Hampi

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My train arrives at Hospet at 8am and rickshaw drivers accost us immediately on our arrival. I choose a driver who takes me to Hampi for 120 rupees. He offers his friends guesthouse, which looks OK in the LP, so I agree and take a room near Hampi bazaar.

Hampi is a village in the old city of Vijayangar, which was founded in 1350 and was the capital of a huge empire controlling the regional spice and cotton trade. The empire came to an abrupt end in 1565 when it was ransacked by the Deccans and it looks like it hasn't really changed much since then!

As I arrive, Hampi bazaar is busy with sellers and tourists, so I head up to the hills. I find some beautiful ruins and old temples - it's all a bit Indiana Jones. I see a small temple at the top of a hill, and decide to climb up there. It's further than I think, and in the heat I struggle but eventually I make it and am rewarded with a banana and a "blessing". I chat with some loals inside the Matanga Hill Temple as a boy dances. It's really hot, but the people are friendly and the place is quite mystical. Next I look round the well preserved Vithala Temple, and on the way back to the bazaar share my mp3 with some local lads who espcially liked the U.N.K.L.E. tracks.

After a samosa lunch I head to the royal enclosure and see, amongst other things, the elephant stables. It's crazy imagining elephants living in these stables all those hundreds of years ago.

The next day I go by rickshaw to see some of the more distant temples, which are less impressive for me than the ones I had already seen. Plus, having a driver waiting for me at each temples ruined the laid back feeling of the place for me. So I went back to the centre and spent the afternoon lazing around in various other temples, reading and relaxing. For dinner, I went to "The Mango Tree" - to get to it you have to go through a banana plantaion and on my way I saw some monkeys. From the Mango Tree the view of the river is stunning, a perfect place to enjoy an alo gobi with naan.

Next morning I was up early to catch my train to Goa...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hampi

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Comments

[rupe]

ahoj
Hi Mate, like your blog.... nice pic of the elephant stables,... that place looks pretty cool indeed! Hope your belly survives the trip :)

[Anicka Appleton]

wow
amazing photos - ok now we believe you are really in India ! can I pls have a piccie of an elephant and/or monkey next :-)) Dad says you are a lucky b...... and he wants to fly out n join you but hes got nappies to change. love Anna

[tommy]

amazing
we are all envious of your trips... still here fighting between beer and moznost ahojkicek