Alleppey, aka Alappuzha, is famous for its backwaters. The backwaters are a network of canals connecting many villages and towns. We arrived in the late afternoon and began our search for a guest house that had been recommended by two French girls we met in Hampi. Everybody seemed to know where it was but their directions never brought us to the right place. Finally, we were able to find a phone and call the guesthouse to get real directions. The owner ended up...

Kochi is the capital of the coastal state Kerala. Kerala used to be a popular destination for merchants looking to trade for spices, but today, it is mostly occupied by tourist who come to enjoy the beaches lined with palm trees. It is said that King Solomon's ships traded on the coast between 972 and 932 B.C.. We arrived in Kochi around 5 30 am and stepped off our bus to see a row of over 30 people sleeping side by side on the sidewalk where the bus stop is. ...

On December 19th, we left Hampi on an overnight sleeper bus heading towards Bangalore, a much larger city to the south of Hampi. Bangalore, recently renamed Bengaluru, is famous for being the country's most "western" city. Bangalore was the first city in India to have electricity. It has been the center of the rapid evolution of the country's hardware and software industries. Bangalore does not offer many sightseeing opportunities but it's nightlife is one of t...

The sleeper bus , our chosen mode of transportation to get to Hampi, resembles a greyhound bus except that inside, instead of seats there are bunk beds. There are double beds as well as single beds available and you can choose between an A/C bus or a non-A/C bus. Since the nights are relatively cool, we opted for a non- A/C bus and decided to wear light clothing. Once we found our bunk, we settled in for our first night on a sleeper bus. The beginning of the ride...

After leaving Mumbai, we arrived in Goa by plane on December 9th, 2011. When booking our flight and our hotel, we didn't realize how far the airport was from the hotel and that we would have to take a bus to arrive at our destination. We landed at the Goa airport around 4 pm and arrived at our hotel around 11 pm. It was a very long and hot bus ride! Goa has the reputation of being beach party central in India. It was a very popular destination for the " hippie" ...