Badami, India

I left Hampi for a few days with two friends, Phil and Tyler, to explore a climbing area 4 hours away called Badami. 1500 year old fortress temples carved into the sandstone cliffs on the outskirts of Badami attract Indian tourists from far and wide. This collection of indians from around the country gave us some insight into what India is like outside of our cultural bubble of Hampi. 

     The food was extremely cheap, but not that satisfying. The authentic Indian breakfast and lunch consisted of some variation of Indian bread by the names of puri, idli, upma, or dosa, and the same two spiced dipping sauces. At first it was delightful, and delightfully cheap, but as time went on my body started to feel the effects of an entirely glutinous diet. 

   Badami had one main dirt road. Wild pigs, roosters, monkeys, dogs, and cats roamed freely scavenging through garbage piles. The unorganized mess of pedestrians, rickshaws, cars, buses, ox carts, and cars with the excessively unnecessary use of horns made for a comical yet obnoxious scene.

   The climbing scene wasn't quite what we expected either. The first 3 protective bolts were stripped off of the over whelming majority of the climbing routes making them impossible to safely climb. However we did manage to find some fun routes fully bolted, and finding the climbing areas in the first place was an adventure worth the trip.

    Despite these seemingly negative reviews of Badami, India it was a gorgeous area and a period I will forever regard as my first exposure to the "real" India. And of course we managed to make a good time out of our adversity. After going to an Indian dive bar and throwing back a few king fishers, India's major beer, we would go back to our stuffy hotel room and watch cricket or bad movies on the small scrambled TV. Good times on the traveling road :)

    So now I'm back "home" in Hampi trying to make the most out of my final week here, before I step into the deep end of India. Bustling cities, noise, and bad odors are surely in my future. But will be justified by blissful mountain communities, cultural lessons, and a long list of adventures with stories and photos to walk away with.