An Indian Adventure: Part One

Apologies if you've already seen this post on Facebook. I'm saving time but I will elaborate on this post when I get home:

Am now a week into my three week trip and am having a great time. Well, apart from an infection on my leg (maybe an insect bite, that's got me hobbling around a bit).

The first few days were spent in Mumbai and felt like a holiday as I was with Sanchia and was able to enjoy being shown around and taking in the complete assault to my senses without worrying about communication difficulties (well, I understood Sanchia most of the time, but I actually mean other people!) or where to go next, what to do, etc. The sky was blue, the sun was hot, the food was great and the city wonderful although slightly mad! I was surprised at the lack of beggars compared to what I'd expected and the city surprised me in being so similar to many south-east asian cities i've seen - but a bit more colonial! and i loved the architecture. had a heap of clothes made too while i was there.

After Mumbai, the holiday ended and the adventure started...From Bombay, took an overnight train to Hyderabad, which was a bit of an adventure in itself with people wanting my birth as it was better than theirs and various other misunderstandings.

Got to Hyderabad pretty early the next day and went off to visit some ruins where they happened to be filming a Bollywood movie... Had a great time wandering around and enjoying the early morning lack of crowds and the sun, of course.

The next 1.5 days were spent wandering around enjoying Hyderabad - which was a different kind of crazy to Mumbai - seeing various bits and bobs and talking to (being talked to) by heaps of people. In the first day I saw no other foreign tourists, and the second not many.

It was all good fun anyway.

Next part of the adventure was an overnight bus ride to Hampi, which is where I am now. Yesterday was spent running around seeing lots of rocks - er, I mean, ruins and being dragged into random photos by Indians, who also kept rushing up to me and shaking me hand, sending there kids over to say 'what country you from', or just coming over to me to chat. it was very funny. although it did make it a little hard to relax too much there!

Hampi is also a little crazy. Yesterday was the final day of a 12-day festival that happens every 12 years and where an estimated 50 million people come to visit and bathe in the river here. it was mobbed and crazy anyway and an utter explosion of colourful saris. the rocks took on a rusty coloured hue and the piles of dye being sold are in every colour....

It's very laid back here, although rather a lot of cows are wandering around the streets. The area where I'm staying is surrounded by old temples and ruins, and is really quite something to see.

I'm giving myself a day off today - which is why I've popped onto the computer - just wandering around locally, taking photos and enjoying the atmosphere. Tomorrow I'm doing more sightseeing around Hampi and then I'm busing down to Mysore for the next part of the adventure!

Happy Christmas / holidays if I don't get on to blog again before. Enjoy!