Hampi Bellary and Bangalore

Hampi

Historic tower in need of repairs!

We left Goa on a sleeper bus, it was an hour late! The cabin space was great for people under 180 cm tall and the journey was bumpy as hell!! But we arrived safely if a little tired and me my friend Vikram, whom I had never met in person before and did not recognise we he was waving at me, sorry my bad!

We checked into a hotel in Hosped which serves as a trading town near the ancient city of Hampi.  Vikram then took us to Hampi and hired a guide to show us round an ancient and fascinating city with many buildings of significant history scattered around a landscape of boulders that provided the location with a natural defensive barrier.  The town also has a lovely river running through it which seemed to have a spiritual significance to the people with them bathing and giving blessings.

Royal Elephant stables

Queens summer house with air conditioning! System of water pipes.

Each pillar was able to produce a different sound and played like an instrument.

The stone chariot crew, originally pulled by a stone elephant.

The main tower about 500 years old.

Little and large

Hampi is in the state of Karnatika and has elephants, lili first came into contact with an elephant in the temple, he was a kindly soul exchanging blessings for4 cash! Lili was terrified of such a large creature! First time i had seen her scared of an animal, it did not last long, now she loves them. Hampi also has a large dam with plenty of fish.

elephant giving a blessing!

River blessing!

Main temple site

Some of the sites around Hampi were also worth noting with a very rural lifestyle for many people and a very colourful modern temple known as the lotus temple.

After 2 days in Hampi we took to Bellary an hours drive south of Hampi, it is a town surrounded by the mines of iron ore and the surrounding area is very industrial.  The only touristy thing in bellary is the old fort which sites high on the hill surrounding the town affording great views for miles around. Here we spent time with Vikram his family and friends being fed very well by his gran, thanks. Our next stop was Bangalore, unfortuantly the stop was dominated by myself being ill with a fever and severe migraine which meant me being hospitalised for two nights, but released just in time for us to catch our train down to kerala.