Stand Up Basketing

Although I had heard of some people enjoying Hampi, I figured it would be just another tourist stop. I was completely wrong! As you can see in the picture below, it held quite a special adventure for me. I'm pretty sure that if I was ever on the Indian Sub-continent in a past life, this was my career.

I was a Stand Up Basketer. 

Or SUB for short. 

Read my "official" press release about becoming a professional Stand Up Basketer on the Mullet.

This obviously paved the way for my current obsession with Stand Up Paddling, a new craze that is incredibly popular around the world. But I cannot forget my roots as a SUBer!

The baskets are woven out of bamboo and gras, then lined with a thick canvas slathered with tar or sap. The paddles are made from bamboo shafts with pieces of wood tied to the end. It seems environmentally-friendly enough!

In all honesty, it was not easy to score my ride in the SUB. I was doing some hiking in the area when I saw my first SUB. It was upside down, and no one was using it. Unfortunately, they were using motor boats to ferry tourists across a small river. I went down and asked the ferry ticket guy if I could use his basket. They said no, and started turning me away. Luckily I had the super negotiator, Kartik, with me. He started talking to them and trying to convince them that I had to try this basket. They still insisted that I couldn't use it. Another man on the wayside overheard the conversation and mentioned that if we went with him we could get into the baskets. So, we hopped into an autorickshaw with this stranger and drove away to the baskets, and thankfully, that is where we went! Of course, when we arrive, the basket guy bringing us was not the same guy running the show. So, we had to haggle further to try to let them let me take the basket. I didn't want to sit idly by while someone else paddled me around - I wanted to do some SUB sprints!! It had been a while since I had been out on the water, so I needed some alone time with a paddle in my hand. Finally, I got my wish. I was able to take the basket out for a spin... Literally. In case you couldn't tell by the shape, if you paddle on one side, you just spin in circles. It was awesome, though. Especially once I figured out how to go straight!

All of the other basket ferry-men looked on in confusion, because women don't do much in this country, let alone hop in a basket and paddle it.