Namaste!

Finally an Internet facility so that I can post, unfortunately we have been in towns where there has been no access or unusable computers/ bandwidth.

There is not much time to post because we are waiting for a train that we must catch to get back from Mumbai to our current abode in Lonavala. We have been on a day trip and it is amazing here.

Here are things that I want to mention to tantalise you.....

Bangalore - Adrian was the highlight, he cannot be found on any map and is not listed in any of the 'books'...... Catching up with an old friend was the reason that we went to Bangalore and it was more than worth it. I also caved in to the desire to have music about my person and bought a small 1GB MP3 player as well as a few Cd's - Beethoven's Symphonies 6 and 8 (Bernstein), Mozart's Requiem, Carnatic music, Ravi Shankar live and Hendrix at the Isle of White, quite a mix to keep me sated for a while (I am so happy). Otherwise I was highly disappointed with Bangalore. Downtown was everything that you would expect of a modern consumer shopping area, there were neon lights, air conditioned stores, Nokia, Sony, Kentucky Fried Chicken, it felt very civilised, there were even rules that were followed regarding road use. Leaving the city however made me feel ill. Open sewers, slums, heavily polluting traffic and smog all made me feel like I could not take another breath, I felt as though I was suffocating - it was the worst yet. For a few days after I had a very sore throat.

Hampi - The ruins of the Vijayanagar were amazing to see, I constantly felt like I had been cast back in time. Such a place does wonders for your imagination, I was picturing the bustling bazaars, the festivities and the parades etc. The early morning sun on the ruins at Hampi was beautiful. The aqueduct that supplied the city with water still stands. When I am able I shall post some photos and will explain a more. Ah, waking up at 2 am with the town's stray dogs and those on the surrounding hillsides howling wildly. Perpetuating into a frenzy of barking and echoing howls followed by the horrible squeals of dog fights. It is a dog eat dog world here. Also, me being a Mozzie Mcfeast.

Bijapur - I discovered that I adore Indo-Islamic architecture. What it lacks in detail it makes up for in grandeur. So different to the elaborately decorated buildings that are common place in much of India. The Gol Gumbaz, the great tomb of Mohammed Adil Shah, it touched my soul. It has the second largest unsupported dome in the world (second to St Peters in Rome) and the whispering gallery was an experience that I shall never forget. Riding through the back streets with K on a bike was incredible, something that we do not normally so but shall make a point of in the future.

There is so much to write and not enough time - we need to go pronto.

Until next time...... (we shall try to get to a town with decent computers and access). I have missed the contact.