Lately, not only have my words grown quiet, but also my
thoughts on travel. After returning from our last road trip to Hampi and Badami,
I was left hollow. No no, this particular road trip was incredible! We carefully planned it for 3
months to find out the best road network, the perfect unguided and well-marked trekking trails, and the short climbing (on
foot) paths that we wanted to explore.
Badami
I still remember the early rainy morning hike to the caves of Badami – majestic in one word! The
massive boulders that over-watched the Agastya Lake and abundant small hillocks all over - that place was a time-machine – the hypnotic charm that morning, those caves had was unforgettable!
The Shivalaya temples are located on the hill opposite the Badami caves, across the Agastya lake. Once we entered the ASI complex, we took the steps leading up to the temples. The temples are far less crowded as compared to the caves, and we wandered like the last Samurais. The aerial view of the Badami town from the top of the hill is to die for. So a must visit. Enjoy the unpolluted breeze and open azure sky you would not have seen in a while. No guides are available here. So, do your homework and get on!
Have you seen the movie “Guru”? You saw where the marriage took place? It is the Bhoothnath temple portico. You must take long strides along the lake to reach there. Well, it’s worth every stride! Peaceful and less crowded. Just be aware that Agastya Lake is a part of community living with local residents using it for daily chores.
Travel tip: After my trip in August, I have a feeling that the rocks look alluring when the monsoon rain water drenches the caves and give them a different hues of brown and red! But winters must be the best season to witness the clouds over the lost kingdom making it look even more shadowy, just imagining!
The Shivalaya temples are located on the hill opposite the Badami caves, across the Agastya lake. Once we entered the ASI complex, we took the steps leading up to the temples. The temples are far less crowded as compared to the caves, and we wandered like the last Samurais. The aerial view of the Badami town from the top of the hill is to die for. So a must visit. Enjoy the unpolluted breeze and open azure sky you would not have seen in a while. No guides are available here. So, do your homework and get on!
Have you seen the movie “Guru”? You saw where the marriage took place? It is the Bhoothnath temple portico. You must take long strides along the lake to reach there. Well, it’s worth every stride! Peaceful and less crowded. Just be aware that Agastya Lake is a part of community living with local residents using it for daily chores.
Travel tip: After my trip in August, I have a feeling that the rocks look alluring when the monsoon rain water drenches the caves and give them a different hues of brown and red! But winters must be the best season to witness the clouds over the lost kingdom making it look even more shadowy, just imagining!
Hampi
Okay. Thanks to the latest boom
in travelling to historically rich places, Hampi tops everyone’s bucket list and
everyone knows about it, something, if not everything! So, here it goes in my
words – If you are done with the touristy and jam-packed Vithhal Temple, Stone Chariot, Queen’s palace,
Durga Temple, you know you have seen it! I mean the body of Hampi - the famous architectural
splendor, you know the history by now, as on the pages of any travel book etc.
but if you wish to explore more about it after withstanding all the long walks,
hikes, sweats and photobombing, come to the top of Matanga Hill – it takes an
arduous 1 hour of hiking! Once up, feel. Feel your tiny existence amongst the huge
boulders all around. You will have the company of the river Tungabhadra flowing
behind, faint Karnataki classical music in the air, cool breeze tossing your
hair like noodles, and in front of eyes, you will have nothing but the rocks, ruins and trees! That’s the soul of Hampi, if you ask me! We have spent
our entire afternoon there, did not feel tired, hungry or anything. There was
only one strong feeling – GRATITUDE!
Travel tip: Hampi is gold – any season is worth to see this gold! Just be there from morning to evening to experience the ruins changing colors with the setting sun. Be an explorer. Avoid the crowd and find your own space. Take pictures. Hampi is a feeling, an experience to be lived for ages, way beyond what we already know, hear or imagine!
So, as you see, it wasn’t the trip that emptied me or left me bland. It was so intense that I could not express my feelings in writing just right after. I couldn’t see past this roadblock. Much like writer’s block, I battled traveler’s block for the longest time. I did not know where to travel next (not that I still know). I just wanted to keep looking at those pictures from the trip and relive the experience time and again.
Now after almost 2 years, I guess I know why. During our 5 days of trip then, I felt giddy the whole time. No appetite. No energy to write. After coming back home, the first thing I did was taking a blood test! And voila! My little Hampi was two and a half months old in my womb! The roadblock was eventually over! I was in my happiest zone ever, I was housing a baby inside! The father was even more excited and yes, we knew that very moment that we wanted to call him Hampi because now Hampi was literally an experience to live and relive as he entered this big beautiful world!
In the current covid-19 reality, when traveling is a far-flung dream, we have Hampi with us, and it’s such a joy to be traveling back and forth every time we call him or tell him stories of our travels and ask him to spell H-A-M-P-I! And he tries MA-MA-MUM!
So yeah, when Hampi is here, can Badami be far behind? My parents keep asking.
Travel tip: Hampi is gold – any season is worth to see this gold! Just be there from morning to evening to experience the ruins changing colors with the setting sun. Be an explorer. Avoid the crowd and find your own space. Take pictures. Hampi is a feeling, an experience to be lived for ages, way beyond what we already know, hear or imagine!
So, as you see, it wasn’t the trip that emptied me or left me bland. It was so intense that I could not express my feelings in writing just right after. I couldn’t see past this roadblock. Much like writer’s block, I battled traveler’s block for the longest time. I did not know where to travel next (not that I still know). I just wanted to keep looking at those pictures from the trip and relive the experience time and again.
Now after almost 2 years, I guess I know why. During our 5 days of trip then, I felt giddy the whole time. No appetite. No energy to write. After coming back home, the first thing I did was taking a blood test! And voila! My little Hampi was two and a half months old in my womb! The roadblock was eventually over! I was in my happiest zone ever, I was housing a baby inside! The father was even more excited and yes, we knew that very moment that we wanted to call him Hampi because now Hampi was literally an experience to live and relive as he entered this big beautiful world!
In the current covid-19 reality, when traveling is a far-flung dream, we have Hampi with us, and it’s such a joy to be traveling back and forth every time we call him or tell him stories of our travels and ask him to spell H-A-M-P-I! And he tries MA-MA-MUM!
So yeah, when Hampi is here, can Badami be far behind? My parents keep asking.
