, sound reverberated in the most beautiful way. We tried to imagine how incredible sermons would have sounded. Once we left the temple, we tried to describe how it had made us feel. Words included; safe, calm, small (but in a good way) and humble. The temple was such an unexected treasure, it really impacted on us both and we feel honoured to have seen it.

For us, there is less to say with regards to the other caves. We enjoyed exploring them, they are magnificent achievments, but none grabbed us like the Buddhist temple. The Hidu caves are described as dramatic and exxciting in contrast to the calm, contemplation of the Buddhist.

The grandest of them all is called the Kailasa Temple. It is the worlds largest monolithic sculpture and it took 7,000 labourers over 150 years to complete. As the numbers would suggest, the Kailase is very impressive. It is both enormous and detailed, with a level of drama which is grandeous enought to hold its own anywhere. But ask us to describe its detail more closely and we cannot, ask us to describe how it felt to enter the temple and the mind goes blank. The Kailase although impressive, as were all of the temples at Ellora, for us was not a spiritual experence. For whatever reason we are not connecting with the Hindu religion on a spirital level. This is perhaps due to a lack of understanding, some confusion with regards to their Gods, or just that it is so far removed from what we have been brought up to believe.

The folloiwing day we visited Ajanta. The journey is a somewhat grueling 3 hours by bus. Ajanta is much older than Ellora, its caves date back to 2nd Century BC. The 30 caves which make up Ajanta are all Buddhist and so, given our experience the day before, we were really looking forward to seeing them.

Again the caves were beautiful, lining a horse-shoe shaped gorge and carved directly in to the rock face, Ajanta is really something to behold. However, and rather unfortunately, the large crouds of noisy sight-seers did ot allow for the quiet connections of the day before. The caves were impressive but we were not spellbound. During the visit we became a little confused about the principles of Buddhism. Many of the temples refered to various Gods and we saw lots of depictions, that reminded us of Hinduism.

We are looking forward to learning more about Indian religions and gaining a greater understanding of their principles, practices and people.

Hyderabad

As we've mentioned before, India's culture is remarkably different to that of the Western world. Although this is exactly why we came, and why most people visit, at times you find yourself in need of a breather. Feeling this, for our first night in Hyderabad we decided to head to the Banjara Hills area which is know for being quite cosmopolitan. It has to be said that Banjara Hills is not as glamourous as we had naively expected, but it is still a world away from the chaos we have become accustomed to.

Shane and Mr. Motivator

After a meal in a mediocre and somewhat overpriced restaurant we spotted a British pub. It was very mch a parody and quite over the top which we found most amusing. We both felt like extras in an Indian episode of Cheers. A chap sat next to us catching peanuts in his mouth seemed over the moon that he was sat next to a British couple in a British pub, authenticating his whole experience. Pitchers of beer were our drinks of choice and these went down easily. The dance floor opened and we were on it with the locals for the rest of the night. We got a work out trying to keep up with a pint sized man who was pulling out all the moves. If he brings out an exercise DVD we will be the first to buy. The night finished at 12 as per the local drinking laws. We thoroughliy enjoyed the whole experience and it was even worth our sore heads the following day.

Really Big Buddha

One of our aims in visiting India is to learn about the fascinating religion of Buddhism and the next day was to be our first experience of this. We visited one of the worlds largest free-standing Buddha statues situated in the middle of Hyderabad's Hussain Sagar Lake. The statue had an interesting start in life, having stood at the bottom of the lake for two years after the barge which was transporting it sank. It was raised again, cleaned up and now stands proudly on a man-made island.

To geth there, we boarded a small boat from the poplar 'Eat Street'. The statue itself was a marvel of craftmenship, standing tall and weighing a massive 358 tonnes. The ambience was somewhat dampened by the stench of the lake. In fact, the smell, which we can only assume was raw sewage, was near vomit inducing. Not quite the experience of enlightenment we had hoped for, but worth a look for those visiting Hyderabad.

Recently we had splashed out on meals that were disappointing and so we both still craved a little luxury. We decided it would be third time lucky for us and visited the Waterfont Restaurant on Hussain Sagar. Having gone from recommendation we can cheerfully say it delivered in all areas. The restaurant itself was a beautifully lit modern building, with a raised stage on which a live band played. The food was heavenly. Again on recommendation we opted for Thai food, which was beautiful,  and we certainly recommend the Spring Rolls. Excellent food combined with attentive service and a lovely location added up to money well spent.

The following day we visited Indias famous Ramoji Film Studios, which boasts the title of 'World's Largest Film Complex. Given our background in Media we felt it would be perfect for us. We boarded a local bus and took the 1 hour trip to the famous Film City. Once there, you eter through a grand archway and board a private bus which takes you through a mass of countryside. Finally you arrive at the prestigious, glamorous, world famous Ramoji Film City........... Theme Park! Our expectations were quashed. What we thought would be an insight in to the inner workings of Bollywood Cinema turned out to be a tourist attraction comparible to Cleethorpes Pleasure Island. However, we did find the place fun. Indian entertainment retains an innocence you may have seen in Britain 50 years ago.

Butch Cassidy and the Samosa Kid

The variety of shows on offer were short and sweet, they were very loud, a little cartoon like and didn't really go anywhere. We particularly enjoyed the Western Stunt Show. Nevertheless, the locals loved it and in the end so did we. Later we boarded a tour bus which took us around the complex, this was actually very interesting. The bus took us around the many film sets with fake houses, streets and railways. A highlight was the multipurpose hospital / airport terminal which also housed the internal structure of a plane. Overall it was an enjoyable day, but not quite what we had expected. Visit the Film City if you want a break from Temples and Museums but not it you want an in-depth look at Indian Cinema.

Charminar Street Market

On the final day in Hyderabad, before boadring the train to Aurangabad we visited the city's principle landmark, the Caharminar. This is a four-collumn structure which commemerated the founding of Hyderabad at the end of an epidemic caused by Golkonda's water shortage. It was an impressive building. But for us the real joy in visiting the Charminar is seeing the vast and colourful market which surround it. A matrix of tiny alleys are lined with every material in every colour with every pattern one would ever need. We did not buy anything because ready-made garments are limited. If you want to purchase such materials you can then take them to a Tailor. But if you want to do this in India you will need to allow a week for the garment to be made.

That's it for Hyderabad. Next we board the train to Aurangabad.

Getting an Indian Sim-Card

We decided to get an Indian sim-card whilst here. It is a little inconvenient not having your own phone, one is needed in case of emergencies and it is also handy for booking things from the road.

We went with Vodafone, but Airtel is another popular option. For us the process was somewhat long winded, we had to visit the store several times with various bits of information, none of which was ever fully explained. For anybody visiting India and thinking of getting a sim-card, here is what you need:

• Passport photocopy
• Passport photograph 
• Indian address (invoice of the hotel you are staying at)
• A phone that is compatible with any network in any country (if you already have a phone which you want to use, you can get it unlocked at the various kiosks which are dotted about. It should costs between 100 and 200 Rupees dependent on the model)

It is worth knowing that when you travel to another state within India it is classed as roaming, therefore further charges apply, but it is still cheaper than using your foreign sim-card.

Happy Holi!

The day we arrived in Hyderabad was Holi Festival (Festival of Colour). Since planning our trip, the festival is one we were particularly looking forward to. Holi is one of the biggest Hindu festivals and the locals love it. As a celebration of colour, people take to the streets and mercilessly splast each other with paint. As we headed out, we saw much remnance of this, the streets splashed with pink and orange where colour wars had broken out. We saw lots of Men, Women, Children and Dogs covered head to toe in paint! This made us a little sad as we became worried that we had missed the mayhem.

Then Emma's face suddenly lit up, a grin a mile long beaming accross her face. She had spotted some guys covered in colour and it seemed they hadn't quite finished. Surely if she stood smiling at them long enough they might, just might, attack us with their colours. When one of them asked, 'Do you want colour?', the beam on her face only got bigger. The lads were pretty excited about this and before we knew it, we had floerescent faces. 'Happy Holi!', they shouted. Now we had some colour on us, we seemed to attract alot more attention. We were attacked with colour twice more. We were well and truly Holli'd! This went down fantastically with the locals who loved that tourists were getting involved. 'Happy Holi' was hollered at us all the way home.

The powder used during Holi stains skin quite badly and it was a nightmare to wash off. Luckily we did this straight away (and would advise other Holi hopefuls to do the same) but, even so, it took a few days of serious scrubbing to remove it fully. Many of the locals were left bright faced for days. This was most amusing as the majority of people were back at work. It's difficult to take a pink-faced security guard seriously.

All Aboard - The Train to Hyderabad

From Hospet, near Hampi, we got the train to Hyderabad which is in the Andhra Pradesh region of India. This was to be our first journey by train in India and it turned out to be one that we will not quickly forget.

It has been reported recently that India's Railway Service will see its first price increase in ten years. Although unpopular with the Indian people, the rise in cost will provide the network with some much needed TLC. Currently trains are old, cramped, rickety and hot - It is worth noting that we traveled in 2AC which is only one class below first. That aside, we must give respect to the Indian Railway Network. An unimaginable number of people travel by train everyday (tickets go on sale three months before departure and sell out quick) but somehow the system seems to work efficiently - Quite an achievement given India's size and population.

However, none of the above is what made our journey a noteworthy one. The reason we had such a memorable trip was thanks to the Indian people we were traveling alongside. The first man we met referred to himself as 'The Don', wearing a faded retro Transformers t-shirt and referring to the concept of The Holy Ganges as 'complete bollocks'. We didn't necessarily agree, but it made us chuckle nonetheless.

A few hours, some general conversation and a snooze later, 'The Don' asked us if we would share a drink with him. He then arranged for 'his people' to drop some beer off at the next stop. We were in awe. We later discovered that 'The Don' worked for the Civil Service and therefore had lots of people in lots of places.

The train soon stopped as expected, but we were then informed that it would be (unexpectedly) doing so for five hours. Trains in India are often either split or joined to other trains at junctions before heading off in their various directions. We assume this is in order to cover the vast amount of land which India is spread across. Normally a relatively quick and seamless process, today there had been a complication.

It was at this point we got talking to a brother and sister who were traveling together. He was escorting her back to their family home where she would stay until giving birth to her expected baby. The pair were lovely. They were kind, intelligent and humerus and their English was excellent. In light of the long wait they asked if we would like to join them in visiting a near by Hindu temple which they knew of. We asked 'The Don' if he would like to join us, but he was going to hang fire and wait for his people. So the four of us headed off ensuring 'The Don' we would be back in time to share a drink before departure.

Being escorted to the temple was an excellent experience. With thanks to wonderful company we were able to learn first hand about Hindu religion and its practices. On arrival we circled the temple three times before entering. This was to pay respect to three prolific Hindu Gods, Shiva the Creator, Preserver and Destroyer. We learned that three is a sacred number for Hindu's and thus many of their practices are carried out three times.

We entered the temple by putting our right foot forward as this is considered to be the more significant side of the human body - Hence the reason many Indian's only use their right hand to eat with, the left being reserved for less desirable purposes. A service was taking place, and following direction from our guides, we were blessed and prayed for. After the service we ate a form of sweet dough which is made at the temple. This is said to be offered to the Gods before being sold to worshipers - a process we didn't fully understand.

After the temple we shared an Auto-Rickshaw back to the station and on route I was able to speak with the sister about women in India and, in particular, about her arranged marriage. Although there has undoubtedly been some progression, I got the impression that women in India are still second class citizens. She informed me that women are expected to act in ways which are not put on to men. Most weddings are arranged, women still come with a Dowry and after marriage many give up their personal goals to tend the family home. Once a year the Wife must fast for her Husband and when he passes away it will also signal the end of her life.

Many parents arrange their daughters marriage to ensure that they find a suitable partner. When looked upon in this light one can begin to understand their logic - it becomes an act of parental care rather than oppression. But then for me love isn't about logic, partners should be referred to in ways which are dreamy rather than dutiful, and connections must be made, not forced.

I left the conversation feeling connected to the sister as a Woman, but felt a little sad and found her acceptance of her situation a little difficult to understand.

When we got back to our train 'The Don' was waiting with food and drink - his people had delivered as promised. We spent the next few hours laughing and joking together before putting our heads down for some much needed rest. We arrived in Hyderabad early morning, swapped numbers and shared a coffee. We all agreed it was the best train journey we had ever taken.

Hampi

We arrived in Hampi at around 6:30AM. The Sleeper Bus had been as about as comfortable as expected so we were rather tired and somewhat rough. Nevertheless we checked in to a hotel and put our heads down for a few hours.

Hampi is a popular stop on the tourist trail, we were located within Hampi Bazaar, a village packed with budget hotels, shops and restaurants. The Bazaar is one of the main entry points to the Hampi ruins and so we were ideally situated in a central location.

Hampi was once the capital of one of the largest Hindu empires in Indian history. This was until it was invaded, destroyed and left for dead by Sultanates in 1565. Consequently, Hampie now consists of a large network of ruins divided into two main areas: Hampi Bazaar and The Royal Center.


Our first venture into Hampi was to see Lakshmi, the Virupaksha Temple elephant who receives a bath in the River Ghats every morning. Seeing her was amazing. She was breathtakingly beautiful and surprisingly
graceful given her size. Lakshmi is led by several keepers down to the river and crowds gather to admire the towns treasure. Whats interesting is that the Ghats is also the place where towns people bathe and wash their clothes. So you have Men, Women and Children splashing around, whilst a few meters away Lakshmi, the elephant, is having her daily soak. There was something very natural, yet completely alien about the whole scene.

Sometime after we had seen Lakshmi we went to visit her home at The Virupaksha Temple. This is one of the oldest buildings in Hampi, and its main Shrine is dedicated to Virupaksha, a form of Shiva. It was here that Shiva, in the form of the Destroyer, was said to have appeared to the invading Sultanates causing them to flee the City which they had so barbarically destroyed.

By the time we arrived Lakshmi was already home and we were again struck by her beauty. We were able to stroke Lakshmi and for a few Rupees I was blessed by her. I have never been so in awe of a creature before, her rough skin, gentle eyes, huge feet and adorable trunk were completely hypnotic. However, joy and wonder soon turned to sadness as the realization of Lakshmi's isolation crept in. She does not have a family, she will never know the love of a mate, nor will she carry offspring. The combined with such a small enclosure for such a large animal felt unfair.These people seem to hold the elephant in some regard and yet she is chained up and performs what could be likened to a circus trick for Rupees. Is it selfish, lack of understanding and care or simply a matter of cultural concern? Either way, we left Lakshmi with a heavy heart.

We next went on a guided tour of the Temple. This was with a local who only asked for a donation for his service (we gave him 200 Rupees). The tour was beneficial, we learnt about some of the Temples history, saw some of its quirks and gained an understanding of its place in Hampis story.

After the tour, and on the recommendation of our guide, we ventured up Matanga Hill, a colossal and rocky mountain-like structure from which you can see the whole of Hampi. The climb was exhausting, but as the saying goes, the destination was worth the ride - the view was absolutely stunning. We gazed out for quite some time (partly to regain our breath) at the magnificent labyrinth of ,and the whole sight really put Hampi into perspective for us.

The next day we had an early start to avoid mid-day heat. We moved from our hotel to a much more comfortable guesthouse (bartering in such places will get you a good deal) and then went to the corner tea stand for some Chai. I don't believe I have mentioned 'Chai Lady' yet - She was lovely. A very smiley lady who made the best tea we have ever tasted. 'Chai Lady' (who in our minds, later developed into a Superhero with the power of Chai) had an authority about her, the Auto-rickshaw men seemed to love her and we got the impression she could source most things in Hampi. On this particular morning she sourced us two bicycles for the bargain price of 150 Rupees - Excellent.

I didn't know that bikes could come without gears, but these ones did and by Shiva were they heavy. Nonetheless, they proved to be the perfect way to get around Hampi (both a pleasant and cost effective alternative to the Auto-rickshaw tours on offer) and that morning we visited The Royal Centre. Sights here included The Queens Bath, The Lotus Mahal and some old Elephant Stables, all of which we thoroughly enjoyed.

That afternoon, once the sun had cooled, we then made our way to the Vittala Temple which is herald as the highlight of Hampi. It did not disappoint. The series of buildings which make up the Temple are still in good condition and the sheer size of the complex is bewildering.

It is thought that work on the Temple began in 1509. Interestingly, it was never finished (presumably due to Hampis invasion) and consequently the Temple was never consecrated. Whats more, this seemed to be reflected in the way the Temple was treated - people lounged, children climbed and noise polluted the air in ways unheard at other sites.

Perhaps, unlike other Temples, Vittala is only noted for its architectural qualities rather than its religious significance. Either way we found this a little unfortunate. The Temple reminded me of being all dressed up with nowhere to go. I saw Vittala as an aged Goddess who was no longer desired or a gifted starlet who never got her time to shine. Thankfully the crowds soon departed and we were able to enjoy the quiet serenity of the Temple. A sense of abandonment filled the air in a way which felt quite befitting to Vittalas story.

The outer pillars of the central structure at Vittala are known for being musical - they form notes when tapped accordingly. Authorities have places them out of tourists reach and therefore their music is no longer heard by the masses. Lucky for us, we were approached by a Guard who offered to discreetly play the pillars in exchange for a tip. At the time we were too excited to know just how naughty this was, but the Guard quickly becoming concerned about various cameras dotted about the structure soon had us realise.

The sound of the pillars somewhat resembled a Xylophone, with each one designed to produce a slightly different noise. Quite a marvel really, such a creative and clever aspect of the buildings infrastructure.
But again, as with Lakshmi the elephant, once the initial intrigue of the pillars had subsided, there was a slight regret. The Guard had been employed to protect and preserve the delicate structure, but here he was exploiting it for personal gain. Would this have been the case if the Temple had been consecrated as planned or was this act of ignorance another sign that Vittala is not respected in the way she was intended?

All in all, I have just about summed up our time in Hampi. Beyond what has been reported we ate a delicious banana curry, refined our bartering skills, drank copious amounts of 7UP (Hampi is a religious site and therefore no alcohol is allowed) and generally just pottered about.

We loved Hampi, we had an excellent time and feel like we experienced a truly magical place steeped in Indian history.

Agonda, Goa

Enjoying a cup of Chai at a local cafe

For the last five days we have been staying in the beautiful Agonda and have to say that it is our favourite Goan getaway. Agonda was recommended to us back in Anjuna and decsribed as a place that you don't want to share. This couldn't be truer and is probably due to the fact that this part of the coast was, until recently, an undiscovered gem. Over the last six years it has quickly built up, with a good selection of cafes, restaurants and shops yet, at the moment, it still retains its peaceful charm. We imagine the next five years will probably see that change, with Agonda becoming similar to its bigger sister, Palolem.

Inside our Beach Hut

Most of the accommodation here is in the form of small beach huts so that was also our choice. We chose 'Duck and Chill', again on recommendation, and were really happy we did. Although basic, the huts still have en-suite western facilities, a nice porch to sit on with a morning coffee and a mosquito net which worked a treat. But the best part was not the hut itself, nor the lovely staff that worked there. It was the view of the beach and the ocean only twenty metres away that was the true selling point. At night we switched our ceiling fan off and drifted

Leica the Puppy

off to the sound of the waves (and the noisy family of crickets next to our hut). This was our favourite place to stay yet and also our cheapest, costing only 500 Rupees per night after haggling. Of course, the place was made even better for Emma, as they also had a young puppy on sight named Leica. He took a particular shine to use and spend many morning sitting on our balcony with us.

Our vegetarian streak is now over and we have tried our first fish. You can't leave Goa without sampling the freshly caught fish. All the restaurants proudly show off the days catch in the evening outside their establishments. We picked a lovely fat Rockfish and had it cooked Tandori style. Needless to say, it was wonderful (even if we did have to face the head away from Emma to stop it 'looking at her').

Currently we are waiting to catch our bus to the next stop, Hampi. It is another 'Sleeper' bus, so we are not imagining much 'sleep' again. We can't even have a beer to knock us out, due to the alcohol ban during the election. We are very sad to be leaving the sea but so excited to see more of this wonderfully diverse country.