Details

It still surprises me, every day, how detailed and intricate everything is here.  Spending time at the brewery has been interesting on so many levels.  I’m able to watch the workers from one day to the next and see how things are changing.  It impresses me how much time these men spend on the smallest detail.  I watched a man weave the back of a chair with twine for hours yesterday.  The design is beautiful and detailed, yet this one chair took 2 men all afternoon to make.  The brewery will have a few hundred.  The other day I watched a man (when I say man I mean boy- almost all these men look to be about 15 years old) carve intricate patterns into the doors of the brewery. Again, for hours this man sat and carved, paying such attention to detail.  The brewery has a dozen similar doors.

Beauty on the train

Riding the train today was a beautiful experience. There are specific cars on the train for women, which I think is a genius idea.  Not only is it less stressful, not having to worry about strange men grabbing at me, but it’s so much more beautiful (and smells better too!)  Dozens upon dozens of women were climbing in and out of the car in their amazing, bright, delicate saris.  I loved looking at all the patterns and fabrics, the different ways they wrap the saris, and how elegant they all look.  I felt a little creepy staring at everyone, but those 30minutes on the train was an overload to my eyes, and a very enjoyable one at that.

Thoughts with those is Moz

After checking the internet and the dozens of facebook updates, I've come to realize there is substantial flooding in Gaza, the province I lived in for two years, and severe flooding in Chokwe and Guija, where I spent most of my time away from site.  Thousands of people have already lost their homes and thousands more will lose them in the coming days/weeks.   I felt lucky the 3 years I lived in Moz to never have had to suffer through the floods, and my heart goes out to all the PCVs and Mozambicans who are currently being affected.

Wandering

One thing I LOVE about being here is it's such a small place, I keep running into people I've met over the last few days.  Last night I ran into my Irish and Scottish friends who told me to check out the other side of the river, so today I took a boat across the river that separates Hampi and just started walking. I ran into another German guy I met who told me to go to the "Monkey Temple", about 2km down the road (I was walking the wrong way).  It was spectacular.  You start at the base of a small mountain and hike up these white steps. The entire path is inhabited by monkey who are so used to people they literally come up and touch you, just to say hi.  Although I was tired and hot at mid-day, I watched 60year olds climbing in front of me and they gave me strength.  As I understand, this temple is something of a pilgrimage destination, so many people were coming to worship.  So, on my way down I was accosted by a few monkeys, trying to take my scarf.  I held on tight so I won.  At the bottom I ran into two people from Finland and a woman from Argentina who I'd met on the bike tour, and chatted for awhile about when else to do on that side.  Started walking again and ran into the German again, who told me about a lake about 4km away, so I took off for that (I really got my walking in today.)  When I finally came to the lake, it was so hot and I was so tired, and then I saw people standing on the side of a small cliff.  I practically took off running trying to find the path to get to them.  When I finally did, I dropped my bag, quickly asked where was a best place to jump, and ran off the cliff. Fully clothed.  I think I surprised a few of them, but it felt so good!! It wasn't too high, about 30feet, and so refreshing.  After coming out of the water I chatted up a few of the people around, some French, Germans, Brits, Americans, Israelis, and more.  I shared a rickshaw back to town with a few of them and crossed back over the river (strangely enough, with the 4 people I'd come over with in the morning).
I'm loving this town. And I look forward to meeting more people in the next 24 hours I'm still here.

Hampi on a bike

Yesterday afternoon was a great mix of leisure and culture.  I spent about 4 hours wondering around through old temples, listening to distant mosques, taking pictures (someday I will learn how to get them from my camera to the computer...), and reading about what I was witnessing.  The town of Hampi is situated in the midst of giant boulders and hills. From one hill I sat on (for at least an hour) I could look out and see the old bazaar, the giant temple (I learned today it's 52meters high... I will learn more tomorrow), kids playing cricket next to an abandoned temple, tourists on bikes, and yet it was so peaceful- no construction sounds or honking horns.  I came down from the hill and stood in front of the giant temple as the sun came down.  I meant to stay there people watching but instead I watched dozens of monkeys as they played. Five young monkeys were in the tree just above my head and they were the most entertaining, still learning how to use their tails to hang on to branches and trying to knock other monkeys off the tree.  I met a man from Hampi, Lucky, who sells flutes at the temple (not a very lucrative job). He told me a bit about Hampi, the monkeys, and then pointed out a tree next to the temple that had a different kind of monkey- they were a bit bigger and with black faces.  After watching the new monkeys for awhile I had some chai and some street food (salsa-y rice stuff... no idea what it's called but it was delicious) and headed to my mosquito net on the roof. During the night, dogs and monkeys joined me on the roof. None tried to harm me, yet they were all curious what was under the net, so they came to poke and sniff at me. It made sleep hard to come by.
Today I took a bike tour through the temples.  It was amazingly beautiful.  I'll admit, the guide wasn't that great at explaining what we were seeing so I can't really tell you the history behind it all, but the old temples and giant ruins with hundreds of carvings of elephants, monkey men, goddesses, camels, etc. were very beautiful. And massive.  Again, I'll try to get photos.  And, I spent 4 hours on a bike and didn't fall off once! I count that as a victory :)
I met some fellow Alaskans yesterday, so my plan for tonight is to rest, eat, chat, and try to get some sleep.  I've changed rooftops so hopefully there will be less intrusion from strange animals.

Overnight bus to Hampi

I left the hustle and bustle of Goa and took an overnight bus to Hampi.  I got to the bus station, was told to get on a transit bus that would take me to my actual bus.  On said transit but I met a girl from Spain and two guys from Israel.  We chatted and talked about where we've been traveling and where we plan to go.  Once on our actual bus, I realized I was placed in a bed with a stranger... Somehow myself and the other three commandeered a space at the back of the bus with 4 beds.  We played cards, ate, listened to music, and finally when we turned out the light to go to sleep, the bus stopped and let on more people.  I had to move back to my old bed.  I jumped up and started talking to my new bunk-mate.  He was Dutch, traveling for 2 months in India, headed to Hampi as well for who knows how long.  It's interesting how quick you become friends with someone when you're traveling along and you're forced to share a bed.
So, we arrived this morning in Hampi just after 8am.  I said goodbye to my new 4 friends and headed out on my own.  I wanted to avoid the overwhelming rush of tuk tuks and drivers that were fighting over getting customers.  So I walked about of the "bus station" that was really nothing more than a dead end road.  But so beautiful!! All around me were giant boulders and ruins.  I walked for a bit then sat down with a bunch of locals to get breakfast.  I think they were surprised to see a local sitting down and asking for Indian breakfast food like she knew what she was doing.  I like to surprise people :)   Well, from there I kept walking, sat down and had chai next to a river and gorgeous view, got some pants made, bought a purse, found a place to stay on the roof of a building, and now I'm here, catching up on blogs and emails.
Hampi is a great place, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of it.  It's been a long morning already but there's just so much to do!!
For the record, I will try to take pictures and post them as soon as I can. 

Beach number 4

Ben and I changed beaches yet again to meet up with his co-worker Raissa, from Bombay.  She's originally from here so knows the best spots to be.  We only moved a few beaches south, and it was definitely more busy but not as hippy as before.  This area is swarming with Russians! I was pretty surprised.  I'd been told it was a big Russian tourist spot, but it took me seeing it to believe it.  Most menus and signs were in Russian.  Apparently you can get a plane ticket from Moscow to Goa for like 100USD, so why not? Anyway, we met up with Raissa and her friend and went out to a live music show to watch a friend's band.  Late dinner at a Greek restaurant (fabulous!!!) and a late night out on the town.  My last few days at the beach were spent much like the first- food, drinks, lounging with my feet in the sand, and a little ocean time.
The progression of my last 2 weeks has been just about perfect.  I went from crazy overwhelming city to be myself in the middle of nowhere. From there, a super calm beach with few tourists and calm, clear waters to a more crowded, rougher ocean, then to a busy beach, intense nightlife and late nights.  From here I head off on my own again over to Hampi. I really have no idea what to expect except that everyone who's ever been there has great things to say about their experience.

North Goa

After 2 days in the south we headed to the most northern beach in Goa. It was quite a change in pace. This is where lots of people come for yoga retreats, meditation training, or whatever.  Every day there are drum circles on the beach, people hula-hooping in the sand, doing yoga, frolicking.... It's been interesting.  We're staying in a little shack again, this time overlooking the water, so from out porch we can sit and people watch, which is a lot of fun- never a dull moment.  Yesterday and today were exactly what I needed- more people watching, food, drinks, napping, and a few dips in the ocean.

GOA

Day 2 on the beach- there is no way to describe it here but paradise.  I met up with Ben and San after getting off the train at 3am.  We're staying in south Goa for the time being in a small shack just off the beach. Yesterday we woke up and went to the restaurant to have breakfast, and literally did not move the rest of the day except to take a dip in the ocean.  From our perch on cushions we could put our feet in the sand, eat and drink to our hearts content, catch rays or stay in the shade, and there were three little puppies that came and played.  Today is the same story.  This place is wonderful.

Train number 2

The train from Kerala to Goa wasn't as long, but at least as exciting.  I sat down with a Keralan family and right away they started talking to me, fed me, and tried to help me find places to stay in Goa.  There was a mother, father, two sons and a daughter. The daughter spoke the most English so we chatted for awhile, then I let her borrow my book, Shantaram, and listened to her read to herself outloud for over an hour. I was so impressed- she was reading so well and I think really comprehending the story (even thought it's not too complicated).  She reminded me a lot of the girl in Alleppy- both smart, motivated, beautiful, confident girls.  I know being a woman in this country can't be easy, so to see 2 young spark plugs within two days made me extremely happy.

Kerala

After my train ride, I landed in Alleppy, Kelara state.  I was met at the station by Jolly, the neighbor of the place I was to stay at.  She didn't speak much English, but we were able to communicate a little.  The drive out to her place in a tuk tuk took about an hour. It was BEAUTIFUL!!! Everything was so green, the canals next to the road were full of ducks and flowers, you could look across an area of 3 football fields of green, lush land (sometimes rice fields, sometimes just marsh) and see houses tucked into the banana trees and coconut trees.  The shops just off the main road were built on stilts, and they had little planks (1 or 2 2X4s) connecting the road to the store.  The road to the house was very narrow (just big enough for one car to fit) and extremely curvy so each turn we almost hit either a person, a cow, another car, or just went off the road into the canal.  (The drivers here are Crazy! But I was safe).  The houses were enormous with big gardens and beautiful architecture.
The house was also spectacular, situated right on the water.  I spent 4 days there, reading, writing, listening to the birds and the random music coming from beyond the trees.  Jolly was great- again, she didn't speak much English but she cooked 3 times a day for me, all traditional Keralan food.  I swear I ate enough to feed an army in those four days.  As i sat outside reading, she would bring me a coconut so I could drink the water, then the inside of the coconut, then some chai tea, then fried bananas, then banana chips she made, then more chai.... It was endless. And delicious.
On my second day, a little girl came over to the house with Jolly. She said "Hello. What is your name?" So I answered but she ran off.  The third day she came over with her brother and we sat talking.  She was 7 and him 11. They played with my ipod and speakers, talked a little about school, and I told them a little about myself.  On my last day, they came over, listened to music, taught me how to write my name and several other words in their language, and played a 45minute game of tag. It was exhausting.  But so much fun.  I was extremely impressed with this little girl. Only 7 years old, could read and write in at least 2 languages, seemed very self assured and confident, and was extremely smart.
Although at times being at the house was like being in the center of a fish bowl (people would literally come up to the gate and just watch me, or even come in the gate to touch me), it was a very relaxing and enjoyable few days.  I needed a break from the city.

First train experience

It started with a 28 hour train ride...
One of Ben's co-workers offered up his place in southern India for me to stay for a few days, escape the big city and get some alone time.  It was quite a trip....   The first 3 hours on the train I played musical beds, trying to find the most comfortable place to set up camp, but new people kept getting on and kicking me out of my spot. I finally scored the top bunk, best spot to be. Our little compartment had 6 beds, 3 stacked on top of each other, where the middle one folds down to make a bench of seats.  Well, once I was up on my top bunk (2pm) I came down once around 7pm for a pee break, then didn't come back down again until 10am the next morning.  I was fine with it, but I think I made my fellow passengers concerned.  When I finally came down, they were full of all sorts of questions- Where was I from? Where was I going? Was I travelling alone?  Was I REALLY travelling alone? Where was all my food? Where was my family?  I felt bombarded but in a good way.  It was 3 couples, all in their 40s or 50s, and after awhile they started giving me food and travel advice and encouragement.  They were all so nice and talkative, sarcastic and entertaining.  Yet as much fun as it was, when that 28th hour rolled around I was thankful to be done.

Bombay

So I spent a total of 2.5 weeks in Bombay, which was such a wonderful time! I was able to adjust to the constant movement, the overwhelming noises and smells, try all sorts of delicious food, and make lots of new friends.  Not only the other expats I've met but all the Indians have been extremely welcoming and generous. We spent New Years at a friend San's place, overlooking the water. It wasn't really what you would picture when you think "beach view"- instead there were people out at sunset making their nightly "movements", pigs roaming for trash, roosters harassing said pigs, and  men shooting off bottle rockets.  But the sunset was beautiful and at midnight we got to watch fireworks from both directions.  Bombay was fantastic- it definitely grew on me over the weeks.  Next adventure- down south. I'm looking forward to the food, calm, and nature.