India 3!

Helloooo,
Soooo i have abandoned Goa...no harm there. The whole beach babe/jock, everyone trying to sell you something way of life started to grate!! THe father of the family drove me an hour and a half to the town where i was to get my train to Hampi. The whole family was soooo sweet. They kept checking if i was ok and minding me while i was sick! Then on the way to the train the father told me to be "very careful" and he gave me a whole speech a father would give any daughter travelling on their own.

Goa turned up a few little gems once i was able to walk a few miles without needing the bog. One day i followed the guide book to this bookshop come cafe. It was in the middle of nowhere. Im sorry Aoif but this place was magical and blew the flower cafe out of my top spot. The place was like it had jumped straight out of colonial india. The white washed house was surrounded by beautiful palm trees and flowers and there were wooden tables and chairs dotted around the garden. Shaded by the scorching sun. You had to take you flipflops off going in to the um....it wasnt really a shop...it felt more like walking into someones private book collection.The room smelled on incense and was dull and moody. There were books lining the walls and two huge soft sofas in the middle where and indian woman was reading the paper. From behind a huge wooden desk a scottish girl said Hello. I wondered around and found what i was looking for. Harry Potter and the goblet of FIre. (yes i am hooked...im am actually going to kill you Faye...although it does get me away alot of the time. :) ) and then i found In To The Wild so thought since i cant see the movie ill read it. Then i discovered another room full of second hand books and beanbags!! Seriously the place was magical!!! i had to run then because i kept picking more books up!! I sat outside for hours reading and eating a hot chocolate brownie and downing green tea!!! Rocked!
I finally got a taste of music in goa too. I went to an art gallery and discovered they were hosting a music night. It was in a beautiful setting outside with moody lighting and palm trees casting shadows. The music was good. For those who are interested it was true Karnatak music. It was tabla, sitar and tempura and its arrangement was all North HIndustani. It was well played but i was a little disappointed i didnt get to hear the earthy Mrdangam.

Anyway, ive discovered a whole new wayof driving at night here. You drive with your full headlights on unless the person coming towards you actually dips....which rarely happens!! You actually do drive on what ever side of the road you want. Technically they drive on the left but i spent most of the time in the right hand lane on the way to the train station!! CLASS!!
The train journey was long and boring....only helped through by Harry Potter and Cathy Davey!!
Hampi is stunnning!! its full of temples, shrines, little ruins, mad monkeys and free roaming cattle. The whole towns smells of incense which is a wonderful change from the weird dirty disinfectant ( i know that doesnt make sense but i really cant come up with a better description!) smell that seems to be everywhere!!! Unfortunately as i reached Hampi my rickshaw driver informed me that i have to be out of hampi before the 2nd!!! I nearly died!! all tourists are basically being shunted from hampi town for three days and aren't allowed anywhere near till the Prime minister has visited on the third day!! All you can hear around the town are tourists freaking out and panicing over what to do. After ages of debating with myself ive booked an over night bus (12 hours!!) for tomorrow night to Hyderabad and thankfully ive even got a room booked!! Here im staying in this little guest house for the night. Its painted PURPLE!!! my rooms PURPLE!!! heeheeeee!!!!! with green trims.....totally up my alley!!! Anyway im going to take pictures tom and go back and eat in this amazing rest i found thats in the middle of a banana plantation over looking the river. You just sit crosslegged at stone tables munching your food, and instead of watching life go by it seems to stop and smile at you. (which was a nice surprise at the time as my heart was still stuck in my throat as i didnt now what i was going to do over being kicked out of heaven.)

So thats it really. Oooo i got a farmer burn in goa!!! state!!! i tried to balance it out the last few days but it didnt work and now im back to wearing respectful longsleeves or tshirt which means more defined farmer tan!! ;p Lol!!!


Ok im gona head to my little purple room...which i cant see since hampi is pitch black due to a power cut!! That reminds me...im now a dab hand at doing everything, EVERYTHING in the dark due to having a power cut nearly everyday. I think its a great skill...all i need is night vision so i can read!!

let me know any news guys...i like hearing about homely things!! Keeps me sane.
Later guys.
Love Gem.