Monday, February 7, 2011

Jan 28-Feb 5: Hampi, Karnataka, India


Hampi is one amazing place, nothing short of mesmerizing. Time here is non-linear, days turn into weeks, and those easily transform into months. The surreal boulder landscape intertwined with lime green rice paddies and temples scattered throughout is absolutely captivating - lingering here becomes second nature even for the most intense travelers with packed itineraries. We spent the first couple of nights in Anegundi, a fortified village about 5km from Hampi, crossing the river everyday in a small boat to visit sights in town. Initially it worked great, we were staying amongst locals, away from all the chaos, witnessing village life at it’s best - local craft shop operations, recycling piles, and sustainable building methods, all implemented thanks to Kishkinda Trust. After a few days, however, we moved to Virupapur Gaddi across the river from Virupaksha Temple, focal point of Hampi Bazaar. The vibe there is much more in the backpackers’ realm, with dirt cheap private huts overlooking the river,  bike and scooter rentals, abundant bouldering sites, and nearby reservoir for swimming without being peeked at from behind the bushes. If we haven’t bought tickets to Thailand prior to the move we would’ve stayed another week, lolling the afternoons away in a hammock and running wild with a pack of friends. Some unforgettable Hampi days will be missed dearly…   


yes...sometimes it was scary, but no biggie - these waters were actually cleanER
 daily mode of transportation


 Vittala Temple


We happily walked 5km of dirt road from Anegundi to Hampi everyday for 3 days. Somehow we always manage to make travel more strenuous than it needs to be. 



Sebastian's hiding somewhere here...


 as a giant

 he looked away but the needle kept going





for the first time photos were looking for us

 rice cakes for breakfast
and the best granola for desert - made with oats, nuts, sesame seeds, anise, dried fruit and other magic ingredients


unexpected Indian Beauty
Elephant Stables - part of the Royal Complex
templed out

 eco dryer



if it wasn't for the people you meet, new places would just be geographical locations


all groomed


we actually considered starting our own community in Hampi with goats, couple of rice fields and  a  mass production of pierogi - delicious momos could be in trouble then


rice paddies surrounding Hampi





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