Kana hosahalli

Cycling up the highway as evening approaches we are told there is a nice big village ahead named Kana Hosahalli. We don't have much concern for the availability of tourist accommodation. If there is a village then we are confident that there are plenty of friendly hospitable people that can help us find a safe place to sleep and get food into our bellies.

We are tired but know that we need to prepare ourselves mentally to maintain energy when we reach the village in order to give back all that we will be receiving.

We cycle into the village on a dirt path coming in from the side through small streets past homes with everyone outside staring in curiousity as we say hello and continue towards the direction of what seems like the center.
On the main street we are greeted by men playing drums for a small festival and bustling people, bikes,  and buses.
The commotion is initially a bit overwhelming and Colleen quickly spots a couple smiling at us from the front steps of their home. We cycle up to them and are quickly surrounded by children and adults all curious as to what we are doing.

We say hello and Colleen takes out her notebook with some sentences in Kannada describing what we are doing and what we are looking for.
'We are two sisters travelling through India by bicycle'
'We don't know where we will sleep tonight '
'Can you help us to find a safe place to put our tent, either on a rooftop, field, etc. Or we could also stay in a home if there is space' ... etc.

Colleen attempts reading the difficult kannada words out to everyone while one girl comes behind and reads out over her shoulder so everyone understands. 

There is much excitement, smiling, and chatting and then they indicate we could sleep at the temple and to follow them.
I confirm 'temple tent putting?', 'safe-ah?'
And we turn around after people back up enough to make space and we follow a group of children and an elder woman down some back streets to a small temple in the center of the village surrounded by homes. 

We get a brief glimpse of the temple and the platform in front they indicate we can put our tent on before we are surrounded. Word seems to be spreading fast of our arrival and the whole village is coming to see us.
The next hour is a bit of a blur, answering repeated questions of 'what is your name?', questions about if we've eaten, if we would like tea or coffee, where we are from, etc. But mostly just a lot of excited chatter in a language we can't understand.
Rather than making us feel overwhelmed or stressed we feel calm and safe in the center of this circle. Confident that with so many interested people we will be safe and taken care of for the night.

We realize that unless we start unpacking and doing something everyone will continue to stare and crowd around so we take out the tent and bring it to the platform, confirming we can put it there and then encouraging everyone to back up so we can have space to put it up. We nearly poke many on lookers with the poles as no one seems to want to back up too much.
One woman comes in and starts yelling at the children to shoo them back and a man starts blowing a whistle every 30 seconds or so, another elder woman is throwing water at the kids to get them to back up. Trying to bring more control but only adding to the chaos.
We are brought tea twice during the tent set up process and take breaks to sit down and drink where the crowd quickly surrounds us again .
Everyone is asking about 'oota' (food) and there is much excitement about us liking ragi mudai and it is confirmed that someone is going to cook in their home for us.
Young children fight their way in and nervously ask our name, our fathers name, our mothers name, our brothers name, sisters,  etc.

We recently learned how to ask the same in Kannada so we have a lot of chances to practice.

Colleen goes to check on our luggage which is out of sight due to the crowd and finds our cycles being wheeled away into the closed off area in front of someone home. Some adults having taken responsibility for their safety.
We take off our bags and make our way back through the crowd to the tent and one girl catches me and explains that one woman is offering for us to come stay in her home. That she has a room, we can eat there, and it will be more peaceful.

Sheila, in her purple sari, quiet calm and unassuming is pointed out to us as the woman who has invited us. She is the same woman who colleen had spotted at the beginning smiling with her husband on her front steps. She must have perceived that we could use a bit of a more calm space to rest!
I confirm with her and tell colleen. So down goes the tent with more encouraging the crowd to back up so they will remain safe with the long poles. We get our bikes back out, clip our bags back on and follow Sheila back to her home.

Much of the crowd follows us with young boys holding on to the cycles with us and pushing from behind. All chanting 'OOO' in unison.

We get led out of the chaos and into the quiet of Sheila's home. They put out chairs for us to sit, let us take a nice cool bucket shower in their bathroom, and we spend the time before dinner getting to know their extended family with close friends popping in to say hello and hear our story as well.
We are immensely grateful to their family for opening up the peaceful comfort of their home.

We all have dinner together family style and find Sheila to be the most amazing cook in South India! Even the ragi mudai, so simple and consistent tastes better. She cooks a sambar full of greens and flavor, delicious veggies with mung dal  sprouts, home made pickle, curd, and rice. All followed by a snack of the cutest little bananas we've ever seen!

Dinner has really hit the spot and we are feeling really full and sleepy.
Before sleeping we first go over to Sheila's brothers home where we sit on their couch and take some photos. Her brothers wife is very excited to have us there and he tells us that our arrival is like the 'feeling of a festival' to her. She puts on her best sari and we take photos together before saying goodnight.

We then go back and sleep so amazingly well.
In the morning they insist on breakfast as well and we get home cooked masala dosas made for us as well as some packed away for us to have on the road.

All of this and Sheila is so happy and grateful just to get to share her home with us. Wanting to give more and to have us stay longer.
We take her information down and promise to call.
We take many photos together and say thank you too many times as all of this hospitality only seems natural to them, it's not something they feel the need to be thanked for or to recieve anything from.

We cycle away with warm hearts and full bellies, waving goodbye one last time before turning the corner.
Feeling a strengthened confidence in the kindness of people and our mode of travel.
The smiles and warmth continue down the road all the way to Hampi :)