Made it out of the city for the weekend. Took a sleeper bus to a nearby town called Hampi. As an American, I hear "Hampi" as "humpy" which lends itself to quite a number of chuckles. Getting off of the bus, auto drivers pile around you asking if you "Want to go Hampi?" Others wave their hands and yell, "Sir! Hampi HAMPI!"
I used the getaway as an excuse to break out the camera, visit temples, and lose myself in the majestic scenery.
I walked among rice fields, balancing on the small dividers between patties. I hiked up mountains of rusty boulders to overlook a countryside, the likes of which I'd never imagined. Renting a small scooter, I zipped through the wind to find out-of-the way treasures that were off the beaten path, in a corner of the world that already seems mostly pathless.
With the freedom of a scooter, I was able to visit ancient temples and structures. Some of them were mobbed by tourists, but others were all but forgotten with nary but a few simple caretakers or pilgrims.
In this deserted temple, one could watch the palm trees slowly sway like a churning green ocean.
Quietly exploring the inside of this darkened temple, one could feel the stillness. The only sounds were my own soft footfalls and breathing with the occasional feint chirp of the bats.
Photos don't do places like this any justice. Standing here, you can feel the eons pass you by like wind on your cheeks.
Hampi is only an overnight bus-ride away from Bangalore. The guest house in which I stayed offered Internet access for an additional fee. I'm thinking I may be able to work remotely from Hampi. If I get a week of light work, I could easily see myself resting under a giant mango tree while typing away on the computer.
Here, women do their laundry in the river just as they have done for thousands of years. While their buckets are now made of recycled plastic, the towering temple in the distance serves as an echo of timelessness.
I pulled over on the side of the road to get a good look at this cart. As it approached, the driver reigned in his bulls to get a good look at me.
Ancient, still and forgotten, step-ponds like this must have been bustling with activity.
As foreign as the scenery and landscape is to me, the locals find me just as puzzling. Who is this pale man with long hair, and why is he taking a photo of me?
If your eyes are quick, you can catch glimpses of wildlife all around. Lizards and monkeys are fairly common.
Meandering across rice fields one can spy the hazy tops of temples in the distance.
This lush green plain is part of the river's bank. I'm sure the whole area is a flood plain, and is covered in water during the monsoons. The rocky terrain is mostly dry and harsh, with pools of verdant green.
While hiking among the boulders, I was joined by two of my biggest fans. We didn't get much more across than "which country" and "your name?" But they followed my across the mountainside in their bare feet.
I used the getaway as an excuse to break out the camera, visit temples, and lose myself in the majestic scenery.
I walked among rice fields, balancing on the small dividers between patties. I hiked up mountains of rusty boulders to overlook a countryside, the likes of which I'd never imagined. Renting a small scooter, I zipped through the wind to find out-of-the way treasures that were off the beaten path, in a corner of the world that already seems mostly pathless.
With the freedom of a scooter, I was able to visit ancient temples and structures. Some of them were mobbed by tourists, but others were all but forgotten with nary but a few simple caretakers or pilgrims.
In this deserted temple, one could watch the palm trees slowly sway like a churning green ocean.
Quietly exploring the inside of this darkened temple, one could feel the stillness. The only sounds were my own soft footfalls and breathing with the occasional feint chirp of the bats.
Photos don't do places like this any justice. Standing here, you can feel the eons pass you by like wind on your cheeks.
Hampi is only an overnight bus-ride away from Bangalore. The guest house in which I stayed offered Internet access for an additional fee. I'm thinking I may be able to work remotely from Hampi. If I get a week of light work, I could easily see myself resting under a giant mango tree while typing away on the computer.
Here, women do their laundry in the river just as they have done for thousands of years. While their buckets are now made of recycled plastic, the towering temple in the distance serves as an echo of timelessness.
I pulled over on the side of the road to get a good look at this cart. As it approached, the driver reigned in his bulls to get a good look at me.
Ancient, still and forgotten, step-ponds like this must have been bustling with activity.
As foreign as the scenery and landscape is to me, the locals find me just as puzzling. Who is this pale man with long hair, and why is he taking a photo of me?
If your eyes are quick, you can catch glimpses of wildlife all around. Lizards and monkeys are fairly common.
Meandering across rice fields one can spy the hazy tops of temples in the distance.
This lush green plain is part of the river's bank. I'm sure the whole area is a flood plain, and is covered in water during the monsoons. The rocky terrain is mostly dry and harsh, with pools of verdant green.
While hiking among the boulders, I was joined by two of my biggest fans. We didn't get much more across than "which country" and "your name?" But they followed my across the mountainside in their bare feet.
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