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Caption: Hampi - India A UNESCO LAND OF TEMPLES AND RUINS
Caption: ~Hampi~
There was stuff to do.
So much packing.
Lilith's first trip as well. I was skeptical whether to carry just my GoPro or both. But I wanted shots anyway. I still did not have a wide angle lens. I asked around, but no one had one. I knew I wouldn't get something I would love except for memoir sake photos from the trip. But well, again, I underestimate stuff.
@mayur_malusare called me to ask for booking the return train or bus. I mentioned my pending plan to visit delhi and that @shadow_warrier wanted to visit it too. He said "ask him to come along too" and in the next 3 hours, a whatsapp group was made with 4 guys.
Caption: We met at the station and we didn't talk much. I was just busy noticing the people around hoping, along with Mayur, that there would be some pretty girls with us :P . Aaaand there were! With this kid and his 2 younger (5 year and 2 year old brothers who screeched and shrieked our brains out the entire night in the train) .
Caption: ~Hampi~
We got the local train to Hospete from Hubbali the next day evening at 6pm only to realize that the local train went in the backward direction and we could've gotten down at Gadag and saved 6 hours of journey.
We reached at Hospete station at night 9.30 and had food over there before the 'Hotel' owner sent a car for us thanks to @mayur_malusare 's quick thinking against rickshawwalas trying to rip us off.
2 paneer vegetables , masala dosa, 7 naan (type of bread in india) and 2 fruit juices, the total cost was 370Rs only. :P
We reached the hotel , Rambo's at 11pm.
What you see in the picture.
8-10 individual huts with just a single big sized bed in each with one charging point and the bed covered by a mosquito net suspended against the 4 corners of the room ceiling.
An outdoor open roof 4 walled toilet/bathroom. Could we BE MORE hipster? .
The hotel owner Rambo himself, was a gem
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Caption: ~Hampi~
Read.This.
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You know what cheered me up after 30 hours of travelling?
We rented bikes the next day morning to see more of Sanapur.
When I got to know what bike I was getting, my joy knew no bounds.
In the year 2013 , I sold my Yamaha RX135 out of some complicated situations.
She was my first love.
And here she was.
The 2 stroke mothafukin beast.
@siddharthcheulkar is proof of how i rode it and his GoPro has the almost horror wheelie footages and dirt ripping. I almost had tears in my eyes to hear the roar that could smoke an r15 or a ninja in a 100m drag race. Taking that engine to 90kmph on the straight sanapur roads just hearing its power.
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Here is a shot of the bike at 5am in the morning with stars visible behind in the sky. .
Thanks @mayur_Malusare for helping with the light paint.
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Caption: ~Hampi~
The width of Tunghabadra river that divides the two cities of Sanapur (Hospete) and Hampi is around 100-120ft.
To cross the river you'd have to take a boat that takes 20 people at a time and charges 10rs INR per person.
You get non veg and alcohol only on Sanapur side because Hampi is a temple area.
And after 5.30pm in evening, the boats stop.
Except these, the Coracles.
Depending on the height that the river water has risen, the Coracle rowers would charge you anywhere between 100rs to 500rs for taking you from one end to the other purely on the basis of the increase in danger due to water level.
During rainy season though, boat rides are totally shut down because of the speed and water level of the river having drastically increased.
During rainy seasons then, you'd have to travel 35km around the city to get to the other side instead of the 100ft 1-2 minute distance from this end to that end. Though a 15km highway is proposed to be built and opened by the end of this year 2016.
The boat ride turnover only FOR the Coracles is about 60 lakh INR per year, from what @mayur_Malusare got to know from the locals. .
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Caption: ~Hampi~
After the sunset, we met @sonal_palrecha
, who throughout the trip had suggested us some good places to eat and stay at. Thanks to her especially for taking her time out and meeting us. We spent the night of 31st roaming the streets of hampi, eating banofee pie and mango lassi and what not, stuffing ourselves, talking with the locals, spending time seeing the small city stay alive and excited drawing rangolis everywhere.
Almost every random local came upto me and said happy new year to me and some even hugged me. People are nice sometimes.
There was even a rangoli that foreigners drew which had Happy new year written in 16 languages.
Also it was @siddharthcheulkar 's first sober 31st :P
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Caption: ~Hampi~
We climbed up the hill to see this beautiful entrance pathway to Vitthala temple from up above.
After which we headed down to the rickshaw which took us to the bus to Mumbai. On the way we came to know that we had unknowingly walked into a leopard inhabited area when we had gone to shoot the star trails. It felt weird to know we might've been dead had we met one :P . we came back home with good memories, especially the most recent one of a couple making out IN THE BUS.
Next trip soon :) .
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Back to streets now? More surprises soon.
Thanks to @mayur_malusare for getting bored of mumbai and suggesting this trip.