Om Beach and Hampi

Sunday 2nd January 2011

Slept in again. Hung out with musical chillum-puffing gang then in the evening I checked out and walked along the beach to Namaste Cafe to get a taxi jeep to the bus stand. There were a couple of other tourists going the same way so we shared the cab. 2 hours at the bus stand, which is fine, better early than late, although the tea I bought there tasted like washing up water. I hadnt realised that my bed on the bus would be a double and that I would be sharing with another, male, tourist. I think our bums touched in the night but that was as far as it went.


Monday 3rd January 2011

Arrived in Hampi at 7am after bumpy but ok journey. Tried to find the Chilean's hostel but couldnt so crossed the river to find a place. Hampi is split into 2 by a small river, less than 100 metres wide. But the only way across is on a small wooden boat with an outboard motor. Being India, they like to get as many people, and motorbikes, on the boat as possible (30?)

Anyway so I am staying at Little Italy Restaurant and Guest House, and its cheap as chips. Outside loo and shower, and the room is like a prison cell but thats fine, its just somewhere to sleep. Slept until lunchtime then went and found the Chileans. Had dinner together and then i wanted to head back across the river.... I knew the last boat crossed at 6pm but had been told that there is always another boat there that runs in the night and you have to pay 10 times the normal price. The first time we went down there there was no boat so I was going to stay the night at the Chileans hostel but asked a guy in the shop about crossing the river, and he made a call and when i went back down there was a guy with a boat and 3 other stranded tourists. This boat was like an upturned cereal bowl, made of bamboo and sandbags, but it was fine. Apparently the boatman just paid a huge bribe to the local cops so he can continue his trade by night. It would be so easy to just build a footbridge so there must be something dodgy going on there too. Anyway, when i got I sat in the restaurant watching Scarface and chatting to a Czech and a French guy.

Tuesday 4th January 2011

Lazy lie-in then banana porridge.  I have porridge everyday and could probably write a Lonely Planet entry on the various quality of porridge in India, which is usually quite high. Then went over to the Chileans for coffee, they have their own kettle of course. Had a walk around town and some of the temples and boulders. I finally bought some traveller/hippy pants/trousers. Pictures to follow. We had lunch at the Green Mango from where there is a great view of the river and the banana trees and the huge boulders left from volcanic activity; the boulders and trees make it look like the set of The Flintstones.

Picked up my train tickets to and from Chennai. The trains are almost booked out but they keep a tourist quota of tickets (which you pay extra for) so i was lucky to get the tickets I wanted. Then I crossed back across the river, before 6pm today. Went for a walk and ended up on top of some boulders overlooking Hampi, a great view from there of the town and the surroundings. Met some nice Sydney girls and some other guys, some of whom I had met elsewhere in India.

Watched The Big Lebowski while having dinner. Then came back to our Guest House and had another Masala Chai, surely the best tea ever, with lashings of sugar. I drink heaps of it.  The staff here are very friendly and polite and tend to fall asleep among us guests on the comfy sofas in between serving.