Hampi

I didn’t know so many people could fit into one bus. The Visthar mini bus holds 30 people, and after Ambryn and I climbed aboard and attempted to find the most stable standing position, we counted 74. Granted, most were girls, bust still. I rode most of the way pressed up against the door, while being spooned. Thankfully my spooner was a benign 11 year-old girl. We rode through the busy evening streets of Bangalore. I believe only one girl vomited, and I think we can call that a success. As I looked out the window (I felt lucky I wasn’t lodged somewhere in the middle) onto Hindu worshipers in the little roadside temples, men sitting in tea shops, and sides of mutton and pork hanging in the meat stalls, I felt like I was seeing India for the first time, in a sense. Somehow it felt more like India, this country with over one billion people, with humanity pressed into me, slogging our way through the loud, honking, gritty streets. As it turned out, I think Ambryn and I needed our weekend in Koppal to round out the relatively cozy experience we’ve been having so far.

It was delightful to take the train with the girls. At the station we entertained them with singing, “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” etc. (It was actually a request.) We saw a few other white tourists at the station and one girl, Padma, turned to us, smiling excitedly and said, “Aunty! Same!” Ambryn and I cringed (at the reminder that because of white skin, we are immediately associated with all the scandalously clad Westerners backpacking their way around…), and allowed ourselves to continue to be pulled down the walkway with them. The girls were professionals on the train. Ambryn and I were lucky to share a berth with 4 of the smallest girls. One had no shoes and carried a heavy second-hand suitcase that was almost as big as her. The excitement wore off relatively quickly for them. They pulled down the make-shift second-class sleeper beds, covered themselves with a “dupatta” (large scarf) if they had one, used their suitcase or backpack for a pillow, and promptly went to sleep. I can’t get over how competent these little girls are. Ambryn tried to cover a few of them up with her blanket, but they would only immediately fold it neatly and hand it back to her.

After arriving at Koppal the next morning and taking our breakfast, we packed into two (thank God) mini buses and headed for Hampi. Hampi is the site of old temple ruins, the largest World Heritage Site. The day was long and hot, with all of the waiting around in the sun associated with group travel. It was also a beautiful gift to share that incredible place with those girls. They took turns playing tour guide for us and pulled us along the various ruins, pointing out different deities, “Aunty! Hanuman! Beautiful! Aunty!” At the living temple at Hampi they became very pious and serious. We all took the holy water, and received the red, yellow, and white powder (I always forget what they’re called!) on our foreheads. The girls bowed to the little chamber where the priest sleeps, which can be viewed from behind a gate. On the way out I gave Renuka a rupee so she could receive a blessing from the temple elephant. Upon handing over the rupee the elephant lowers its trunk onto the head of the rupee-giver.

After ice cream was consumed and sunburns (for Ambryn and me) were confirmed we boarded the buses for the two hour journey back to Koppal. Raju, the social studies teacher, picked some sugar cane from the window and passed it to all the children. They soon crashed from their sugar highs and Ambryn and I were left to giggle all the way home. We were crammed into the backmost seat, our legs wedged behind the behemoth rice pot in which our lunch was kept, with sleeping girls on each side of us. The heat of the day made us a little loopy as we processed a day of heat, hilarity (the usual Indian travel things), and deeper relationships with the girls (including moving to a place of being irritated, a necessary step in authentic relationships, I think). We nearly missed our death a few times, but that all comes with Indian travel. We were hot, sweaty, and probably had a few months taken from our lives due to the alarm caused by our reckless (read: just about standard) bus driver. But the overwhelming sense was that of extreme gratitude for the opportunity to spend a meaningful day with these inspiring girls.