Exchange Diaries: Mumbai, India Part Four

By Jonny Klynkmyer (ArtSci ‘ 14)

After writing the post last week about how stressful living in Mumbai is, I realized that it was imperative that I take a little vacation. So I packed my bags and caught the next available overnight sleeper bus down to a quiet little place called Hampi and meet up with two fellow Canadians. We were there for only three days, but in that short time managed to do an incredible amount of things that we never could have planned for. I’ll let you in on a few things I learned:

Smile, breathe and go slowly. Last week I wrote that this motto couldn’t be applied to Mumbai, but this short trip made me realize that it’s both possible and imperative. After a bumpy, swaying, 12-hour bus ride I arrived in Hampi; soon realizing that I hadn’t made any sort of plans with my travel partners on where we would meet. Cell service was of course extremely limited in the area.

Rather than panic, I found myself a nice shaded spot on the main road near the ferry landing, sat myself down and waited for the girls to pass by. I was there for the better part of the day before they showed up, but I really didn’t mind. It was exactly what I needed after spending so much time in Mumbai. The soothing sound of the flowing river combined with the warm, refreshing breeze forced my muscles to soften, especially the ones that had held up my frown for so long in Mumbai. My lungs swallowed in the smog-free air with vigor. I lay my knapsack under my head, closed my eyes and decided I would go slower than slow. I allowed myself to come to a complete stop.

Make friends with the locals. This was one of the most important things I learned while in Hampi, and one of the things I will remember in all my future travels. Locals would occasionally come by and strike up a casual conversation, and I was happy to indulge them. I had read very little about Hampi prior to my arrival, and I gained some valuable information this way. When I met up with the girls, they were headed to the home of a man they had met who had offered to give us cooking lessons, which turned into hanging out with his family and neighbours, playing with local kids and chatting about our lives.

To see how modestly the local people live with such meager resources really changed my perspective on tourism. Many of the people of Hampi rely on tourists to make a living. I watched plenty of tourists that day as they walked to and from the ferry and treated the kids selling postcards and the men offering rickshaw rides with distrust and contempt. I know I’ve been guilty of this too, but after talking to one of the local kids, I realized that selling cheap postcards and guidebooks is his way of running a legitimate small business, and even though I had no use for them, I bought a few just to support him. It was the least I could do.

Stay tuned for more as my adventures in India continue. I’ll be blogging again with QJBlogs on Oct.11.

Twitter: @jklynk

tumblr: jonnyinmumbai.tumblr.com

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