Ruins of Hampi

As we were leaving our beach bungalow with the intentions of going to another beach farther up north, some fellow travelers persuaded us to visit the ruins at Hampi. So glad we did!

The journey to Hampi took about 11 hours on a sleeper bus (pictures above). Our Lonely Planet guidebook said we would not be getting a "deep sleep" and that was dead on. The constant bumps, turns and braking made even a ten minute nap seem refreshing. Compared to the relatively smooth ride of the India Railway, the buses were a nightmare. Regardless, we made it to Hampi in one piece and also made some friends of fellow travelers along the way.

Hampi's scenery with massive boulders perched upon one another in seemingly impossible orientations is actually very similar to some Arizona landscapes. However, the adjacent rice fields, banana plantations and palm trees shading the roadways are much different. The main tourist attractions here are the ruins of ancient Vijayanagara Empire with amazing temples, religious structures and fortresses.

The first day we rented a scooter ($3 for whole day) and paid a guide to show us around the main sites. There are ruins spread over miles of area and with the intense heat, we sure were not going to walk it. Today, Becca decided to rest while Matt rented another scooter and rode around the surrounding farm villages and rice fields.

A note on the life of a backpacker...

We have showered maybe a third of the days we have been here. Overnight buses and trains we do not brush our teeth, wash our face or get a decent rest. Our lives are contained in a bag that we carry on our back. We wear the same clothes almost every day, and only wash the armpits when the stench is unbearable for the other person. The $5/night hostels are sort of clean... but we still choose to sleep in our sleeping bags and not the sheets that are 'sometimes' provided. So far, most hostels have had American toilets except for one, which was a squat toilet. We acutally liked the squat better... except for Matt who got a cramp in his leg and almost fell in. Electricity has been okay, except here in Hampi where there wasn't any last night and the lack of a fan became quite hot! We also are learning (Becca is much better than Matt) the art of bartering. Almost EVERYTHING, especially in these touristy places, is offered double of what it would normally cost. You can count on getting a deal that is way less than the original price. Overall though, this is the life.

Tonight we leave on another overnight bus back to Goa where we will be catching a flight tomorrow afternoon to New Delhi.