This entry goes to a certain big-eyed girl from God's own country.. and the midnight conversation that led me back to blogging.
The trip to Hampi is one i would remember as the first i took with archana and ranjana (and two other friends) who would go on to become frequent partners in crime during the course of the next 14~15 months. We went to Hampi, a place steeped in history as well as mythology with not many expectations and even thought that 3 days in this place would be boring also. Were we proved wrong and HOW !
An over night bus journey from Bangalore via Hospet took us to the ruins of Hampi. After some initial fiddling around we crossed the river to get some accommodation. It was as though we stepped into a different time and space altogether. From a place which almost got left behind in time four centuries ago, we stepped into a place which had more foreigners than Indians, exotic food and make-shift restaurant/pubs playing trance like there is no tomorrow. The next two days were divided between long bicycle rides in the scorching heat, early morning and evening trecks to the 'monkey temple', the Hanuman temple on a hill, visiting the ruins, crossing the river on foot and some impromptu rock climbing inside a cave that purportedly was documented from the Ramayana times, no kidding.
Lassi at 7am for arch, listening to the gypsy travelers play guitar sitting on the huge rocks, the awesome Israeli cuisine, listening to the stories related the Ramayana supposedly to have taken place at the same place are the thoughts that are fresh in my head. This trip whet my appetite for both travel and photography and was a perfect start for the trips that were to follow.
Post note : Most of the Israeli tourists there normally travel right after the compulsory 3-year military service. One of these young travelers put their point of view succinctly when he said, "(Once you join the army)For three years, you belong to the army. After you are done, you belong neither to the army nor to your family. You just wander"
An over night bus journey from Bangalore via Hospet took us to the ruins of Hampi. After some initial fiddling around we crossed the river to get some accommodation. It was as though we stepped into a different time and space altogether. From a place which almost got left behind in time four centuries ago, we stepped into a place which had more foreigners than Indians, exotic food and make-shift restaurant/pubs playing trance like there is no tomorrow. The next two days were divided between long bicycle rides in the scorching heat, early morning and evening trecks to the 'monkey temple', the Hanuman temple on a hill, visiting the ruins, crossing the river on foot and some impromptu rock climbing inside a cave that purportedly was documented from the Ramayana times, no kidding.
Lassi at 7am for arch, listening to the gypsy travelers play guitar sitting on the huge rocks, the awesome Israeli cuisine, listening to the stories related the Ramayana supposedly to have taken place at the same place are the thoughts that are fresh in my head. This trip whet my appetite for both travel and photography and was a perfect start for the trips that were to follow.
Post note : Most of the Israeli tourists there normally travel right after the compulsory 3-year military service. One of these young travelers put their point of view succinctly when he said, "(Once you join the army)For three years, you belong to the army. After you are done, you belong neither to the army nor to your family. You just wander"
2 comments:
indeed an awesome trip..hope u dint frget d part where we crossed d river on feet !!!
It was indeed an amazing trip... I so can't forget all of us singing nonsense in the pitch dark just to let each other know of our presence when the power went off!!
And those terrible cycle rides!! argh!! We should do something similar sometime... whats say people??
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