Hubli: The City That Tried to Sleep But Couldn't

i woke up to the sound of a motorcycle revving outside my hostel door, which was just a step away from the main street. hubli, at this point, felt like a place that existed in a perpetual state of half-awakening. i wasn’t sure if that was the heat or the locals’ way of going about their day. i just checked and it’s this sticky, mid-90s kind of heat, which is exactly what i expected. but honestly, i’ve had worse. i’ve had days where the air smells like burnt plastic and it’s 40 degrees above. this was manageable, i guess.

last night, i heard someone talking about dharwad out loud in the hostel kitchen. i didn’t understand why they cared, but i guess it’s like hubli’s backup plan. if you get bored, dharwad is just a short drive away. i tried to make a day trip there, but the traffic was so bad it turned into a lesson on patience. or maybe that’s just me.

someone told me that the best spot for street food is this tiny stall where the guy cooks everything over an open fire. i heard it’s chaotic, but honestly, that’s the point. if you’re not into that, i heard the coffee houses are a bit pricey. not sure if that’s true though. i decided to take the risk and got a jhangiri from a vendor near the bus station. it was hot. like, aggressively hot. but i took a bite anyway. it tasted like ash and hope.

i spent most of my time wandering around trying to find decent lighting. as a travel blogger, i know light is everything. i wanted to take photos, but the sun was this intense thing that made everything look like it’s been through a nuclear winter. i ended up shooting in the early morning when the light was soft enough to not destroy my camera sensor. or maybe that’s just my luck.

the weather here is this constant slapped-in-the-face thing. it’s hot, it’s humid, and if it rains, it pours. i heard that some people call it a ‘monsoon purgatory’. i don’t know if that’s accurate, but it feels right. i’m not complaining, though. it’s just… there right now, hope you like that kind of thing.

i saw a map of hubli online, and it made me realize how small this place is. or maybe it’s not small, but it’s all crammed into this one area. i looked at it while eating my jhangiri, which was probably the worst decision ever. i also saw some images of ganesha statues and people hanging laundry in the sun. those photos made me think about how every corner of hubli seems to hold a piece of this lost, middle-of-nowhere vibe.

i’m not gonna lie, i messed around with a few local spots. i tried a market, a cafe, and a random walk through the old part of town. the market was overwhelming. the cafe had bad wifi. the walk made me question all my life choices. i’m posting this from a hostel room that smells like incense and socks. it’s cozy, i guess.

if you’re thinking about coming here, check out TripAdvisor for more details on the best places to eat or the latest reviews on the local eateries. yelp might have some hidden gems too. and if you really want to understand hubli, maybe visit the tourism board’s site. i didn’t, but i guess that’s on you now.

i left hubli with more questions than answers. did i like it? maybe. did i regret anything? probably. but i got some weirdly good coffee and a story about a guy who sells used motorcycles by the roadside. that’s enough for me.

p.s. don’t come here in july. i learned that from a guy who was stuck in a flood. don’t ask me for details.

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