Home » India » Ahh, the smiling south!!!

Indians love to dance. It was the third time it had happened on this trip - a van by the side of the road, pumping out the Hindi pop music, with about 50 Indians beside it, dancing away.......the first two times, I had to be dragged into the crowd, but here in Hampi, I knew better, and with Niall, went straight into the circle and gave them 2 minutes of our best moves, before strolling away as legends. My girlfriend got a picture that captured the moment perfectly - me and Niall, limbs pointed out in all directions, surrounded by about 50 Indians, each one wearing a brilliant smile, highlighted by a perfect set of white teeth. I think this may be when I started to love India.<br /><br />

Ahh, the smiling south!!!

Conor Meleady
2006-02-28 08:20:29

Displayed times (last time: )

Indians love to dance. It was the third time it had happened on this trip - a van by the side of the road, pumping out the Hindi pop music, with about 50 Indians beside it, dancing away.......the first two times, I had to be dragged into the crowd, but here in Hampi, I knew better, and with Niall, went straight into the circle and gave them 2 minutes of our best moves, before strolling away as legends. My girlfriend got a picture that captured the moment perfectly - me and Niall, limbs pointed out in all directions, surrounded by about 50 Indians, each one wearing a brilliant smile, highlighted by a perfect set of white teeth. I think this may be when I started to love India.

Or maybe it's just that Hampi is an easy place to love. The former capital of the Vijayanagara Empire is a sprawling complex of ruins, set in an amazing boulder strewn landscape, of which I can only compare to Cappadocia in Turkey. Arriving from Goa on the tourist bus, we spent two nights in the bazaar area, close to the major ruins, before heading across the river for three nights of blissful relaxation. Not
Hampi landscape I needed much more after Goa. But Hampi has a way with people, and while we didn't get round to seeing all the sights (who cares), it was perhaps my most enjoyable five days in India - highlights include the monkey temple, with views over the area, an epic moped trip to villages where children would chase us, and some great rock jumping at a nearby resevoir. Even the one arguement I had, on the cross-river boat with a South African twice the size of me, went well.

The guy had dug his elbows into my ribs to stop me making space for other people getting on the boat. An arguement followed, with him eventually saying "Ah whadda you know, you're Irish".

"Yeah mate, and there's three of us here," a voice came out of nowhere, to reveal two heroic paddy's backing me right up. Brilliant!
...