Jez

We were having palak and roti at Jez's cave and what a treat it was!! The palak (spinach) so dark green and rich and "BABA ROTI" about 5 times as thick as a normal chapatti made with proper wholemeal flour. WOW! I'd been a bit drained from bouldering all morning but now feel hugely better as the "baba power" from the feast starts to replenish my wasted muscles. So green with a side dish of raw mint and coriander crushed into a paste by cave method. "FULL POWER" was all I could say in between stuffing my face on this supermeal from some type of "baba heaven"

Jez and I had known each other for 15 years . I remember my first year in India when I seemed to meet him everywhere. First in Hampi we sat around at cosmic cave for days on end just drinking chai and talking. Then a few months later after a 10 day trek through Zanskar I get to this remote and tiny village in the middle of nowhere (Ladakh) and who is sitting there in a chai shop eating momo's Jez! At that time he had been over a year in India but still looked and acted like a "westerner" even though he confessed to me then that he was desperate to stay in the sub-continent for a longer time. He always struck me as a very spirit aware person and Indian culture made allowance for him even as a foreigner with a good tradition of acceptance and ascetics. He seemed so happy with his life and relieved to have made the break. India was the real life now he couldn't return to the soul less, materialistic and mundane existence of his own culture.

When I met him the next time 3 years later in 96 I'd been travelling all around Asia working in Singapore and Japan but not so the Jez! He hadn't even left the country (except Nepal but that doesn't really count as leaving) and looked more like an Indian sadhu than someone from Newcastle! He looked great with his long baba locks and holy markings and had done a superb job on one of the old sadhu caves of rishimuk. He had completely flattened the floor and finished it with the highest quality of local mud then put in a perfect "doonie" a beautiful designed and very holy fireplace. A few good holy markings on the walls and lots of pictures of his favourite deities and the place looked amazing!! I was really jealous but for me it was not possible as I needed to stay fully mobile to explore. He really loved that particular cave in the shadow of the imposing Rishimuk. It's a legendary mountain in Hinduism made so by Rama and Hanuman (THE monkey god of India who was actually born here) when they went to Lanka to save Sita from the Raksasha, a demon god called Ravana who has ten heads and is mighty fierce also!) Nowadays the story which is called the Ramayana is the most loved in India. "rishi" is another name for sadhu, someone who has chosen a spiritual path renouncing all worldly goods. In the years that followed he came back to that same cave every year it was like he had become the "rishi" of rishimuk.

Robbi

It was on this day in Jan 03 we were sitting there in Jez's cave as usual eating and drinking chai but today the subject we were thinking about was our friend Robbi. He was a painter from New Zealand who liked Hampi so much that he had stayed for the last 15 years or so! He kept the crash pads and was a friend for all the climbers who came through hampi, his house really close to the boulders and an Indian wife and 2 kids which meant he was always there! But he was not there any more as his dead body had just been recovered from cosmic cave just the week before. Such a lot of stories were going around as to the cause of his death but they mostly came back to suicide by jumping from the top of the high bit of cosmic cave. But the more people I spoke to the more it seemed that this was NOT the case as the body was in the wrong position and place for this to have happened. So what did actually happen? poison, snake bite, overdose? murder? I posed the question to Jez but he just made a long sssssss sound and shook his head slowly..... It meant he didn't know either. But in my own heart and mind I knew that he wouldn't have taken his own life, he loved his family too much. I was sure.

It was in that moment when Jez and I were sitting quietly feeling a bit sad when Jez picked up the small sketch book that robbi's grieving wife had given to me. It had been empty even though I'd meant to use it for climbing topos so I'd left it with robbi the year before but now it wasn't empty. On the first page Robbi had done a colourful sketch of a beautiful balanced boulder that we climb on and the words underneath "see, life is beautiful" I looked at Jez "so if life is beautiful why choose to end it?" I said. Jez was staring at the picture for a very long time then he grabbed a pen and turned to the next page. It was empty. He wrote the words.....

Dear robbi, I'm still here but you have gone, to a better place where you belong.

It sent a shiver down my spine so I put the book away and started to talk about this wild area of rocks and that Jez wanted to come with us next time as he felt like some time away from the cave. I was just imagining the yummy baba snacks and chai between bouldering sessions. It would be great! I promised to collect him on the way and he promised that when I did he would be ready to go in 10 minutes. Perfect! with that I said goodbye and wandered off across the island..... It was the last time I would see Jez.....

Nagendra

Born in anagundi 5km from hampi he had been a trouble maker all his life and could not return to his home town since they tied him to a post in the street and everybody had a go beating him for 6 hours straight! It was then he started going to rob foreigners which as he found was much more easy and lucrative anyway. His classic trick was to hide behind a boulder then surprise his victim with a handful of chilli powder in the eyes then..... bonk! on the head with the coconut knife. By that time most tourists would just let go of their bag and away he would go. But his strength was his ability to hide and once he disappeared behind matunga hill nobody had a chance to get him

The locals told me "nobody knows the rocks like this man" it was a daunting thought but I didn't worry too much back then in 2000 as he always seemed to strike on the Hampi side never crossing the river. People say this was because he was sponsored by the police chief of that area giving commission for every strike but his area of jurisdiction stopped at the river so he wouldn't risk working the other side. I was miles away on the other side developing bouldering areas 8 and 10 km away so I wouldn't meet him anyway!

When they eventually caught up with him it was not in the rocks but in a town 60 km away spending the money!! He was given a relatively short time in jail that time (2.5 years) as the witnesses had all either left the country or were dead already! On 21st jan 2003 he was released once again and nobody knew about it.

Wild Area

It was the 21st of Jan so me and squib were psyched for a really good session at this promising new area beyond Jungli before it gets too hot but we had to walk out there with a weeks worth of food. We were late and disorganized with all the shopping and planning and it was close to sunset when we finally got going. It was only coming through Senapur the last village that I remembered Jez! shit, he really wanted to come!! I'd never seen him so keen about anything! Too late! At that moment it would have been a huge detour to get him so I kept quiet thinking that if I reminded him Squib would force us to go back and collect him. I was a bit stressed but kept walking into the moonlight feeling a bit guilty we hadn't bothered.

It was a superb few days in the rocks with both of us finding quality problems and enjoying the perfect unspoilt area miles away from all the ricepaddy (mosquitos) and villages (dirty). There its just rocks and monkeys and trees everywhere. Its very refreshing but when you have to come back it can be hard and this time it was even harder. I was feeling amazing on the walk back the energy was zipping through my body with every barefoot step avoiding thorns and spikes with ease.

It was after Senapur on the way through the island it hit me first. For some reason the energy of the place felt terrible at that moment, I tried to put it down to the fact that we had been away for a while but it was much much worse than normal. We rested at Vijaynaga where there seemed to be a huge argument starting up between some friends! Oh dear why we have to come back to all this. I looked at Squib and we felt the same thing. but still no news! He collapsed in a hammock and I crossed the river in search of energizing treats. I went direct to the juice shop and who was there but Chris and his super hero climb America film team. I wanted to ask him about quality problems he had found but he told me the news before I had the chance...... an English sadhu guy has been stabbed near rishimuk they said , "is it Jez ?!" I ask, "I think so" says chris "did you know that guy?"

Death Is Everywhere

On the 25'th Nagendra and another had followed Jez to his cave at rishimuk. The next thing anyone knew was when in the middle of the night Jez managed to stagger down from his cave to the nearest house which was Meera (a female Belgian sadhu) with a huge wound to his neck. He was actually able to speak a few words at that moment and told Meera two people had attacked him and got his belt with 3000 rupees (less than £50) in it! but he was bleeding so heavily and in a terrible state. Meera did her best to help him and they got to Bellary but he needed a good doctor really quick! that night he didn't get one or he got it too late..... He died the next night 25 hours later.... in a grim town 100 km away.

It seemed ironic and wrong that of all the tourists with so much money hanging around Hampi and the island he chooses Jez who has less than any body! It was only 3 or 4 days later that it all struck me not about Jez but about Nagendra and the future but for a very good reason.....

I was climbing on the island and wandered up to cosmic cave at sunset where I met a German friend Peter and we were chatting especially about Jez and the whole story. He was also sad about Jez but wasn't at all worried for himself or family and seemed sure it will not happen again anyway. It was just then talking to Peter that I really felt it.... the truth of the matter! The Opposite of his view!.... That it would indeed happen again as it has every other time Nagendra has been released as he just keeps on going until capture. He cant stop!!

I explained to peter but he was having none of it. We sat and watched the sunset then he wandered off back down so I sat alone for a while staring across the boulderfields towards rishimuk. As always, from wherever I am the sight of it helps me relax but I have an uneasy feeling and very sore feet from walking around barefoot. I curse myself for not bringing shoes.

Its when I start to wander down across the plateau looking always up at the mountain of boulders that I get it .The glimpse of him just as he hides behind a boulder. I'm being watched from about 200 metres away. I've never been watched like this before and I've never had this strong feeling before that I felt at that moment because I knew that it was him Nagendra so started to think really fast..... At that moment.I am without any knife or stick whereas he has a big knife on a stick, also carries a small sharp knife and maybe has his friend with him!! I cant go after him now it will be too much risk and Then I look up again and get another glimpse this time his dark coloured form quickly going behind a different boulder a little further away to the left. It seemed like he wasn't going to risk going for me then but I started to walk really quickly towards the other side of the plateau until I was on the last bit down to the road. I didn't stop and kept going to the other side of the river until I was in the small street where my room is.

I was really psyched now! The whole thing had just become very real and close and the adrenalin was flowing! I was thinking about how we would trap him in the rocks and which type of weapons I would have for the strike. Then suddenly its my friend Rakesh standing in front of me tugging at my arm, he's saying "Pil please come and help I not understand what to do" I had that feeling again and knew that something was very wrong but I just stared at him for a moment speech less, "please Pil youre English very good you will find what happens" he says then he was pulling me into his hotel and down the corridor and I saw a few indians with their very worried faces milling around the door of the last room. Rakesh just pushed them out of the way and pulled me quickly inside the room. I was presented with the scene..... on the floor but with her head propped up was the girl but her eyes didn't look quite right and there are red lines on her neck. She is fresh dead already, I could tell. Sitting on the bed is another foreigner but male and he is American. I start talking to him and he explained "she was just hanging by her neck from the door frame when I got back" he said "I'd only been gone 10 minutes" but it was right after you had that big shouting argument that everybody in the guest house heard, "oh yea that's right". When I really thought about it and looked at his emotions at that moment I couldn't believe he hadn't killed her. We agreed that it was too late to save her anyway and I turned to Rakesh who was still fussing and gibbering about ambulances and police and told him not to bother about the ambulance as its too late. The American guy seemed happy that I was there at that moment as the Indians had been not helping his state of mind with a panicky vibe going on around the hotel but then something occurred to me. The police would most surely arrive soon and if I was here like this I would be involved in the whole bla bla investigation. I asked him if he was okay one last time then I was out of there and down the road, just in time, 5 minutes later the cops were there and a huge crowd of Indian onlookers had amassed at the front of the guest house all holding their necks, pointing to the room and talking excitedly.

It was all becoming a bit much for one day, but I couldn't afford to get involved in that hanging suicide/murder? thing as I was much more concerned about Nagendra and who would be his next victim..... my mind working overtime as now I KNOW he is right there on the island just waiting for the right moment to strike, but when he goes in to the cave system of the mountain it would be insane to go after him. He knows every tunnel, it would be a simple job for him to kill anyone who follows him in there. So the trap must be out on the plateau for it to work but there must be some bait ie. A dopey looking girl tourist who seems like she's loaded with cameras and cash would be perfect. But who will do that?

The next morning I go to town Hospet 12 km away and get myself equipped with some excellent weapons. I have a strong thick bamboo stick fitted with a sharpened spike and nails on one end and thick for beating with just a couple of nails on the other and a separate smaller but much sharpened coconut knife. I was fully psyched and testing the new stick on any stray dogs that happened to be in my way, it was perfect and would give me the good chance against the other wielding maniac. Just have to get the bait and make the plan.

But things were running really a bit faster than the plan! It was already too late! even as I arrived at my room in Hampi an Indian is telling me "I think something has happened on the other side" I got that feeling again but couldn't get any details so I just locked my room again and set off across the river.

The first person I saw on the other side was my friend the large and rather jovial Rangaia the boss of vijaynagar and he is instantly full of the news....

"Nagendra strike today!"

he booms, then he's holding one hand flat and making chopping sawing motions into it with the other hand,

"morning time strike!"

he bellowed sounding his normal jolly self which was not really in keeping with what he was trying to tell me. It came in bursts of short phrases but I was putting it all together. "israeli girl fighting!"
he continues "Israeli girl very strong yes?"..........

he looked at me for some response "very best army training, even for ladies!" I explained to him then I ask "did she beat up and catch the Nagendra?" I was hopeful for a second "Oh no Pil not like that, he is going to her without knife and grabbing her from behind thinking she is only a mere woman but she is a very strong one and throws him off! but then he takes his knife and goes to stab her she is grabbing the knife blade". He repeats his chopping, sawing motions this time speaking slowly and more seriously "knife is hand cutting, fingers offside hanging, bag and money losing!!" It was getting worse all the time, "450 dollars and very nicest camera taking" he exclaims matter of factly as if that was really the most important thing. It was 10 times what he got from Jez and he would almost certainly disappear for a few days now with that much. I felt bad, like I had missed a good chance. The Israeli girl would now kick up a huge storm in the police station and lodge several complaints! Something was going to happen and from a higher level. The next day the shit hit the fan and the chances for us to catch him were drastically reduced.

Shit is Fan side Hitting

Huge amounts of police everywhere on the island looking tough, waving sticks around, demanding free food and drink from every restaurant and arresting people for things that they don't have!

It was perfect!

Now it would be rather difficult to locate the Nagendra but he wouldn't be back for a few days anyhow.

Then he would always know where his pursuers were. Standing on the highest rock in white shirts shouting at any passing tourist "don't come there! very danger! go back!" very helpful. That was what this investigation would seem to be about. They had been wanting to come to the island and settle some old scores any way so now they had the reason - Nagendra. It was all too convenient and I was starting to believe the whole thing had been pre-arranged from the start. "WE will search the rocks and most definitely catch him!" one of them told me. I wished it was true but calculated that it was a virtual impossibility for this motley crew of fat bumblees to get any where near him never mind catch him.... and impossible for us to have a plan without them getting involved in it. For me anyway It would be a huge mistake to be involved in any plan with them.

Sex Energy

It seemed only right he would strike boulderers sooner or later as they are so easy targets. Its like this..... Put down bag, walk 20 metres away, turn back on bag, face the rock and concentrate 100% on that small area in front of your face! too easy and so it would be at the cosmic cave 4 climbers all together only a few metres away from where they left their bags and he out-witted all of them in a few seconds and collected 2 of their rucsacs!! One of them had some "sex energy" pills inside the sac and he may have liked these a lot and taken some before the next strike.......

On a day when there were more than a hundred people supposedly looking for him on the island and hampi he caught a german woman near the top of hanuman temple hill. She wouldn't let go of her precious video camera so he repeatedly smashed in her face with a big piece of granite. He was masturbating at the same time as he was beating but she was screaming and people came quickly running from the temple. She didn't lose her precious camera but she did lose her teeth and face!!

I was right, of course, it would be a long time with many victims and for the rest of my stay in Hampi I adopted the selfish mentality of the psychopath himself.... that is ultra selfish, super paranoid, just look after my self, that's all and NOTHING else matters, after all I just want to climb, its not my job to catch murderers or psychopaths (even for a 5000 rupees reward) and that's it, I could still carry on, I didn't feel afraid for myself as I got the feeling like he wasn't going to attempt a strike on me for some reason (must have been the stick!) but I was all the time alone in the rocks more than any other foreigner and always...... looking...... looking........ looking.