The moment we stepped off our overnight train from Bangalore, we were assailed by India, - noise, crowds, colour, drama, - and all of this just on the platform of Munirabad train station.
We were met by a driver from our hotel (Hampi Boulders), and having thrown my apple core to a foraging pig in the station car park, we set off.
The 10 Km drive to the hotel, through the countryside and small villages, was superb, a lot of it on single track twisting roads. Landscape wise, it was as if giants had thrown huge rocks and boulders all over the place, and then had hastily swept them up into various piles, with flat countryside in between. Some of the piles of boulders were seemingly impossible, with huge boulders supported on small rocks.
Bird life wise, we saw lots of kingfishers perched on wires, with herons and egrets standing in the freshly harvested paddy fields. Of course, there were also water buffalo, and cart towing buffalos with painted horns, and the ubiquitous cows and dogs hanging around the villages. We also hit the morning school rush hour, passing neatly dressed children walking to school. As usual in India, we marvelled at how smart the children look. It always seems extraordinary to me that children living in one room houses, with dirt floors and intermittent electricity, can be so well groomed. I can often look like I have been dragged through a hedge backwards even when I have all facilities and clothes at my disposal.
As we drove up the hotel avenue we were surprised by the unexpected pet emus and deer. The deer was an elegant small Indian chital deer, with beautiful big eyes, and long slim legs. It was also very sociable, as we found out later when it wandered into our hotel room.
Even though we had arrived over an hour later than expected, the hotel cooked us up a super breakfast, and we sat in their open walled restaurant having delicious dosas with pineapple juice and good coffee, while gazing at the boulder strewn horizons. After breakfast and check in, we set off to catch the ferry across the Tungabhadra river into Hampi.
Health and safety as we know it is not practised by our friendly ferry man. The boat was packed with people, as he encouraged us to sit as closely together as possible. Then once we were all on board, a motor bike was wheeled onto the brow of the boat, and off we set across the river, with not a life jacket in sight. It was a lovely lazy river, wending its way between the boulder piles, with fishermen fishing off their bread basket shaped coracle boats.
The other side of the river was Hampi proper, and we landed beside the old stone Ghat (bathing place). Our first afternoon was spent wandering through Hampi village, and visiting the currently used Virupaksha temple, and the surrounding ruined temples. We were impressed by the beauty and completeness of the ruined buildings, not knowing then just how spectacular the rest of it all was. As is usual in Indian tourist spots, we had our photographs taken about a million times, as for some reason a lot of young Indians like to have their photographs taken with westerners. Also as usual, they were all so nice, and polite.
Back at the hotel we were talking to other guests and happened to stand beside a coconut tree, when a coconut fell down. Didn't think so much of it until the hotel manager came out, looked up, and asked us to move away quickly. Then a second coconut came down. There was a monkey in the tree, which is dangerous because as they steal the coconut milk they drop the coconuts which can injure anyone under the trees.
We taken on an evening walk to an island in the river, which had lovely views over the area, passing by a large group of beautiful gray langur monkeys.
We were even more overawed by our second day in Hampi. Following another crowded boat journey across the river, we bumped into 2 different weddings, one at the river side which involved a lot of flowers, and one in the Virupaksha temple involving a lot of turmeric and water being smeared on the bride and groom.
We then went on a tour to the ancient ruins, first taking the lovely riverside walk along the river to the Vittala temple. It was a glorious walk, apart from a nagging concern that we were not going the right direction, as there were no other tourists around. We passed the pillared Courtesans' Street on the way. The Vitalla temple was superb, the quality of the stone carvings was amazing.
We then visited the other sites, the extent of the ancient ruins taking us by surprise, and each site seemed more beautiful than the previous ones.
While a day and a half was OK to explore Hampi, you could easily spend another day or so, exploring the ruins in even more detail. If we go back, we will hire bikes next time to get around, as those flat dirt roads were perfect for cycling.
On our last morning we went for a walk down to a small waterfall. It was a peaceful spot, with beautiful stone sculptures carved by the river.
We then went for a walk along the dirt road from the hotel. We passed the emus, with their graceful postures and ridiculous hair styles, helped the security guard from the hotel try to herd the two pet deer back into the hotel grounds (they were not cooperating), and passed through a troupe of langur monkeys, who were gracefully leaping and lounging around.
We caught our final ferry across the river to go back to Bangalore by KSRTC bus from Hospet. As we walked along the road an auto driver who had a group of men loading his auto with sand bags asked us where we were going. We told him, thinking that he had a friend who could take us. However, suddenly the sandbags were being unloaded, and we were told to get on. We tried to say no, and apologised to the other men, but no one seemed too concerned. We agreed a price, got in the back, two of the sandbag men got into the front with the driver, and off we went towards Hospet. A third of the way there, the two men got off, another man jumped on, and we continued on our journey.
A grand journey back from Hospet to Bangalore, interesting scenery, though road happenings a bit scary sometimes. Speeding buses, cars and lorries are dangerous when sharing the road with bullock carts, goat herds, and wandering cows.
We were met by a driver from our hotel (Hampi Boulders), and having thrown my apple core to a foraging pig in the station car park, we set off.
The 10 Km drive to the hotel, through the countryside and small villages, was superb, a lot of it on single track twisting roads. Landscape wise, it was as if giants had thrown huge rocks and boulders all over the place, and then had hastily swept them up into various piles, with flat countryside in between. Some of the piles of boulders were seemingly impossible, with huge boulders supported on small rocks.
Bird life wise, we saw lots of kingfishers perched on wires, with herons and egrets standing in the freshly harvested paddy fields. Of course, there were also water buffalo, and cart towing buffalos with painted horns, and the ubiquitous cows and dogs hanging around the villages. We also hit the morning school rush hour, passing neatly dressed children walking to school. As usual in India, we marvelled at how smart the children look. It always seems extraordinary to me that children living in one room houses, with dirt floors and intermittent electricity, can be so well groomed. I can often look like I have been dragged through a hedge backwards even when I have all facilities and clothes at my disposal.
As we drove up the hotel avenue we were surprised by the unexpected pet emus and deer. The deer was an elegant small Indian chital deer, with beautiful big eyes, and long slim legs. It was also very sociable, as we found out later when it wandered into our hotel room.
Even though we had arrived over an hour later than expected, the hotel cooked us up a super breakfast, and we sat in their open walled restaurant having delicious dosas with pineapple juice and good coffee, while gazing at the boulder strewn horizons. After breakfast and check in, we set off to catch the ferry across the Tungabhadra river into Hampi.
Health and safety as we know it is not practised by our friendly ferry man. The boat was packed with people, as he encouraged us to sit as closely together as possible. Then once we were all on board, a motor bike was wheeled onto the brow of the boat, and off we set across the river, with not a life jacket in sight. It was a lovely lazy river, wending its way between the boulder piles, with fishermen fishing off their bread basket shaped coracle boats.
The other side of the river was Hampi proper, and we landed beside the old stone Ghat (bathing place). Our first afternoon was spent wandering through Hampi village, and visiting the currently used Virupaksha temple, and the surrounding ruined temples. We were impressed by the beauty and completeness of the ruined buildings, not knowing then just how spectacular the rest of it all was. As is usual in Indian tourist spots, we had our photographs taken about a million times, as for some reason a lot of young Indians like to have their photographs taken with westerners. Also as usual, they were all so nice, and polite.
Back at the hotel we were talking to other guests and happened to stand beside a coconut tree, when a coconut fell down. Didn't think so much of it until the hotel manager came out, looked up, and asked us to move away quickly. Then a second coconut came down. There was a monkey in the tree, which is dangerous because as they steal the coconut milk they drop the coconuts which can injure anyone under the trees.
We taken on an evening walk to an island in the river, which had lovely views over the area, passing by a large group of beautiful gray langur monkeys.
We were even more overawed by our second day in Hampi. Following another crowded boat journey across the river, we bumped into 2 different weddings, one at the river side which involved a lot of flowers, and one in the Virupaksha temple involving a lot of turmeric and water being smeared on the bride and groom.
We then went on a tour to the ancient ruins, first taking the lovely riverside walk along the river to the Vittala temple. It was a glorious walk, apart from a nagging concern that we were not going the right direction, as there were no other tourists around. We passed the pillared Courtesans' Street on the way. The Vitalla temple was superb, the quality of the stone carvings was amazing.
We then visited the other sites, the extent of the ancient ruins taking us by surprise, and each site seemed more beautiful than the previous ones.
While a day and a half was OK to explore Hampi, you could easily spend another day or so, exploring the ruins in even more detail. If we go back, we will hire bikes next time to get around, as those flat dirt roads were perfect for cycling.
On our last morning we went for a walk down to a small waterfall. It was a peaceful spot, with beautiful stone sculptures carved by the river.
We then went for a walk along the dirt road from the hotel. We passed the emus, with their graceful postures and ridiculous hair styles, helped the security guard from the hotel try to herd the two pet deer back into the hotel grounds (they were not cooperating), and passed through a troupe of langur monkeys, who were gracefully leaping and lounging around.
We caught our final ferry across the river to go back to Bangalore by KSRTC bus from Hospet. As we walked along the road an auto driver who had a group of men loading his auto with sand bags asked us where we were going. We told him, thinking that he had a friend who could take us. However, suddenly the sandbags were being unloaded, and we were told to get on. We tried to say no, and apologised to the other men, but no one seemed too concerned. We agreed a price, got in the back, two of the sandbag men got into the front with the driver, and off we went towards Hospet. A third of the way there, the two men got off, another man jumped on, and we continued on our journey.
A grand journey back from Hospet to Bangalore, interesting scenery, though road happenings a bit scary sometimes. Speeding buses, cars and lorries are dangerous when sharing the road with bullock carts, goat herds, and wandering cows.
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