Into 2008 !!

Goa

After a bit of a hectic run we had a relatively easy journey down to goa ... even the 7 hours in Mumbai airport were relatively calm as for the first time in India the airport had nice coffee shops and bookshops.

We had managed to book ... very last minute and with most things full ... a nice resort with pool and beauiful gardens not too far from a quiet beach and it worked out really well relatively cheap (for the time we were there ... most places double or triple their prices over xmas and new year) although we were shocked by how unfriendly the staff were when we turned up ! It was sooooo nice after the stress of the cities to wander down to the beach on our first night ... xmas eve... and just eat in a beach shack and chill out ... it was a world away from the north of the country. Toby ran up and down the sand in the pitch black and we instantly felt relaxed.

The beaches here are not nearly as beautiful as thailand - and it took us a while to forgive it for not being thailand... but they are lovely in a different way of course... we most enjoyed the paddy fields and sand dunes bordering them, and of course sharing beaches with cows ... I will miss the cows so much when we get back... Our first few days it was full moonm - low tide and ever afternoon thousands of star fish would get stranded on the beach much to Toby's pleasure and we spent a good hour rescuing them and jumping over crowds of hermit crabs

Xmas day felt quite weird not being with family ... especially with TJ at such a good age for xmas fun but I guess fresh fish on the beach for lunch and amazing views compensated somewhat .! We ended up staying until 4th jan due to all trains being full which turned out to be perfect for Toby as he finally got to play in the sand and make friends for the first time in a long time ... he really enjoyed hanging out with some other people we met ... we instantly felt like package tourists as we heard their tales of hardcore travelling !!!

One family had just had their 2nd child 6 weeks previously in a camper van in India ... 3 years into the travels they started when the first child was 6 months ! and one lovely family whose son Adam was amazing with Toby despite being a few years older were off for 13 months with two children 6 and 8. Ironically the dad had used to be a surveyor and they had previously lived in North Finchley and the daughter went to the same nursery Toby starts when he gets back !

Deffo worth mentioning our bizzarre budgeting at this stage !! So far our hotels have varied between 450 rupees (about 6 quid ) and 12,000 (about 150 quid) depending on how much we feel we can cope with. Unlike Thailnd - the cheaper hotels are generally not clean - Kate finds this very hard - esp with Toto. But most people we meet, who are away for any length of time are firmly at the lower end of that range and always look confused when we tell them if we are staying in at all nice places ... by which I mean hot water !!! The travelling family hadn't had hot water for 6 weeks. We stayed on night for 450 rupees which was truly awful - we spent the night lying rigid in our sheets listening out for every rustle - nearly asphixiated by mosquito coils (thanking God for Tobys Mossie prrof bed) but everywhere was booked up on the 1st of jan so we had to move out of our niceish place and back in the next day which wasn't too bad. normally we are aiming to spnd 15-25 quid a night unless there is a good reason to spend more ... like in hampi (to come) we found a really unique place.

Overall goa was our most chilled time .. plenty of cycling to and from the beach with Toto strapped to Kate's back, two days exploring by scooter, a quick trip to the portuguese towns of panji (eating in amazing winding ally ways) and old goa (old churches and the miraculously preserved body of a saint - that you can't see!) , anjuna - one of the biggest flea markets in the world ...but mostly and unashamedly beachlife. Here the style was to find a shack you liked and get to know the owners and hang out there running up a tab! Our's was called Hawaii!!!! But quickly became the beach creche - with at least 3 or 4 families spending the day there and the children running round together building castles, digging, swimming....

New Years eve we managed to stay at a party on the beach with some other families until 00:05 wacthing firedancers and fireworks and having a great buffet before ducking out.

HAMPI
Matty's fvourite place so far - Kate's second or equal favourite with Varanassi.
never heard of it?? nope neither had Matty but Hampi quickly became just about our favourite place we have ever visited ! We only decided to go there after heading south and reading about it in some guide books as it hadn't been in our plans at all but the place is truly spectacular. It is the largest world heritage site simply because it is the ruins of an entire 14th-16th century city and a huge one at that. it had been the capital of the visayanagar (hope i spelt that right from memory) empire which was vast ... and 35 sq km of the city still lies there as ruins ... and is now lived in. it is the only place I have ever been where it is so easy to imagine what it was like to live all those years ago and on top of all that the natural scenery surrounduing it is breathtaking. It is set in a huge lunar valley strewn with enormous boulders everwhere - somewhat randomply and with a river winding through it. The rocks / boulders look a bit like the nevada desert ... except for the fact there is a huge river and lush vegetation .. banana trees, sugar cane, peanuts etc. Unfortunately after too many bad experiences I am not entrusting my memory cards to internet cafes anymoer so pics will have to wait.

on top of all this we found the most unique hotel have ever been to to stay at which complemented the place so perfectly !!

Coming towards the end of our 8hr train journey (through the day) in (by the way .. our biggest fear before travelling and the thing other friends with children kept asking about had been the 12 hr flight out ... now we cant wait for a flight back with tvs, movies, drinks served etc which is all going to seem a luxury compared to our overground travels) we got a phone call from the hotel saying traffic was so bad did we mind if they picked us up at the station, took us to the river crossing and picked us up again at the other side .. I was dubious about getting on and off small boats with 5 bags and a pram but hey ho !!!

when we got to the river we were met by a small coracle .. a round boat made of bamboo and lined with what looked like potato sacks and although I was concerned about it carrying all of our stuff .. the guy behind us who put his motorbike straight in seemed to think it was fine !!!

( http://www.hampi.in/sites/Coracle_Crossings.htm )

it was a thriling way to cross - altho I'm not sure they are the most efficient way for crossing as the work a little like those giant tea cups you get in fair grounds, swirling one way and the next - we think better for going down a river rather than across. But a wonderful way to arrive.

We then drove up through for 30 mins through a mixture of moonscape - arid desert covered in huge boulders and paddy fields, down a dusty track past people planting rice fields and chasing monkeys away, to our hotel .. I can't do it justice without a camera but have stolen some dodgy picks from another familys website

http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g319725-d427549-Hampi_s_Boulders-Hampi_Karnataka.html#17429383

We had an isolated bungalow built out of a boulder.. (the shower a bit of a boulder jutting into it) none of the rooms could see each other with a great rooftop .. although the monkeys eyeing you up from the adjoining bolders were slightly disconcerting ! The monkeys also liked to throw fruit at us as we walked to the room down the sandy path.

There was a pool which was just a huge hole cut in the ground in the middle of the rocks overlooking the most stunning landscape and there was no tv or phone or internet as it was intended to be completely cut off !! the owner doesn't even have a website, advertise, signpost the place or allow it in guidebooks as he wants to survive on word of mouth alone !

He definitely has our reccomendation. We ate in a semi open hut from a mixture of south indian food - no choice - just buffet - but delicious currys and pudding! We love gulab jamon. One evening he offered to take us bird watching by the river to see the migrating birds from Russia, N India arriving - cranes, kingfishers etc. Another evenign we had a huge bonfire and sat drinking beer (well Kate did) watching the stunning stars in the sky and being served bbq-ed . They took us on a walk throught the boulders over the river on wooden bridges, showing us how to climb the boulders and look over the whole panorama! After Tobes was in bed we sat on top of our boulder in pitch black - looking at the stars - it is amazing how many you can see in true darkness.

The landscape where we were staying was completely breathtaking - a bit like walking through a world designed by Henry Moore... the boulders people believe were formed by volcanic activity under the sea 3 billion years ago and then slowly eroded into beautiful carved shapes and gigantic stones .... or you can go for the Indian traditional story that monkeys were playing and left them there!! Toby likes the second version best!

he also arranged lunch for us at the most stunning and delicious restaurant .. the mango tree .. overlooking the river as Hampi itself was about half hour by car and boat from the hotel so you woldn't want to go back !! the restaurant was reached through banana trees down a dirt track but looked out over the banks of the tundabhadra river where you could see cows and goats roaming and people bathing and there was a huge swing and beds to relax on. I know I am sounding enthusiatic but this whole place definitely won me over !!!

We ewxplored Hampi for 2 days - 1 with a lovely guide. The first day without was my favourite though as we just [pottered around the temples, old market places, cave houses... In the first temple Lakshmi the temple elephant kissed toby's head (much to his shock) - in return for 1 rupee! Toby also saw yet more beggers - many here are crippled by Polio - he keeps askign where are that mans hands, can we help that man's legs, why is that man like a cat - it is hard.

Then we climbed up the stones above the city - to see giant statues of Ganesha carved out of one boulder... on to the old market place - aisles of old shop places with stone walkways and a beautiful stone pool in the middle for pilgrims to bathe in before visiting the nextdoor temple... Matty sat completely entranced here for about an hour as toby ran down the stone corridors and was photo-ed of course by some artists working nearby. Wild mint was growing out of the stones much to Toby's joy - he kept picking it and sniffing it delightedly. Then we climbed up again knocking on an old doorway and discoved an old house (we think) build under two 6 metre high boulders! After this we stupidly walked (in the midday heat) to the Royal Enclosure - an incredible place complete with 11 nearly complete elephant stables where the royal elephants were kept - their mahuts (keepers) had much smaller less impressive homes nearby!)

Sadly the tragedy of this visit is that Tobes favourite Toy - Ahaan's taxi - was finally lost here! Ahaan gave toby a mumbai taxi before he left the UK and it has been loved hard through our trip - it wasn't looking great -having been buried in sand, sat on, lost in the sea then found, crashed into ruins, sailed upon banana leaves, it had lost it's driver and roof rack but we loved it and the whole family was sad ... although a good place to go - the holiest temple in Hampi - we hope some other little boy/ monkey has found it and will take over loving it!

We could really have stayed longer but it was an expensive place so we got the overnight train to Bangalore but had heard so many bad reports of the city that we didn't stop and just hopped on another train straight to Mysore ... without really knowing why again other than it seemes popular on the travel route !!

Mysore

Ok .. if we get outof here without buying a flute it will be an incredible achievement ! we are beseeched at evry corner by men playing .. oddly enough .. the Titanic theme tune to us! They all play the same tune as well and don't take no for an answer.

Today i was busy ignoring one when Toby turned around ran after him and anoounces "we don't have any room in our bags " .. it's amazing what he picks up.

Not knowing what to expect we pitched up at our hotel to be pleasantly surprised by the quality for about a tenner - extremely clean and central. The city itself is the cleanest, greenest place we have stayed in India and has a nice feel to it. The first afternoon we wandered to the fruit and veg market which was actually .. by Indian standards, really relaxed. We even got given free carrots as someone took pity on Tobys red face and thought he looked too hot ! The first time in India someone wouldn't take money off us ! The market was amazing full of stalls piled high with brightly coloured paint, stalls with artistic arrangements of mini/ baby vegetables, huge corridors of bananas, utensils stalls (Kate having to restrain herself due to packing restrictions), insence, oils, shops full of row upon row of dazzling bright sparkling bangles...

We got deluged in oils as Mysore is famous for its scents and even got conned into buying two 'pure oil bottles' for 1 pound each - but we didnt mind. The phrase 'sensory overload' is probably overused but the maret rally felt like that .. people screaming, huge mountains of brightly coloured powdered paints, oild and incense burning from every other shop and amazing fresh fruit. The only disappointment here in Mysore ... and oh so typical of our Indian experience .. was the amazing playground we saw which Toby got really excited about which only opens after 7pm....!!

Then the palace of course - to be honest I think after Hampi we might be a little palaced/ templed out! For the first hour we just rested in there basically ignoring it!! Then tobes discovered some marching elephants and then we ventured inside... it is a gorgeous place but I (kate now writing) did find the fact that the amazing peacock stained glasses were made in glasgow a little bit disappoingint. In fact the whole thing of course was designed by a british architect... in Indian style.

Today we head off to stay in a wildlife park for a few days befor onto a spice plantation , up to a hill station and down into Kerala. From there on to Ooty and possible Coonor where Kate's Dad worked as a teacher in the 70s, then down to Kochi in Kerala. Our next base says they have email but we are not totally convinved as it is quite remote.. so you may not hear from us for a few days!


Tonnes of love to you all - happy new year again - happy Bday Helen and Craig - and Kate - hope Bumps are doing well Laura and helen.

big kisses

xxxxxx