Hello India! Part 2: Mysore and Hampi

I arrived in Mysore, in the Indian region of Karnataka, on a rainy Sunday evening, spending the night at Mysore Youth Hostel where I met Elo, a fellow traveller from Estonia. We shared a rickshaw into town the following day and breakfasted on marsala dhosas before going our separate ways. Whilst I managed, despite the rain, to visit the undisputed highlight of Mysore, the Maharaja's Palace (see picture), I did not manage to climb the viewing point, Charmundi Hill. The late afternoon was spent wandering the backstreets, the Muslim Quarter and the bazaars of Mysore, one of the most famous being the Devaraja Market. From Mysore, it was an overnight bus (again) to Hampi. 

I couldn't quite have prepared myself for what awaited me in Hampi. The bus dropped me off in nearby Hospet, and from there it was a thirty minute bus ride to my destination. Hampi is simply stunning. The tiny bus station by a small market must be one of the most picturesque the world over. The landscape is both alluring and magical.Huge copper coloured boulders dot the landscape, shaped by thousands of years of volcanic activity. Hampi is a gem of southern India, a World Heritage Site and major destination on the backpacker trail. And there are temples a plenty.scattered over a wide area of what was once the Hindu capital of India, Vijayanagar. It evokes memories of a bygone era - of opulent palaces, beautiful temples, monolithic monuments, aqueducts, baths and markets.
I arrived early and ate a local breakfast of curry and idly sitting on a stool and taking in the wonderful views. One I had found my accommodation, I did a bit of exploring in the immediate vicinity and ended up at the Virupashka Temple with its huge 50m Gopuram which dominates any view of Hampi. 

One of the great things about Hampi was that there are other travellers to meet- even now in the 'low' season. Within a couple of hours I had met fellow travellers and was eating lunch at the riverside restaurant the Mango Tree (where I was to eat at least once a day over the forthcoming week). Following this, I crossed the river to climb the steps of the Hanuman (Monkey God) Temple which afforded amazing views of the surrounding boulder-strewn landscape.

Cycling in Hampi - a great way of exploring the area

Outside the Maharaja's Palace in Mysore

The beautiful colours of  one of Mysore's bazaars, the Devaraja Market.

Bouldering in Hampi with the boys 

and posing for pics..

The Lakshmi Narasmiha Temple - a monolithic incarnation of Lord Vishnu  in his man-lion form

The amazingly well preserved bass reliefs of the Hazararama Temple depicting scenes from the Hindu epic, the Ramayana

Outside the beautiful Lotus Mahal

My favourite, the Elephant Stables, with eleven large-domed stables  which once housed the magnificent state elephants

A magnificent stone chariot in the courtyard of the Vitala Temple

The focal point of Hampi Bazaar, the Virupaksha Temple

The copper coloured boulders of Hampi

Over the preceding days - I like many others 'lingered' in Hampi- I made trips to swim in lakes, clamber over boulders and cycle to the main sites. I've included pictures here of some of the highlights : the Lakshmi Narashima Temple, the Hazararama Temple and my favourite, the Zanana Enclosure, which includes the Lotus Mahal (which derives its name from its beautifully and geometrically arranged cusped arches that resembe lotus petals opening to the sun) and Elephants' Stables. There is also the highlight of any visit, the Vitala Temple which is seen as Hampi's crowning glory.

I've had an unforgettable week in Hampi and it is down to the friends I have made here too. Thomas, Robert, Daniel, Tamlin, Charlie, Mark, Christelle and last but not least, Mr. Tom and Jerry himself, the ever friendly face of Ravi's Rose Guesthouse.

Next stop: Goa 

Hello India! Part 1- Tamil Nadu

Yours truly at one of the most famous Hindu temples in  Madurai

 A boy at the station in Madurai who introduced me to his whole family, keen for me to take a whole series of 'family' portraits. Here with his younger brother.

One of the many group pictures I took of the children in the backstreets of  Pondicherry

Being 'blessed' by an elephant in Pondicherry

 A holy man at the Sri Meenakshi Temple in Madurai

A scene from the station at Madurai

I arrived in India via KL on an early morning flight. My first experience was chai and tiffin (a dish of 3 different curries and a roti- very popular in India) followed by a bus from the airport to a central Chennai bus station. I ended up having to take two further buses, and if you can imagine my with my huge backpack, a smaller rucksack and camera bag trying to get on a bus that is packed to the gills and barely stops in stifling heat. Hello India!

Chennai doesn't hold much to tempt the tourist but its a great introduction to a crazy Indian city. I got a local bus (again) to its main beach, Marina beach, and saw the community which had been devastated by the tsunami in 2004. People here are still living in makeshift homes and in incredible poverty, something you have to get used to in India. The beach here attracts locals at the end of the day  and I did a walk along the ocean front path taking in the sights, sounds and smells.

From Chennai I took a bus to nearby Mamallapuram, famous for its Shore Temple and rock carvings, and from there to Pondicherry. This town is a very French-influenced part of Tamil Nadu and is famous for the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, set up by a Tamil freedom fighter called Sri Aurobindo Ghose who was given shelter from the British in Calcutta. He went on to set up the ashram which attracts devotees from all around the world. A French holy woman  and disciple of Sri Aurobindo, Mirra Alfassa (the Mother) set up a utopian living experiment at nearby Auroville that is still thriving today. Even today you can join locals eating at the ashram (I did this, three meals for 20 rupees) and visit the working ashram at Auroville as a guest.

I ended up staying a few days in Pondicherry as I loved where I was staying- the Maison Natura ashram - which was in a neighbourhood on the edge of the town centre. Everyday I was mesmerised by how the ordinary people lived here - women washing using the taps in the streets, babies being bathed,  the ironing man using an iron you heat on the fire and the animals who shared the street and houses! It was like stepping back in time, people still living like they have for centuries although now with some of the conveniences of 'modern' living. And the children were adorable, mobbing me every time I walked down the lane. They loved having their pictures taken as the many photographs show.

From Pondy, I made my way to Madurai which is one of the oldest cities in India with a very famous Hindu temple, the Sri Meenakshi temple, where people from all over India flock to visit each year. And then it was a train journey to Kanniyakumari, unique in that it is the only place in the world where three seas meet - the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. It is also special as you can see the sun rise and set within a few metres of each other. It has been an important place of pilgrimage for this reason and there are two monuments you can see from the shore to commemorate this - the Vivekanada Rock Memorial and the 133 metre high Thiruvalluvar Statue which you visit by a short ferry ride. Other important sights here are the Gandhi Memorial where Gandhi's ashes were put on display before being scattered into the confluence of the three oceans after his death in 1948. The memorial has been designed with three faiths in mind, Muslim, Hindu and Christian- and has a hole in the roof so positioned that on the 2nd October (Gandhi's birthdate) the sunlight falls directly onto the permanent memorial below for a few hours.

The view from my guesthouse at Kanniyakumari

The Gandhi Memorial at Kanniyakumari

The temple at Suchindrum, a short bus ride from Kanniyakumari

My last stop in Tamil Nadu was the famous hill station of Ooty, an overnight bus journey from my previous destination. I woke from my sleep to find the bus was winding its way up a steep incline and as I looked bleary eyed out of the window I was welcomed with the beautiful sight of clouds shrouding the hills  all around. This was a real contrast to the India I had experienced to date, especially the temperature. Going back to long sleeves and socks seemed very odd and they actually sell hats and gloves in this part of India. And I night you certainly need them..

Ooty is noted for its stunning scenery and did not disappoint. I met fellow traveller Yuki at the YWCA where we shared a dorm and we were able to have a day exploring Ooty together- wandering through the busy town, visiting Ooty Lake and making a pilgrimage to the highest point, Doddabetta Peak.Taking the local bus ( 5 rupees each way) we then had a three kilometre walk to the view point. At 2636 metres you really feel 'up in the clouds' and the stunning views are captured in the picture I've included.

Next stop : Mysore

A close up of the Thiruvalluvar Statue at the southern most point of India. India's version of the Statue of Liberty. The Tamil Poet wrote 133 chapters in his most famous work and the height of 133 meters pays homage to this.

The stunning scenery from the highest point in Ooty, Doddabetta Peak.

Ni Hao China! Part 3 - Chengdu with Big Buddha and the Pandas

Loved this sign!

The temple in Chengdu

Me with the biggest Buddha in the world at Leshan, Sichuan, from the top

 From about half way down

And the bottom

The not so well known red pandas

I watched this young male eating his bamboo for ages. Simply adorable.

Me at the Chengdu Breeding and Research Centre

With Sapi and Liu on a cycle tour in Chengdu

A well earned cup of tea

Ni Hao China! Part 2- Back in BJ!

'Big Pants'- China's CCTV building

One of the Soho districts in Beijing- where Sanyu Education was based

A little cutie at the Temple of Heaven

At the Summer Palace

With friends- Scott, Kathryn, Romain, Sonya and Mark on my last night in BJ.

Jerod at the Summer Palace

One of my favourite Beijing 'days out' at the Temple of Heaven

Another day out at the Great Wall. It was a bit warmer this time too! At the Mutianyu section.

Another day out- this time at the Botanical Gardens.

One of the exhibitits at the Poly Arts Museum

With lovely friends- Sandy and Kathryn- outside the cafe in the Lama Temple district where I spent many an afternoon watching the world go by

 

Ni Hao China! Part 1- Hong Kong to Guilin.

A man being 'cupped' in a Guilin hutong

Outside the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall in Guangzhou, Guandong

Moon and I with a status of Sun himself

I spent a few days in Hong Kong where I did little apart from visit the Chinese embassy, Victoria Park, Stanley Market and St. Stephen's beach. The drive on the bus to the beach took you past Repulse Bay, one of the most exclusive locations in Hong Kong.  I really like this city. Nowhere more clearly typifies the contrast between east and west than Hong Kong.
From here it was a bus journey to Guangzhou ( formerly Canton), about 120 km from Hong Kong. It stands on the Pearl River, and is one of China's biggest and most modern  cities. It has a population of 13 million people and is the largest city in Southern China and the third biggest overall. 
One of the main reasons for going to Guangzhou was to meet up again with Moon and her mum, who I had met in Penang. They were the perfect hosts and after meeting me at my hostel when I arrived they took me straight out got dinner at a local restaurant. It was so lovely to see them again! The following day I met Moon in the morning and we visited Sun Yat  Sen memorial hall.(Sun Yat Sen was one of the founders of the Republic if China). In the afternoon she had arranged to meet some friends at the Baiyan mountain, one of the main attractions in Guangzhou. It was particularly crowded with locals due to it being holiday time in China- the following day was Tomb Sweepers Day ( see below). I had a great afternoon and evening with Moon's friends (see picture) who themselves enjoyed practising their English and telling me a bit about themselves. You learn so much about a Nation and it's people from these type of exchanges. In the evening we had dinner at a local restaurant and wandered by the lake in the Lizhiwan district with its traditional architecture, trees alight with lanterns, river boats all lit up, people doing tai chi and a group of children learning Kung fu. I also managed a further evening out in Shamian Island where we walked  along the Pearl river. We had tea in a traditional  tea house and finished off the evening with a typical chinese meal of  hotpot (see my upcoming food blog)

Moon and her friends

A view from Baiyan mountain

Night time Ghangzhou

Hot pot in Guangzhou

Tomb Sweeping- 4th April. This is a day when families get together to pay their respects to their departed loved ones by cleaning their grave. It is a national holiday in China and makes for a very busy time if you plan to travel!  


 From Guangzhou I made my way to Yangshou, in Guangxi Province, by overnight bus. This is the area of outstanding natural beauty, nestled in the Karst mountains, that is often featured on postcard images of China. Apart from the weather not being great, you could not help but be stunned by the views. My hostel had a rooftop area that gave a panoramic view of the peaks. Yangshou is a tourist hotspot but I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. Cycling through the dramatic landscape with a group of German people I met in the hostel was a particularly memorable day.

The wonderful hostel in Yangshou

A view of the Karst mountains in the haze

Me and the Germans!

The view from Hostel 11

From here I made my way to nearby Guilin from where I would be taking the train back to Beijing. It is considered one of the most beautiful cities in China and did not disappoint. It is a well preserved walled city nestled amongst the mountains. From here you can do river cruises along the Li river with the stunning scenery all around.

A view from the Li river, Guilin,Guangxi

Sightseeing in Guilin

 Once again I stayed at a great hostel The Ming Palace and had a pleasant day walking along the  river and taking in the scenery. I saw a group of men bracing themselves for a swim and many locals enjoying a Sunday afternoon stroll. Wandering into one of the local hutongs was an interesting experience as the pictures show. In the evening, I was leaving the hostel at the same time as a Chinese couple and ended up joining them for dinner (their treat) and was once again amazed at the generosity shown to me by the people in China.