Bugs Abroad: February 2013

Yes, okay, we know it's been a while. We've been stuck in vacation mode on some of India's most beautiful beaches. They make it difficult to do much that involves getting too far afield from the beach or our rustic bungalow. So obviously it's not our fault. Blame beauty. Its been a relaxing break from being constantly on the move, although we have still done our far share of traveling, covering quite a bit of ground since our last post.

From where we left off in Odisha, we sped down the east coast to bustling Chennai where we spent 12 short hours. Just long enough to get our real first tastes of the south by eating dosas, which are either paper thin or flapjack thick rice pancakes cooked on a ghee covered griddle and served on banana leaves with endless coconut chutney and spicy sambar to dip them in. Just a short bus ride and we were in Mamallapuram, a historic temple town known for it's exquisite carving. All throughout the town it was on display as temples, massive chariots carved from single boulders, and on the street for sale. Mamallapuram is also a beach town, so we found a room with a perfect view of the sea and fisherman on the beach below mending and untangling nets. We spent a handful of days there visiting the impressive boulder park where artisans had carved religious scenes into caves, temples, and reliefs, eating endless thalis full of rich curries, and wandering the beach.

Heading further south along the coast we went to Pondicherry, the French stronghold in India, which is now en vouge because Life of Pi had a few scenes filmed there. It's broad boulevards and color washed buildings did feel very European, but if you looked close enough you would see that le Petite Canal was filled in with garbage and the larger town beyond was typically modern India. The old French quarter is atmospheric, however, and we had a picnic lunch with real roquefort cheese and a baguette in a well manicured public park and discovered pure freshly roasted (it was still warm) coffee in the city market. We also visited the dankest and dirtiest bar in the world.

From Pondicherry we traveled west so we could meet up with Linsey and Amy in Goa. We stopped in Tiruvanamalai which is one of the 5 holiest places in Tamil Nadu. It is built around a holy mountain where there are a few caves that were built by a Maharishi that once lived and meditated there. We climbed around on the slopes and even meditated for a spell in his hermitage.

There is also a large temple with four towering beautifully carved gopuras in the cardinal directions. We visited the temple in the evening when the priests were performing many pujas. Several statues of Nandi, Shiva's mount, in the temple complex were being bathed in ghee or milk by shirtless brahmin priests, who poured the liquid from large silver pitchers. Worshippers surrounded the proceedings, watching with utter devotion. Some were even scooping up the milk with their hands to anoint themselves and drink it. There was also a temple elephant that would bless you with a light bop on the head with his trunk after receiving a donation, which he collected with his trunk and immediately passed along to his handler. The temple was a constant hive of activity and it was very interesting to observe the devotion of pilgrims in such a lively and holy place.

We then hopped a bus to Bangalore, where we stayed long enough to get a rough feel for this modern city of high-tech workers and catch a night train to Hampi in the middle of Karnataka. We spent a couple of days walking and riding bikes through the amazing boulder strewn sunbaked terrain that would suddenly open up on intricately carved temples. It was once the seat of an empire that controlled nearly all of South India, but all of the opulence and grandeur of the once great city is now tempered by the crush and crumble of time, and Muslim iconoclasts. There was also a beautiful river alive with bird life and surrounded by emerald green rice fields. On the far side of this river many western tourists relaxed in the bamboo hut camps set up on the banks.

One day we ended up hitchhiking with a Baba, a holy man, who had taken a vow of silence seven years previously and had eight more years to go. He traveled with an Italian man who was a bit of a mouthpiece for him, so we were able to get an idea of his worldview. The Baba was elaborately dressed in mala beads and coins which he had collected on his spiritual journey and made into a vest and hat. It was a surreal experience to cruise around in the back of their white ambassador through the boulder and palm strewn landscape. At one point we were stopped by a large motorcade of Indian politicians that asked for blessings and photos with the Baba.

From Hampi we shot towards Goa, first taking a boat, then a rickshaw to where we caught a bus that got us almost to Panji, the capital city of Goa, before it crashed into another bus in a station. Eventually we were shuffled onto another bus and called it a day in Panji. We met up with Linsey and Amy in Calangute on the beach the next day. It was really refreshing to spend some time with a couple of great girls from home, definitely a highlight of the trip. We lazed on beach chairs, walked the sands, and went parasailing. We also got to join them for a family dinner at one of Linsey's relative's houses. It was great to get a home cooked meal and to catch a glimpse of Indian domestic life. Then we went out to the night flea market, which was more of a party complete with live music, food stalls, and loads of souvenirs and handicrafts for sale, including vintage Ray Bans sold by a westerner for hundreds of dollars.

We sadly had to part ways with the girls after a few days of fun on the beach. We headed back to Panji to visit Old Goa and celebrate Carnival, which was pretty crazy. They put on a large parade complete with floats, school bands, and dancers. There were some bizarre characters as well, like Bin Laden and his briefcase carrying, gun toting Arab companion. Weird. After the parade the streets were filled with people dancing, drinking, and covering each other with brightly colored powders and paint. It was a fun time, until Amanda broke out in hives on her arm, possibly from an allergic reaction. Buzz kill.

We moved further south to Pallolem, a beautiful stretch of sand backed by palm trees. We found a great bungalow with an excellent view in the quieter southern cove. We rented a motorbike one day and zipped around the area, visiting a dry deciduous wildlife reserve where we saw a group of monkeys, birds, and lizards but not much else. Mainly we spent our days walking the surrounding beaches and headlands, reading, swimming, and chatting with other travelers.

We are now in Gokarna, a vibrant holy city with a large population of long staying Westerners. As I write I'm sitting in my newly purchased hammock in our bungalow built entirely of palm fronds hiding out from the heat of the day. In the last few days we've explored the beaches around, swam, and hiked over the nearest headland to town to stare at the amazing bulk of an 800 year old wooden temple platform that they drag through the streets for festivals. We also go to eat tasty dosas and the local specialty gadbad, a sundae with fruits and nuts atop vanilla, strawberry, and mango ice-cream. And of course watching the sunset like it's our job.

Oh the beach life...

One of the massive Gopura of the temple in Tiruvannamalai.

Pilgrims to Mamallapuram all wore red and bathed in the Bay of Bengal.

Sidewalk chalk flowers to celebrate the first rice harvest of the year.

The Shore Temple in Mamallapuram. It was carved out of a single stone.

Intricate carving on an unfinished gopura in Mamallapuram

Anjuna's Penance bas relief in Mamallapuram. It is a depiction of a major episode of the Mahabharata. Can you find the Cat Sadhu?

One of the many Catholic churches in Pondicherry.


Amanda playing Venus in the city park in Pondicherry.

You wouldn't guess it, but those are actually our seats, which were completely overtaken by a large squatting Indian family. The girl looking out of the window is even sitting on the table it's so crammed.

Descending from the bouldery hills to a massive and little visited temple complex in Hampi.

One of the many small temples scattered everywhere around Hampi.

These guys really wanted us to take their picture and it turned out pretty cute. Those are mango popsicles.

Bikes and ruins, Amanda accompanies Colin to heaven.

The most iconic temple in Hampi. It's shaped like actual wooden chariots that are dragged through the streets all throughout South India for festivals.

The opulent Elephant Stables in the Royal Enclosure of Hampi.

The landscape all around Hampi looked a lot like this, pretty cool.

Lift off in Goa going parasailing. The guys who went before us looked like drowned rats when they got back to the boat and were mumbling prayers. Thankfully we didn't get dunked.