Hampi Continued...

Below are a few more photos from Hampi, some I took after the first post and some by Phoebe.

Hampi

Hampi is again completely different to anywhere else we've been in India. It's so peaceful and picturesque. You can wander around for hours and only see a couple of people in that time. Phoebe and I rented push bikes and cycled around Hampi's ancient ruins. We trekked up to Monkey Temple and saw a view of the entire city. This was probably my favourite day yet. We had so much fun just having the freedom to explore wherever we liked. We also stopped and chatted to a few young children that are always so fascinated to see western people. I would definitely love to come back to Hampi and would recommend it to anyone coming out this way.  

Palolem

The next stop on our journey was Goa. We went to Anjuna for a couple of nights but then made our way down to Palolem for backpackers paradise. The place was beautiful. Not too busy, but at the same time full of backpackers like ourselves. We met some great people here - mostly Aussies, and have taken away some unforgettable memories. We stayed in a little pink beach hut and spent most of our days lying on the beach. We went to another beach called Patnam one day, where we went to this incredible vegetarian restaurant called Home. I've included photos of the rice balls, feta tomato spinach and mozzarella tart and chocolate brownies because they were just too delicious. We also went shopping and I bought a beautiful silver ring with a rose quartz stone for a fraction of the price you would pay in England. Oh and I also stocked up on some summer accessory essentials - anklets and toe rings! We were very sad to leave Palolem, but on to our next stop, Hampi! 

Kerala number 2

Below are a small collection of photos from a day trip we did to an elephant sanctuary and to some of Kerala's waterfalls. 

Kerala

I'd planned on blogging consistently throughout my travels but a lack of computers and a greater desire to go out and actually explore the countries, means that it might be weeks before I can do a post and then maybe three will go up together. Anyway, after Mumbai, we moved to the state of Kerala and Cochin was our first stop. The place is pretty cool. Pretty much centred around a harbour boasting an array of Chinese fishing nets. You can visit one of the nets, watch fish being caught, chose a fish to eat and watch it cooked in front of you. Also, there are so many lovely shops, selling the most beautiful clothes and jewellery. We did a couple of trips in Cochin, my favourite being a 3 hour boat ride along Kerala's beautiful backwaters.  A row of homes line the bank of the backwater where we saw women bathing with their children in the water, and others washing their clothes in the river. We also visited a spice plantation and watched a lady make rope out of coconut shells. It's amazing to see how they make use out of almost every source they have. 

 Above, Cochin's harbour. Below, Kerala backwaters. 

India So Far

We've been in India for two weeks now and travelled around to quite a few regions. It's amazing to see how different every place is, even the town's within each state.So our first stop was Mumbai. After quite a long and uncomfortable plane ride, we landed at Mumbai airport and begun our first experience in an Indian rickshaw - terrifying! If I'm honest, I didn't like Mumbai at all, whether or not this was because I was homesick/jet lagged/ nervous, I dunno but the place was so noisy and dirty and we struggled to see one tourist anywhere. This meant a lot of stares and uncomfortable moments. We did however visit the Gateway of India and Chowpatty Beach, but decided to move on after two days. This is when the real fun began... You know the sleeper train in Slumdog Millionaire?! Well that's exactly what the trains are like for real. We booked our ticket in a hurry to leave Mumbai and ended up getting pretty much the lowest class possible for our 36 hour ride to Kerala. Two weeks later, I can appreciate the experience and say I'm glad I've done it, but I can safely say I will never do it again. However, it was fascinating to be in a carriage with local people for that length of time, watching the way other people live. 

One Week To Go.

Only one week left until I'm off to see the world. Ahhhh India, Thailand, Laos, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Australia and Fiji. I can't believe how quickly it's come round. Intending to keep this blog updated with photos and snippets from my adventures whenever I have access to the internet, so check back if you're interested.  

Happy New Year

A 'Black Tie' theme saw everyone put on their best dress for what was perhaps my best New Year's Eve yet. My choice of outfit was a velvet and pleated chiffon dress curtisy of H&M, a dusty pink blazer also from H&M and Topshop shoe boots. Below are a few of my favourite photos.