We arrived after 250km in Hospet (near Hampi) by train 08:00 after the 10hr A/C train sleeper adventure - feeling refreshed. The landscape on the way in was barren and boulder strewn and very much hand-to-mouth agricultural. We took a 20min tuktuk from 'Coffee-Boy', as he called himself, to Hampi and we took breakfast with our 2 large bags. Sheryl waited while I raced around checking rooms and rates. I negotiated Kiran Homestay non-A/C for 250Rp a night (£3.30). It was VERY basic but with fan and attached bathroom (cold shower)!We settled in and tasted the dusty 40degree plus heat of Hampi. To explain how Hampi feels - being at a Homestay with family houses around like hampi means you see it all - people sleeping in hallways, outside or in tuktuks - kids without clothes, then 5:30am women cleaning manure from streets (often up to their hands/wrists in it) saving for cooking fuel - inter/extra family rows and children playing simple marbles games in the unmade dusty back streets. Agri-workers using animals to plough no mechanical aid or tools. All workers are men - with women running self-homestays or tending some goat herds, a few older women selling drinks or coconuts, small bags of nuts or fresh fruit and others acting as 'temple minders' (for Rupees of course) Hawkers, sadhus/'holymen' (pot smokin layabouts looking for a freebie..) and salesman endlessly touting trips, hotel rooms, restaurants, tuktuks, travel, basically anything you could need.. or not... Annoying self-styled copy-Hippies all dressed alike with baggies and dreads, henna tattoos and a large allowance from mama and papa....The searing 40deg plus heat and dusty walks - noisy tuktuks bleating horns and polluting exhausts. Calm relaxing drinks by the water with bird song and watching nature just happening with a few fishermen either in coracles or walking with nets catching small fish.... Very different.

From a historical perspective Hampi is a Deccan city from the 16th century AD some 25km square in area. I went exploring the hills and some nearby temples like the usual 'mad dog and Englishmen'. I got some great pics! The main Bazaar has people living within the ancient temples. I also met the tattooed woman caring for the Monkey God temple, climbed Matanga hill and had full views all around Hampi and miles further - awesome with the huge boulders all about - but roasting! We ate lunch and dinner under cover in Hampi enjoying the relaxing pace. We also collected a Scooter for use next day - Templing further afield. Early night in our value - if a little warm - fan only homestay.

We had a reasonable nights sleep then up 06:00 and out on the road (of sorts) 06:30 - my riding wasn't great without any helmets - I named myself 'Hopeless Knopeless' not quite 'Evil Knievel'... but no probs with almost no traffic at all... We used the free map of Hampi (not to scale) and covered many of the main monuments south of Hampi then back for brekky at Hampi. So many highlights included the ROyal Enclosure and the Stepped tank, plus more - see pics! We returned and covered more ground by 11:00 and were 'interviewed' by a film team at the Queens Bath doing a documentary on Hampi for local TV. We popped back to Hampi for lunch and relaxed while the temp rose into the 40s again. Lunch at the Mango Tree was lovely and I got to photo some great wildlife at the river there.. so chillaxin... We retired to our room to cool and around 3pm we set off for Vittala Temple some 10km or so away. Roads were virtually deserted except o orgoat herds, cows roaming aimlessly,wild boars truffling and the odd motorbike. You felt the warm air in your face like a hot air fan blowing constantly. We arrived after several photo stops and walked the 1.5km to the temple - there was a video shoot with a local actor/singer within an ancient temple!? Complete with gantry and sound system, so inappropriate and damaging!? Some great views and a wheeled stone chariot.. cool. Then some iced lollies - sweeeeet - quite literallly. Nice day!

We relaxed next day - I had a 15min manual shave - soooo smooth for 50Rp (60p) - then we spent the day just reading/drinking and watching life go by and planning more destinations... By the way Hampi doesn't do meat or alcohol... Next day off to Anegundi Monkey Temple - tuktuk then boat across the river then tuktuk followed by some 500+ steps up in - yet again - 40degree plus heat. Views were ace but temple was plain and simple, and smelled of pee (not from the monkeys!) .... we did see several monkeys mooching for food. Back for evening food - then sleep. Up for 06:00 - promised tuktuk driver was noshow.. paid 200Rp for new taxi guy (who first drove to temple to do morning prayers!) then off to Hospet Bus Station for our 7am (5hr) 'local' bus to a very unusual and little visited historical city called Bijapur (on our way-ish to Hyderabad).... 172Rp each for the 230km ride (£2.35).. wait and see our photos......