As per usual, there's more to catch up on than I have time to write about... So, in stream of consciousness form...
Today is perhaps my sixth day in Gokarna, on Kudle ("Kud-lee") Beach. It's one of five beaches in this area, all within walking distance from one another and oddly enough, falling nicely in line on a spectrum from most developed to least developed. The first beach, furthest north, is that of Gokarna town itself. I haven't spent time on that beach, but the town of Gokarna is actually quite lovely. About 15 minutes south is Kudle, lined with one row of restaurant/guest house combos. Another ten minutes south is Om Beach, slightly smaller and fewer restaurant/guest houses. And then comes the most interesting of the beaches, Half Moon and Paradise Beaches. Half Moon has about three guest houses, which consist only of little huts, and three restaurants. There is no electricity on Half Moon. And Paradise, the lovely Paradise Beach, has turned into a hippy commune of sorts in the past year after all of the restaurants and guest houses were town down last year. Now, people just go set up camp under sarongs and in hammocks. There are some Indian guys who come cook food every day should one not have the equipment (or desire) to cook their own food. It seemed like a nice little community and is one of those places where people go and get stuck for weeks--many even months--at a time.
It's funny, the notions of "tourists" and "backpackers"--even "travelers." Sometimes people get a bit pretentious or defensive with these labels... As was the case when a friend and I walked down to Paradise Beach to check it out. Upon walking up, a young European guy turned to his friend and said something along the lines of "Ugh. This place is becoming like a tourist destination with people coming here just to look." For a half-second I was offended; then, I just laughed out loud at his remark and wanted to say to him "Buddy, we're all the same and just because I choose to sleep on a different beach doesn't mean I'm not allowed to come spend time on the other beaches. Get off your high horse."
I can certainly understand what he meant, as there really are discrepancies between your average 20-30 year old backpacker and your average middle-aged or retired tourist. Sometimes people annoyingly bombard local people with their cameras as though they're "sights" just like the temples or the beaches (understanding, of course, that local people, too, make up part of the whole experience, but I don't like to put my camera in their faces out of respect for their space and everyday lives). But, when young ego-filled backpackers want to get cocky like that, it's obnoxious. At least these "tourists" are out of their home countries seeing the world, right?
Anyways... The people you meet while traveling never cease to intrigue me. But, let's talk India rather than three 40-year old Turkish men who spend half the year in India and the other half in the tourist industry in Turkey, or the Austrian girl who's been living on Paradise Beach for two months carving stones...
Hampi was incredible. Amazing. Awe-inspiring, if you will. The ruins that spread across for miles are a UNESCO World Heritage sight and was a major area for empires dating back to the 14th-16th centuries. Basically, it's a massive area of land covered in reddish-tan colored boulders as far as the eye can see, with a few ancient temples popping up here and there. It's crazy--and full of crazy monkeys as well! And, while I was there the rice paddies were as green as green as can be, so picture standing in Hampi, looking out first on to bright green rice paddies dotted with snow-white egrets, then over lines of vibrant green banana trees and coconut palm trees to endless boulder fields. Oh, and then look up a bit more to the always blue sky, often times sparsely decorated with thin, wispy white clouds. Magic.
Being in Hampi was different than any of the other places I'd been previously in India. Though it's very much India, it's also very much not India. What I mean is, previously, I could spend days without meeting another foreigner and I was always surrounded by Indians--on the streets, in restaurants, on buses. But, Hampi surrounded me with foreigners and foreigner-friendly food. There are two options for accommodation in Hampi; one on the bazaar side (more shops, etc.) and one across the river. Aside from my first night (in which I arrived at 11pm), I stayed across the river. It's known to be the quieter side, so that suited me just fine. I had a recommendation from a Spanish girl I met my first morning on the bazaar side, and immediately took her advice and moved to Manju's Place, a lovely guest house away from almost everything, save for a few more guest houses. To get there, one must walk away from the "main road" and through rice paddies about five minutes. I had my own little hut for US$5/night, they had a restaurant there should I ever get hungry or thirsty and the family and staff were beyond wonderful. I could easily have lived there for a while...
So, in the end, all of this kept me there for eleven nights total, and it would have been easier to stay longer had I more time on this trip. I made some friends early on who climbed, so I mostly spent my days climbing (bouldering, more specifically) in the early mornings, and then the afternoons and evenings filled with laziness, trips to the other side of the river, temples, bike rides, sunsets and fine meals with lovely company. Lucky to be livin' the good life, as all I can say to that.
Now, very much in contrast to the lay of the land in Hampi, I spend my days on the beach (and plan to do so for my remaining 14 days in the country. I've been doing yoga every day for a few hours with a lovely instructor, then spend the rest of my time on the beach, with friends, eating, walking to Gokarna town or the other beaches and that's about it. Not that I'm rubbing anything in, of course... :-P
Speaking of... It's 12:30pm and I need some sustenance and sunshine. More pictures soon!
Peace and love to all!
No comments:
Post a Comment