Hampi New Year

Had the worst bus ride so far, there were things biting me in the back and I didn't know if they were mosquitoes or bed bugs :( 

From Mysore we went to Hospet, the main junction going to Hampi. We arrived at 6:45am and the bus going to the old city arrived at 7am. My jaw dropped as we entered Hampi; bright yellow rays of the sun brought to life the grand but crumbling arched gateway as rickshaw drivers scrambled to get to our bus first. We saw the tops of old temples and markets, while gypsies lined the road with jewelry, figurines and souvenir t-shirts.

The guest houses had raised prices to exorbitant amounts so Henri went to the opposite side of the river, to Virupapur Gaddi, where backpackers have created a vibrant new city with beach huts and lounge restaurants.

Lakshmi the holy elephant takes her morning bath.

There is no bridge between Hampi and Virupapur Gaddi allegedly because Unesco had the bridge destroyed to limit the progress coming from tourism and therefore preserve the ruins... but that's bullshit because people with cars and bikes can go to Virupapur Gaddi from Hospet and pollute the ruins on the way here. They can't even build a foot bridge for backpackers who are not the source of pollution? We think it's to make money because there are two motor ferries that charge 15 and 20 rupees to take people and motorbikes across the river. Heck, they even charge bags! People are making a lot of money out of this inconveniece, and nobody's saying a word.

While Henri searched for a place to stay, I stayed in Hampi with the bags. I had made friends with the young gypsy girls and they gave me white kakra flowers to adorn my hair. They introduced their groovy grandparents who were selling lamani (gypsy) wares on the street.

Henri found us a place to stay across the river, at Gopi's, where we were finally able to do some laundry... but our white shirts turned a little brown-green because of the water. Yikes!

We rented a moped the next day to see the nearby town, Anegundi, because it has the only ATM in the tri-town area. It felt a little ridiculous because the moped was so weak that we had to get off and walk when the road is even just a bit inclined.

We were surprised to see so many ruins. This town predates Hampi, because it was a rich Hindu settlement before the Mughals took over. The rulers of Anegundi then rebuilt their city across the river, but made it even more grand the second time. Here are the things that caught or fancy climbing up and down the rocky hills of Anegundi...

Doing laundry within the heritage site. Great idea, girls!

Anegundi and the rest of the Karnataka region is a popular destination for climbers. Trekking through the landscape surrounded by boulders that stick together by magic

The abandoned walls of the former great city.

We passed by this banana plantation while looking for a liquor shop. It was new year's eve day and there was a sign in the restaurant at Gopi's that said "no drugs or liquor" so of course we had to find our own. Drinks, I mean.

But guess what, you can get a beer anywhere in Virupapur Gaddi, you just have to ask! Unfortunately, they only serve Kingfisher Premium most of the time.

After the physically exhausting walk up and down the hills of Anegundi, we stopped at Gautami to have some beers and admire the last sunset of 2011.

That night, after finishing the whiskey we bought in Anegundi (well, Henri finished it really, haha) we had dinner at Laughing Budha (sic). I shouted "Happy New Year" when I saw the clock at 12mn, but the owner said I was celebrating prematurely. We had to wait until the electricity dies. True enough, the power was cut a few minutes later, and that was the real cue to say "Happy New Year!"

The following day we ventured a little further...

The old aqueduct.

I had a bit of a fever and I was thirsty, but where oh where is the water?

A dog ran after us and was about to bite my leg. The moped was too slow!!!

This time we went to Hanuman Temple, which is a challenging 570-step climb. I found myself breathless and in need of a break every five minutes. The view itself could leave anyone breathless, too.

 This hill is believed to be the birthplace of Hanuman, the monkey god.

A man gave us a piece of coconut which was part of an offering for Hanuman. I thought we were supposed to ,bring it inside the temple, but he gestured for us to eat it.

It was the perfect high. From the temple, there is a series of big boulders you could jump to to escape the crowd and have some peace and quiet... until some young Indian with a cellphone decides it's the perfect time to play music.

There was a thick cloud on the horizon and we were about to climb down when we heard some Japanese boys screaming... the sun had made an encore performance through the clouds, and gave us a blazing farewell on the first day of 2012.