Rock n' Roll Mountain Troll

Guten Tag!

It is Tuesday night and the day has treated me well. Actually, it's been an over all good week. 

Going on weekend trips seems to be a continuing thing so I will try to make these trip updates and reoccurring thing.

Here's a bit of what you missed:

This last week we went to Shravanabelagola which according to everyone we asked told us that it houses the tallest monolithic statue ever.

(It's censored for your viewing pleasure by a very convenient part of the wall)

More pictures from Shravanabelaoga:

Monkey!

Dad requested/demanded photos of me doing stuff. Here's proof that I'm actually in India.

Mancala (the ancient Indian civilizations knew what was up)

From left to right: Our guide, Somu, Joseph, Jake, and Brie

Jake walking into the great abyss

There was an amazing view at this temple. 

Some people in our group had to sneak away from our guides to find it, but it was worth it. 

There were views of a small pocket of the world but seemed vast with the morning fog creeping in. The photo to the left shows the rock platform that some of us laid on.

 It was a truly special place that I hope to visit again, possibly for a picnic.

Maybe not with  all of these stairs we had to climb to get there...

Later that day we visited a restaurant featuring a buffet that all of the students indulged in gladly. 

We haven't been able to serve ourselves since we've been here (seriously though, sometimes the lunch servers at the hostel won't even let us put our own toast in the toaster).

The day followed with visiting a couple more temples which have similar patters: star shape, Hindu gods and goddesses, elephant sculptures that represent strength so they are placed at the bottoms of the temples to "hold up" the structure etc. Also each temple boasts of having India's largest/oldest structure. Even if the 8th largest in all of South India they are still proud. 

Thumbs up guys (I'm practicing sarcasm here, but not good at expressing it).

After a long day it was nice to go back to the hostel. On the way home we had to wait for a train to pass. The wait for the train to arrive was around 10 minutes. The train systems seem to be really careful about the safety of travelers. By that time people might forget that a train was even coming in first place. 

We knew that we are were almost back at the hostel by the amount of potholes the bus trampled over. 

Then again, South India is never short on potholes. In fact, I've created this game called "Pothole or Destination?" and it goes like this: 

The drivers in India drive fairly quickly except when there is:

1. an actual speed bump

2. a cow

3. a pot hole

4. your destination

After a long day of travel all we want to do is get home, and when we slow down I think it's because we're back, but on the occasion that the driver slows down it fools me almost every time when its 1-3 listed above. 

Hopefully that made some sense.

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Today was very productive: yoga, veena practice, went for a run, bought some pink head phones, bread, kinder joy chocolate eggs, and while shopping it was apparent that the Ganesha festival is not a one-day type of event. Lights strung up across the streets and around Ganesha shrines. It seems that at night the shrines become a boom box of sorts. The one featured below was blasting some Eminem. As youthful Americans, Kate (student in the program) and I couldn't help but dance and rap along.

        Kate underneath the festival lights.

Video proof our our rap excursion: