Hannah’s Weblog

Kim and i couldn’t settle longer than a week in Palolem. After having such a full and rewarding schedule the last 3 months we found our feet itchy and ready to move on. Espescially as our friends had all returned home, we decided to go and check out Hampi. Before I start though I just have to say that my birthday was amazing!! I actually had two pre-birthday dinners in Palolem (I’m such a lucky girl) with presents and cards and even a chocolate cake (bought for me my a guy we had only known a few hours) i was truely spoilt, and will hold on the memories forever……

So sunday night (March 30th) we took the most horrendous bus journey to Hampi. For those of you who have been reading this from the start, you will know that Kim and I have put up with some pretty ropey overnight journeys, and to a certain extent I appreciate that we should not expect much, but come on…..give me a break! For a start the bus was nearly 3 hours late. We sat in the swealtering heat at Canacona’s bus stand, while buses came and went, a few black outs and lots of dicussions on how we would get back to Palolem if it didn’t show…….I had faith, and was happy when it arrived about 11.45pm! The early hours of my birthday were spent on a disgusting, filthy mattress (and this I could handle) it was the fact that our compartment/hell hole was at the back of the bus and I think directly over the back wheels……ohhhh myyyyy…….. every tiny little bump, let alone the huge bumps, we felt. And not only felt but experienced, literally raising off the floor, and then thudding back down…..oh I should stop and tell you  about Hampi! Revisiting this experience is taking its toll……. a “happy birthday chicken” from Kim, and I managed a smile so all wasn’t that bad!

We arrived in Hampi bruised and battered and blurry eyed from no sleep to be bombarded by eager touts….Kim and I are pretty hardcore now so ignored them graciously and made our way through Hampi’s bazare. Now Hampi is an ancient settlement, and is surrounded by the most amazing natural rock formations and ruins. Its such s special and unique place we could not help but laugh and feel happy. The blue skies, lushious green of the tea plantations, banana groves and sugar cane fields and the beautiful rose colouring of the huge rocks was a spectacular sight. We decided to stay over the river so waited for a boat, and found a small hut to stay in. Basic, cheap and surrounded by fields of green……fantastic!

I spent my birthday doing a little shopping, chilling out in the Mango Tree, enjoying life. Kim made me a lovely card and surprised me with a gorgeous ring that I had  wanted but resisited in Palolem….I had a lovely lovely day. Then in the evening we had dinner with a couple we had met on the boat from Brighton. We reserved a great table overlooking the spectaular views of Hampi and watched the sunset, it was great. Kim, bless her had arrange for a cake to be made for me and I nearly sent out a serach party for her when she dissapeared for about 20 mins….It turned out they had messed it up! tried writing ‘happy bithday Hannah’ but it went wrong so they attempted to scape it off….so she got it for free!! It came with candles nonetheless, and made us all laugh, as it was supposed to be chocolate, but I don’t think it was cooked long enough, and could have knocked someone out if thrown at a head! ha, a birthday i’ll never forget.

We chilled in hampi for two days, the second day we had lots of plans to investigate temples, and go swimming in a lake and hire a moped. Instead we ended up lazing around a terraced restaurant all day. It was pure bliss, i did some painting, wrote some letters, a great way to unwind and relax!

Hampi is somewhere i would recommend to anyone. It was uncomfortably hot whilst we were there (hence the lying around and doing nothing), so maybe check out a cooler season but it is truely wonderful. Wondering around the market and ruins felt like we were on a film set of the Flinstones, infact kim and I half ecpected to see Wilma and Fred, the landscape was stoneage and magical….i would love to return and visit again! It has a lade back chilled out vibe and I can totally understand why people go there and never leave…….