Hampi is an absolute must see when on a visit to India. It was not the easiest place to get to, but well worth the hassle. From Kochi Gretch and I took three trains a bus, a rickshaw and ferry to the final destination. Total transit time- 26 hours. Total miles traveled- 367 miles.
The landscape is the real kicker in Hampi. Boulders litter the landscape in all shapes and sizes. Color- sand. There piles of boulders. Lone boulders. Boulders balancing on boulders balancing on boulders that leave you wondering how all these arrangments of boulders is possible. All these boulders were surrounded in the brightest green fields of rice. Brown and green, that was about it.
And to add to this wonderful landscape were the ruins of a kingdom long ago prosperous. I am a little short of words right now and cant even begin to describe.
Gretch and I spent three days in Hampi. And if we didn't have to catch a plane up to Delhi on the 22nd we easlily could have spent a week or two exploring the area. The two full days we did have to explore we rented bikes and visited the many ruins. The temperature was in the low 100's, topping out at 105 on the last day we were there. But it was a dry heat and we found it more comfortable than the humid 90's of Kerala.
One day at the heat peak of 130 in the afternoon Gretch, Melonie (a French woman) and I climbed the 500+ steps to the top of a pile of boulders 1000 feet high (guessing). Topping the peak was a temple dedicated to the half man half monkey god and son of Siva (pronounced Sheeva= cheeba= marijuana) Hanuman. Legend has it the monkey god was born there.
The climb was a heatstroker. Sweat evaporates instantly in the dry heat. Salty white stains tie died my black shirt. Black shirt in sun = idiot. There were no charras (hashish) smoking sadhus (holy men) on the top as the Lonely Planet had said. Don't worry we had our fair share of that experience in Varanasi.
The climb up to the temple was a marathon "Up-Down". An up down is something Gretch invented at the first train station we had to go to. We usually get a few rounds of up-downs in at every station we visit. It is a simple form of walking excersice (&^%$#%^ !!!!! how do you spell ecxersise???). There is always an elevated walking path at the station going over the tracks. So we simply walk up and own the stairs leading to the different platforms. At large stations with many platforms we really get a good work out up-downing with our packs on. The excersise is also a practice of observation in the dirtier northern stations where you have to keep an eye out for things you dont want to step in- like feces of all origins. Huh, I guess that is everywhere in northern India.
We stayed on the 16th floor when we spent a night at the Amma Ashram a week ago. I opted out on that session of up-downs. Gretchen humped out 3 reps.
The landscape is the real kicker in Hampi. Boulders litter the landscape in all shapes and sizes. Color- sand. There piles of boulders. Lone boulders. Boulders balancing on boulders balancing on boulders that leave you wondering how all these arrangments of boulders is possible. All these boulders were surrounded in the brightest green fields of rice. Brown and green, that was about it.
And to add to this wonderful landscape were the ruins of a kingdom long ago prosperous. I am a little short of words right now and cant even begin to describe.
Gretch and I spent three days in Hampi. And if we didn't have to catch a plane up to Delhi on the 22nd we easlily could have spent a week or two exploring the area. The two full days we did have to explore we rented bikes and visited the many ruins. The temperature was in the low 100's, topping out at 105 on the last day we were there. But it was a dry heat and we found it more comfortable than the humid 90's of Kerala.
One day at the heat peak of 130 in the afternoon Gretch, Melonie (a French woman) and I climbed the 500+ steps to the top of a pile of boulders 1000 feet high (guessing). Topping the peak was a temple dedicated to the half man half monkey god and son of Siva (pronounced Sheeva= cheeba= marijuana) Hanuman. Legend has it the monkey god was born there.
The climb was a heatstroker. Sweat evaporates instantly in the dry heat. Salty white stains tie died my black shirt. Black shirt in sun = idiot. There were no charras (hashish) smoking sadhus (holy men) on the top as the Lonely Planet had said. Don't worry we had our fair share of that experience in Varanasi.
The climb up to the temple was a marathon "Up-Down". An up down is something Gretch invented at the first train station we had to go to. We usually get a few rounds of up-downs in at every station we visit. It is a simple form of walking excersice (&^%$#%^ !!!!! how do you spell ecxersise???). There is always an elevated walking path at the station going over the tracks. So we simply walk up and own the stairs leading to the different platforms. At large stations with many platforms we really get a good work out up-downing with our packs on. The excersise is also a practice of observation in the dirtier northern stations where you have to keep an eye out for things you dont want to step in- like feces of all origins. Huh, I guess that is everywhere in northern India.
We stayed on the 16th floor when we spent a night at the Amma Ashram a week ago. I opted out on that session of up-downs. Gretchen humped out 3 reps.
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