Hampi is beautiful and interesting
A view of the countryside.
Cycling for the day with my French friend.
Sunset through the Frangipani from the Hanuman Temple.
Looking across the rice paddy fields to where I stayed.
Love it!
Showing posts with label Hampi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hampi. Show all posts
Tuesday, 26 February 2013
Saturday, 23 February 2013
Tattooing at 6
Yesterday, in Hampi, I met a fruit seller. I had been admiring the simple work of a young woman as she decorated the dirt floor of the gateway of a guesthouse by making a design on the ground with white powder (as described in a previous post, called Colom).
The fruit seller had simple English, "my daughter" she said with a smile.
This turned my attention to the fruit seller. She had tattoos on her face, faded teardrop shapes going sideways from the outer edge of both eyes and more of these on her chin. I understand these were done when she was about 6. Her forearms and hands were also covered in designs, similar to those done in henna tattooing, but real tattoos, faded grey. She said she got these at 10. She said it with sadness.
I asked her if the tattoos on her arms were for marriage. I will never know if we fully understood each other, but she said yes. Selling fruit in the tourist part of Hampi meant she could speak some English.
Her oldest child was the one doing the decorations, she is 15. Her youngest is a baby that she breastfed while we were there. She has 7 children. Although she looked older, she said she is 32. Selling fruit in the sun and having 7 children could make a person look older.
I hope her daughters have a better life. I think they will.
I didn't take any photos as I didn't want to make a spectacle of this. But I did buy some fruit.
The fruit seller had simple English, "my daughter" she said with a smile.
This turned my attention to the fruit seller. She had tattoos on her face, faded teardrop shapes going sideways from the outer edge of both eyes and more of these on her chin. I understand these were done when she was about 6. Her forearms and hands were also covered in designs, similar to those done in henna tattooing, but real tattoos, faded grey. She said she got these at 10. She said it with sadness.
I asked her if the tattoos on her arms were for marriage. I will never know if we fully understood each other, but she said yes. Selling fruit in the tourist part of Hampi meant she could speak some English.
Her oldest child was the one doing the decorations, she is 15. Her youngest is a baby that she breastfed while we were there. She has 7 children. Although she looked older, she said she is 32. Selling fruit in the sun and having 7 children could make a person look older.
I hope her daughters have a better life. I think they will.
I didn't take any photos as I didn't want to make a spectacle of this. But I did buy some fruit.
Travels: Hampi
After Agonda beach (Goa) I headed to Hampi, stopping overnight at Hubli on the way. (Hubli is my cheapest night yet and so it wasn't very nice, but the first 5 places we went to have no vacancies, and it was late).
As I left Goa I met a French girl (22yrs) and we teamed up for Hubli and Hampi.
Hampi is a really touristy spot ... the most touristy spot I have been to in India, aside from Goa. Tourists were dressed inappropriate for India, and with a splash of cleanliness and western food it too isn't like the real India.
Most people I spoke to seemed to have arrived into Mumbai, spent some weeks in Goa and were now spending weeks in Hampi. These people were really seeing a different side of India to what I was. They were also taking plenty of drugs.
Most people, myself included, choose to stay across the river in Hampi. Yesterday as I caught the boat across for the last time a young woman (with her man) was dressed in a boob tube and capri's with a shoulder wrap. The young Indian man who drove the boat gets to see a lot of inappropriate dress, but this was too much and he told her that she shouldn't dress this way in India. Good for him, but likewise I think that we should tell the same to those wearing burkas in Australia (because bank robbers only show their eyes).
Hampi deserves being on the must visit list for India. The landscape is captivating, and in it are impressive ruins from previous times of prosperity... Although I fail to see how the terrain could ever have supported the half million people the books tell of.
Accom: Manju's palace. Rates from Rs70 for space on the roof to Rs700 for a pleasant room for 2. I liked Manju's, but the crowd wasn't for me.. All smoking, and sitting around instead of travelling.
As I left Goa I met a French girl (22yrs) and we teamed up for Hubli and Hampi.
Hampi is a really touristy spot ... the most touristy spot I have been to in India, aside from Goa. Tourists were dressed inappropriate for India, and with a splash of cleanliness and western food it too isn't like the real India.
Most people I spoke to seemed to have arrived into Mumbai, spent some weeks in Goa and were now spending weeks in Hampi. These people were really seeing a different side of India to what I was. They were also taking plenty of drugs.
Most people, myself included, choose to stay across the river in Hampi. Yesterday as I caught the boat across for the last time a young woman (with her man) was dressed in a boob tube and capri's with a shoulder wrap. The young Indian man who drove the boat gets to see a lot of inappropriate dress, but this was too much and he told her that she shouldn't dress this way in India. Good for him, but likewise I think that we should tell the same to those wearing burkas in Australia (because bank robbers only show their eyes).
Hampi deserves being on the must visit list for India. The landscape is captivating, and in it are impressive ruins from previous times of prosperity... Although I fail to see how the terrain could ever have supported the half million people the books tell of.
Accom: Manju's palace. Rates from Rs70 for space on the roof to Rs700 for a pleasant room for 2. I liked Manju's, but the crowd wasn't for me.. All smoking, and sitting around instead of travelling.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)