Oh, Stoney Red Soil of Hampi

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After a day spent in Bangalore (we saw 'Memoirs of a Geisha' at a really flashy cinema and hung out in a lovely colourful park) we got on the Hampi express and met up with some really nice people at the train station in Bangalore all on their way to Hampi. We arrived into Hospet and rickshawed to the river bank in Hampi to take our boat to the Heart of Darkness on North side of the river. Straight away I think everybody is struck by the landscape. It's kind of primal like the Himalayas. You never tire of looking at it. Add to that the fact that there are interesting and ancient religious and cultural monuments everywhere and you have somewhere that people can and do spend a lot of time in.

We sayed at Shanti Guesthouse on the North of the river. I felt ancient watching the young whipper-snappers doing their Tai Chi, juggling and Kung Fu in the lovely garden from our swing-bed but after a while it became just part of the furniture (just like us). The guest house had fantastic food especially since Hampi is supposed to be a disaster zone for food. We hooked up a really nice bunch of people there too. Sean from London and Goa, Dave from Landan, Vyron from Rhodos and Luc from Hamilton, CA. Hi to all of you!

Somehow days were spent in the searing heat visiting ruins and a resevoir and also drinking coffee and having huge plates of fruit salad. People forgot the day, the week, teh year and their name as we sought to hold back time on our swing chairs. Discussions on world music would be interspersed with football and cricket, politics and photography and 'Hampi rocks and how they got there'.

Thanks Hampi for showing us that slower can be more and that longer can be less.

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Photos

Hampi - Stone Chariot
Amazing how intricate the carving is in some of these temples.

Hampi - From Mango Tree
View from Mago Tree restaurant with it's death-defying swing.

Hampi - Aquaduct?
No idea. I didn't buy a guide book...

Hampi - Monkey at Hanuman Temple
A lovely place to visit at dawn or dusk and lots of nice Saddhu and priest types to enlighten one.

Hampi - As Good as it Gets
After this rub down it's endless boredom for the great beast in the local temple.

Hampi - Elephant House
Ahoy Luc. Yes it's cold there now but you still have the memories!

Hampi - Photo for Two
Cheers for the technique advice Vyron. My tan seems to be messing with the white balance though! Warren

Hampi - The Hand of God?
Volcanic or God-related - who knows.. People do dive off this into the resevoir though!

Hampi - Hard Labour
The women really take their equal rights seriously in India and are allowed to get involved in even the most menial of labour.

Hampi - Photo for Four Laxmi Temple
Some chinks to be worked out in the technique but getting there. the arm hardly noticeable...