So Hampi Together

After an awful overnight bus ride from Gokarna (the company overbooked and one guy had to sleep on the floor) we arrived in Hampi.  It is a very small town, with only about 4000 people, who live within the ruins of one of the largest Hindu empires in history.  It's heyday was in the 16th century, until it was destroyed by Deccan sultanates.  The area is a World Heritage site and has over a hundred significant archeology sites.

We spent all of today wandering around the sites, taking pictures, and dying of the heat. Our hotel is the other side of a river from Hampi and it is a relaxed, hippie-type atmosphere where each restaurant offers continental (western food), Israeli, and maxican food (that isn't a typo - every restaurant calls it MAXICAN. We can't figure out why there is such a prevalence for spelling errors here).

The people actually live and work within the ruins.  Above is a shop selling clothing within 500 year old walls!

This is the main temple within Hampi. Very similar architecture to what we have seen around the south.

The landscape around the area.  Very beautiful rocks, a nice river, and lots of palm trees!

The first monkeys we've been near! But don't lend them your ipod because they won't return it.

A shot of one of the bazaars.

The Lotus Matal (with Jeff in the foreground)

Bathing in the river and some oddly shaped boats

My handsome hubby kindly obliging me this photo even though he was extremely hot and tired.

I'm standing in front of an actual carriage that used to roll on those stone wheels!

These are musical columns.  If you hit them, they make sounds - you can no longer do this as the government is trying to preserve them.

We are staying in Hampi another few days, but we've seen the big tourist sites already. On Sunday we are taking an overnight bus to Mumbai!! Yay!!