Hampi Hampi, Joy Joy

Yes, Hampi is surprisingly awesome

Wow, just wow. Hampi is possibly the coolest place we’ve visited in our nearly 5 months on the subcontinent. Once home to the richest civilization in the history of India, Hampi is now the site of countless temples and century-old ruins and, even better, countless-er boulders that stretch out in every direction as far as the eye can see. The whole place vibrates with the incredible energy of long-lost empires and wave after wave of crunchy climbers flocking to the allure of the stone.

The little babu at our favorite restaurant with his favorite instruments

Very strange looking statues everywhere

We were on rocks like white on rice on paddies

Having received numerous tips from fellow travelers, the Masala Ballas were ahead of the game and headed straight for the other side of the river for accommodation upon arrival. Staying technically on a forest preserve (one day the police showed up for their recurring baksheesh [bribe] from the dozen+ guesthouses and restaurants that shouldn’t be), it was less than a thirty second walk from our door to a stretch of boulder field that we couldn’t begin to cover after almost two weeks of exploration. However, it was a great place to climb, and climb we did, waking up [relatively] early, hitting the rocks for yoga, tai ch’i and climbing, retreating during the heat of the afternoon only to return in the early evening. We’ll let the photos speak to the experience but it was incredible to have the world’s greatest climbing gym in our backyard.

With refreshed bodies and minds we now prepare to leave our beloved Hampi for Bangalore, site of our Vipassana course [dhamma.org if you’re interested] starting on the 19^th. The course will be a greater challenge than the experience at Kopan monastery in Kathmandu, but we feel prepared by the meditation of travel and our time in Hampi. We exit the Dhamma center on the 30^th; until then peace and love.

Waiting for the "ferry" with our dear dear dear Belgian friend, Leen

Swarms of monkeys galore

A peaceful place

A typical night...

ChicaGoans Goan Crazy in Goa

Nothing out of the ordinary...

Ahhh... Take a Deep Breath and be Jealous

Despite the fact that their celebrity was rising quicker than a striking Cobra in the big city of Bombay, the Masala Ballas decided it was time to take a break from the spotlight and head down to Goa; a stretch of seventy unbroken kilometers of beaches world-famous for its soft sands, Goan trance music and a relaxed atmosphere.

Holy Beach Cows

While it’s true that we fully indulged in the hedonistic lifestyle ubiquitous throughout Goa, we also managed to maintain our wanderlust, hitting up five Goan beaches in less than two weeks and spending time with dozens of new beach bum friends: we chilled with our Israeli friends in Anjuna, met up with the oh-so lovely Mindy and Anne of Chicago with Mindy’s sister Monica and her daughter Ruby for a couple days including Christmas breakfast, then jetted over to Candolim to meet up with the South African and German party girls from Bombay for Christmas night.

Max and some Punjabs

After perhaps too much debauchery in Candolim, including being welcomed into Club Fresh, the beach’s hottest club and for free nonetheless, we chose to mosey further south to Gokarna where there is a far less corporate/Hollywood vibe (rumor has it that Angelina Jolie was in Goa with us) and a far greater backpacker-friendly energy. We arrived in Om beach on the 30^th (the beach is shaped like an Om, the Sanskrit word that expressed the cosmic energy and the vibrations that it creates) and then spent New Year’s Eve with people from Sweden, Italy, Israel, Belgium, Austria, and so many Indians (it’s a big Hindi hang out around here). Since no one owns a reliable clock, we took it upon ourselves to decide when New Years was occurring and started a beach-wide countdown with our voluminous lungs culminating in large fireworks bursting all around us and cheers for miles around.

Ommmmmmmm......... beach

Beach Babas

Now things around here have calmed down quite a bit, it’s time for us to head inland and start preparing our bodies and minds for a Vipassana course due to start in the middle of January. We’ve chosen Hampi as our destination, a holy city that is considered the richest city in the history of India. Filled with ancient temples and boulder fields, Hampi should be the perfect place to spend a couple weeks and tune up a bit. And of course, we were thinking of all our friends and family during the holidays, so please accept a belated happy Chanukah, a merry Christmas and happy new years from us. It’s already turning out to be a fantastic 2011.

Woman with Fruit

Max Enjoys the View