January 15, 2025
Hampi
The remains of the old city at Hampi are spread over quite a few square km so I stripped everything off the bike and took it with me on the ferry to the South side of the river. I bought a ticket for the main parts of the ruins but spread around are many smaller temples, wells and viewpoints which I could ride out to. I am sure there are many guide books covering the place and it has a mystical quality, surrounded by hills of loose packed boulders.
In years gone by Hampi was on the Hippy Trail but they mostly went home at Covid time and have been replaced by Indian Tourists. Who seemed to go to the main temples but nowhere else. So there was a mixture of empty places and busy places.
The rack on the bike made a good coconut holder.
In the late afternoon I rode up to the reservoir in the hills again and on the way back a small monkey ran onto the road ahead of me chased by a dog. Another much larger monkey then suddenly zoomed across the road just in front of the dog who changed course to follow it. After a few slow paces the larger monkey accelerated away from the dog and went up a tree. The small monkey had disappeared by now and the dog was left staring upwards and barking. It happened so quickly but it looked like the large monkey acted to save the small monkey -I have seen a documentary of monkeys at Victoria Falls doing this.
Today's ride: 29 miles (47 km)
Total: 172 miles (277 km)
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