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Waiter: “Would you like a tasty beverage while you’re hanging by the beach?” Me: “Why yes, yes, I believe I would!”
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Winter in Hampi: 36c, blue skies and sunshine and more sunscreen than you’ve ever seen in your life. We pre-arranged a touring day with Raj from a local tour company, and met up with him shortly after watching the morning elephant washing ritual on the banks of Tungabhadra River. Raj had organised wheels for us (3 motorcycles and a tuk-tuk) to move about between monuments and we managed to cover quite a bit of the Vijayanagaran empire area.  Elephant Stables - big doorways for elephants (and fat heads) The Hampi shrines and memorials contained in the UNESCO world heritage site are a sub group of the broader Vijayanagara ruins. Most of these were built between 1336 and 1570. The notable exception is the Virupaksha Temple which is a 7th century Hindu temple. The area contains various examples of civil, military and religious architecture and includes the Sacred Centre, the Royal Citadel, Hemakuta Hill Temple Complex and Zenana Enclosure.
If you had a competition for best big temple-like structure in Hampi and it was judged by monkeys, which one would win?  "Oooh...what are they building over there?!?" I have to confess, I totally love the ramshackle corrugated tin number. A for effort, surely?
Some places can be a contradiction in terms. Take Hampi for example. There are loads of tuk-tuks available to ferry people around and often they're painted with various signs. Like "Be Quiet in Hampi", and "Sound Horn" - sometimes on the same vehicle. Mmmmm.... My personal favourite example of 'being quiet' is the very loud call to prayer alarm that screams across the landscape in the pre-dawn. The other four daily calls are barely audible during the noise of a normal day!  Please make your noises quietly. It’s only about 300 kilometres by train, which is after the hour-long taxi ride from Panjim to Margao railway station. Oh, and then there’ll be another hour-long taxi ride from Hospet to the Sanapur area of Hampi which is awash with rice paddies, cows, tourists and monkeys. And then a little walk to your accommodation. Wherever that may be tucked away.....   Steps + wheelchair = disaster ......wheelchair bound folk who will no doubt have a great time trying to get up these steps.
Nope, there's no ramp.  Sun, sky, sea, man, phone. Well, not really.
Mr and Mrs Baldrick threw a fabulous reception party the night after the wedding (see...this stuff goes on for days) which was great fun, but I didn’t take a camera so there’s no piccies (aka “incriminating evidence”). What happens at the Goan Wedding Reception stays at the Goan Wedding Reception! There was more make-up and hair gorgeousness, another wardrobe of outfits, a tonne of food, loads of booze, a dance floor...and....and......FIREWORKS - YAY! There is, apparently, photographic evidence of my better half actually dancing but rest assured, it’s not in my possession so it won’t appear here! *wink*  "Here's the house keys; we're off to the Bahamas!" But wait…. there’s more!
The bride and groom are led to his parent’s house where family and friends are waiting to welcome them home. “The actual ceremony doesn’t take long”, everyone said. Oh really???  Brahmin Priestly Duties 101: Making Rice Patterns |
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