Hi, writing this to you from Hampi at the end of my southern leg of the India trip. My itenery was as follows:

7th Jan left Goa - 8th Jan arrived in Trivandrum on overnight sleeper train - 9th Jan, bus to Kollam to see the backwaters - 10th Jan, Bus to Kochi and train to Calicut - 11th Jan, bus to Waynard National park - 13th Jan bus to Mysore and on to Hampi to arrive early on the 14th - 15th Jan night bus back to Goa for a few days before laving on the 21st to travel to Mumbai for flight to Kuala Lumpar........

So, we caught the train overnight from Goa to Trivandrum first. Managed to get AC which we were all really pleased about. However, the train was 4 hours late and when we got on on the carriage was knee deep in rubbish. We were sat with a load of western people which was nice as we didn't get stared at for the whole journey. They soon came and cleared the carriage anyway and gave us fresh sheets. We got a really nice free dinner too which was a bonus and they woke us up with tea in the morning.

Arrived in Trivandrum as this was the only south-bound train we could get. This is right down South of India, nearly at the bottom. We didnt really want to go there as all we wanted to see were the back waters in Kollam which are an hour North. We stayed for a day and had a look round. Its just your normal Indian, overcrowded city. We went to the zoo in the afternoon as the lonrly planet said its not a cruel one. This turned out to be a lie and it was awful. Poor crocodilles in the most tiny dirty enclousre ever and birds in cages far too small for them. There where snakes too but they didnt do much. My suggestion that they should hand out poking sticks at the snake enclosure was meet with widespread disapproval.

Next day we moved to Kollam to see the backwaters. This was to be our first taste of Indian public buses. The only way i can describe this is: Imagine siting on a 30 year old city bus and being drive off-road at 60 miles an hour. The bus is jam packed and its the hot summer of 76. This is Indian bus travel.

We arrived in Kollam to see the backwaters with our bones shaken one and a half hours later. That same afternoon we went to the back waters. They were really lovely and well worth the trip. They are a large network of water-ways lined with palm trees and small houses. Really quiet which is rare in India. We had a small canoe paddled by a little man and we sat and relaxed for three hours as we made our way slowly along the waterways.

Left Kollam the next morning in order to get to Waynard National park. This involved more Indian public buses. One to Cochi and then up to Calicut by train where we where to stay the night before moving over to Waynard the next morning. The whole day was spent on buses and trains so we where really tired once we got to Calicut. Me and Jenny also got bitten do death by some random insect on the train. Jenny decided to text her mum a photo of the bites under the heading 'help me!' Unfortunately the picture did not come through and all her poor mum go was a text saying 'help me'. This caused a mass panic in England and both Kelly and Jenny woke the next morning to find liots of voicemails and text from worried friends and family, Jenny even had a text from the forgein office!

Went to Waynard national park by public bus the next moring. This was a nice trip as the bus took us right into the Kerala mountains where the views are fantastic. We arrived in the afternoon in a villiage called Kalpetta. Decided to get a tuk-tuk to the lake there and went of a paddle boat and for a walk. Came back in the evening, had some dinner and an early night as we had to be up at 6.00 am for safari. Got up bright and early the next moring and got a jeep to the park. Went round in the jeep looking for animals. To be honest didnt see that many and we were all a little disapointed untill we saw wild elephants at the end!!!! We then went for breakfast and to see some caves. These were packed full of Indians at it was quite hard work to get round them all with all the people. We went into one cave where the archeologists where and one explained what the carvings on the wall where and how the cave was formed by an earthquake 30 million years ago. Im still not sure how they know all this, i think they sometimes just make it up! After we went to a waterfull this was really pretty and well worth the hike there and back in the backing sun. We then went to some viewpoints over the mountains. The day was really enjoyable and all the locals were really friendly waving at the jeep and constantly asking us where we were from.

The next day not so enoyable. The plan was to get to Hampi in Karnatica. We worked out that we needed to get a 3 hour bus to Mysore and then an 8 hour bus onto Hospet near Hampi. Bearing in mind these are still the same local buses i have mentioned we knew the day would be hard going. Got up at 7 and went to get the Mysore bus luckily it was the first one i came across. We hoped on and off we went nice and early. However, we had a puncture 2 hours in. This meant being held up for nearly 2 hours as this is how long it takes Indians to change a bus tyre. Finally got to the bus station in Mysore after 5 hours. Found the Hospet bus and after a rather nicy Biryani lunch at the depot got on the bus for 8 hours of hard going bus travel. This bus was a nightmare. It seemed smaller than the others and there was a monkey on a leadsat near us. It was so crowded and when the 8 hours was up we were very relieved! This was not the case tough, we actually had another 6 hours to enjure. What a nightmare! We were all ready to get off the bus only to discover that we will be on t till 3 in the morning. The bus didn't get quiet either, it got more and more packed! Needless to say, when we arrived we were all really tired. We had been on local buses from 8am to 3am!

Went to Hampi and got a hostel. It was rubbish and overpriced but at 3.30am after our travels we didn't care! Hampi is really really cool! Totally realxed travelers haven. Lots of ancient reuins from the old Hindu capitol. Spent the whole day driving round them and sight seeing. It was really cool and i took loads of photos. We had managed to turn up during a Hindu holiday too so it was jam packed with Indians all wanting our photos! Think they were more interested in us than Hampi!

Went for tea in Hampi in the evening which was nice. However Hampi is totally dry as its so sacred so we went to bed pretty early! Next day was the final day in Hampi as we had the night bus booked back to Goa.

We spent the day just wandering around Hampi town and people watching. There was a huge gathering at the temple and we went and watched all the Indians praying. It was really packed in the temple because of the Hindu holiday. They had an elephant ho lives there called Lakshmi. You could get a pat from her for a rupee. U gave the elephant a coin, She passes it to her keeper and then she gives you a pat. Kelly had one. It was really clever cause the elephant knew if you hadnt given money, se would also take money from several people and hand it to the keeper then remeber who had paid and gve them a tap, even though there was a whole crowd of people there! Dont get a photo as they arn't allowed though.

Really enjoyed Hampi and could have stayed a lot longer however, we had to get a sleeper bus to Goa. This bus was sheer luxury compared to the public ones. We had our own little bunks and everything!

In Goa now (20th Jan) and due to fly out on the 22nd from Mumbai to Kular Lumpar. Will miss India loads although its been really hard work, its also been really rewarding. Defo would recommed it.

As of today im not sure whats happening in the future. Kelly has decided to leave early and Jenny will probably go too. Not sure what to do at the moment but ill update in my new blog, wherever i end up! Ones thing is for sure, im defo not hurrying home!

Lucy xxx