Deb and I have had a whirlwind of a week. We first took an overnight sleeper train from Kerala to Goa, followed by two buses to Anjuna Beach in the north of the state. Goa has only been part of India since 1961, when the Portuguese were forced by the Indian army to give up control. Its beaches were discovered by roving hippies from Europe and the United States in the 1960s and 70s, and have been inundated with tourists ever since. In the 1990s, Goa was infamous for its huge rave parties. It has since calmed down some, largely because of regulatory steps taken by the government.
From Goa, we took a 12 hour government bus due east to the medieval town of Hampi. Hampi was once the site of a large kingdom that stretched west to the Arabian coast and south to the Indian Sea. It is famous for its temples and unbelievable topography. Huge boulders balance one on top of the other, surrounded by cactus, banana groves, and palm trees. I will have to wait to upload photographs until we are in Bangalore tomorrow, as it is not allowed at this internet service.
Until then...
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