Boulders, Trains and Temples

We've just got back from two nights in Hampi, and after returning briefly to backpacking are once again sipping Kingfishers on the beach in Goa.

Hampi truly was amazing, it's our favourite place in India so far. It is a whole landscape covering something like 62 sq km, which has the weirdest scenery. Everywhere you look there are huge red boulders and hills and mountains made of red boulders, there are palm trees and banana plantaions nestled in between and the cleanest river I have seen since arriving in India running through it all.

On top of that there are something like 3,000 shrines and temples scattered about, 1,000 of which archaeologists are still trying to find. It's the sort of place you would expect Indiana Jones's next adventure to be filmed.

Plus to top it all off we were both blessed by Lakshmi the temple elephant. After placing 1 rupee in her trunk she blesses you on the head with it!

Our 1st full day at Hampi started at 5am. We met our guide Kali at the foot of the Hampi Bazaar and hiked up the Matanga Hill to watch the sunrise and feed the monkeys peanuts. The monkeys were pretty evil and despite the morning chill delighted in displaying the primate's version of the Kama Sutra to us all - not what you need to see before breakfast.

We later trekked to a temple on the other side of the hill which was even more impressive, literally the more we looked the better it got. After that we trekked to the river where I made my first 'puja' at the Temple of Rama - the seventh incarnation of Vishnu. I had to get the obligatory bright red 'tilka' mark on my forehead - which felt a bit stupid at the time and will probably look even more stupid in the photographs.

After a cup of chai we were taken on a short boat trip on what was the best form of transport so far - the coracle. It's basically a circular dish, made of cane, canvas and tar which can easily seat (I'm told) four people and three motorbikes - unfortunately there was just four of us so we didn't get to test that theory.

Our guide paddled us down river to shrines and temples set in the rocks of the mountains, some are only accessible by boat and it really gives you an idea of just how important and all-encompassing religion is to India.

We found out this morning that there are 300,000,000 (three-hundred-million!) gods and goddesses in India, each with their own temples, shrines, followers and stories. It puts our monotheistic country to shame - Britain needs more gods!

There are gods for rivers, mountains, and winds, each village has a god or two, some animals are gods, other animals might be demons disguised as gods, guests in people's homes are a type of god, plus most gods have transports which are also god-like - it goes on and on. There might even be road and railway gods (though I'm pretty certain buses are demons) how else would people avoid crashing every day?


On to the railways then, and they truly are a delight. The Indian rail system is about a million times better than the Indian bus system (see previous posts) and about 100,000 times better than British trains. Ok, the platforms are a nightmare. Like the roads, people, dogs, cows and goats happily saunter along the tracks oblivious to the 20,000 tonnes of rolling stock careening towards them, everywhere people are spitting onto the tracks, beggars and hustlers harass and stare at you - but once you're on board it's a different story.

After our experience 'on the buses' we opted for the AC2 sleeper class which is pretty much as good as it gets on the train. As well as air-con, your own bed, blankets and a pillow, you get food and snacks throughout the journey - all of it good, plus an almost unlimited supply of piping hot chai.

On top of all this you can sit in the open doorways (after overcoming the fact that you are sitting five feet above the ground, hurtling along across bridges and ravines, with only a hand rail between you and certain death) and watch the world glide by - which I did. I even, at one point, got off the train in the middle of nowhere to take photos of a mountain - before hastily jumping back on when I realised the train was about to leave without me - great fun, and the only way to travel long distances in India.

After Hampi we both decided we love India. I'm diving in Goa tomorrow, then we're on the trains again as we head south to Kerala, where Fort Cochin, Munnar and a zillion mosquitoes await. Update soon. Also keep an eye on the Flickr pix link I've added for photos.