I arrived to Hospet around noon and quickly caught an auto to Hampi. Auto drivers had already got on the train and where asking the non locals(pretty sure they could tell) if they wanted to go to Hampi. The place was starting to sound more and more exciting. The drive was about 30 minutes and took me through bumpy roads and it wasn't long until I started spotting big tan colored boulders standing tall in the distance. Banana fields were spread out on both sides of the road and the farmers were bent down going with the days work. It was a whole different place compared to the rest of India. For a moment it almost reminded me of our home in Fiji.
After paying the 10 rupee utterance fee to Hampi area(the guide books didn't mention this so looked like it was a new venture, at least the price was the same of foreigners and Indian visitors). The whole village was situated around the main temple. The Virupaksha Temple is at the northern end of the Village and the main bazaar runs from it to the southern end landing at the steps of stone Nandi Statue. Budget guest houses make a quarter of the houses in Hampi. I chose to stay at one of recommended operations from Lonely Planet, which was a nice treat since they had internet cafe on the ground floor and the rooms were very homey and cute. Oh and the price was almost nothing since it was 300 rupees(about 8 to 9 US dollars). I was going to call this place home for the next 3 nights. Originally my plan was to stay only for 2, but It didn't take me long to add one more day . The place really deserved more then to 2 days.
I took shower and did laundry before heading to the rood top restaurant for some brunch. After speaking with the cook, I made plans to visit the ruins the next morning and go across the river to the village of Anegundi the the day after. Got up on Facebook updates and called home. Later in the evening before the sun went down, took a walk to the main temple and to the river. Got information on the times for the temple elephants bath in the morning and the exact location on the river. Found a small store selling postcards and was surprised that this tiny village had a post office. The day came to an end with writing postcards and having a solo dinner at the rooftop restaurant.
Woke up early morning(the sun seems to come out here at 5am I think, because it was way high up at 7 am. Showered and headed to the river, breakfast was going to wait after the elephant had bathed. Lakshmi, the temple elephant had about an hour long bath in the river where her attendant scrubbed every inch of her skin. I met 2 teenage visitors from England who were as mesmerized as I was with the elephant. After getting a couple of shots of me and Lakshmi, I wandered in the main temple and Bazaar area before having lunch and browsing the net. In the afternoon I took another walk, this time to the southern end to the Nandi statue and Achyutaraya Temple. The ruins look magnificent and leaves you wondering how charming it would have been when it was full of life with bustling people. On my way back I met another visitor from Switzerland who was visiting Hampi with a couple from Bombay, who he had met through couch surfing. We took a little stroll and made early dinner plans. We met up with his friends, a young couple and all headed to one of the busiest and a regular hang out spot for foreigners and Indian tourist. It was all a sit down affair with open views of the river( no bathing people here....). During our meal we all made plans to go swimming a little later, even though the waters of Hampi were cleaner then most other places I had been to in India , I was not going to take a dip. We hopped boulders till we came up to a secluded spot and I set while the 3 of the them got in the water. There seemed to be hidden cave temples and ruined temple re-mines scattered around this side of the river. Upon my exploration I came across a perfect carving of Vishnu on a big piece of granite that had been there for centuries. It was about to get dark so we headed back to our hostels. I was a little hungry and headed to try another restaurant in the cluster of hostels and homes. The evening came to end while I sipped tea with the 2 English girls I had met that morning.Hearing about their travels and exchanging our stories was a good way to say good night.
I was all set to go across the river the next morning. Breakfast included cornflakes and curd for the first time. I was definitely sick of Indian food,not to mention the extra weight I have gained. It is going to take a lot of hikes to loose these pounds. The short boat ride and climbing the 570 steps to the Monkey temple(Hanuman Temple) was well worth it. The views up here was amazing with cool breeze blowing away. I spent time reading my book that I bought at the used book store and had a snack before climbing down and getting back to the hostel. After lunch I headed to the local t-shirt and bangle store. I needed something to remind of Hampi together with the wonderful memory of this tiny but historical city.
My train to Hyderabad was for next day around 2pm and off I headed to Hyderabad.
