No improvement on the illness front, but I made sure I got up and did something yesterday - and today - which felt good. When your insides have more knots than a Ray Mears special on knot-tying, even making it out of the bedroom door feels like a successful achievement.
I took a boat across the river to a small village called Viru. It has turned into a backpackers' mecca, with the usual array of cafes (Israeli breakfast, German breakfast, Russian breakfast on each and every blackboard...), Ayurvedic Massage centres, internet cafes and guesthouses lined up along a narrow track.
I had a slow walk around. And since I've been ill I am walking verrrrry, verrrrry slowly. I wanted to get out of the village so hired a bike (40p for the day! But no gears...) and set off through the paddy fields towards the Hanuman temple. I got there 20 minutes later, picked up yet another litre of water - I seem to be getting through one about every half an hour at the moment - and started a slow ascent up the 580 steps.
As with all religious monuments out here, there are always several groups of Indian men and women (usually old) accompanying you. To see some of these women, in particular, clamber up 580 steps in 30 degree heat bent double with arthritic backs was an arresting sight.
I reached the top eventually and wow! What a view. An incredible 360 panaroma of Hampi and the surrounding villages and mountains - and the boulders were spectacular.
I chilled up there for over an hour (whenever I sit down I really struggle to move again at the mo!), took some pictures of monkeys, and headed down. It was a great thing to do, and not even mentioned in my guidebook.
I then cycled to a reservoir, about 3-4 miles away. There was a snappy welcome when I got there:
Badoom.
As a 'sight' it couldn't compare to the temple, but it was still a pleasant way to spend an hour or so - watching the tourists jumping into the water from boulders (despite the croc warning). I chatted to an old Indian man who was learning English in order to join his friend in Texas and work. He seemed obsessed with my Stieg Larsson book and wouldn't put it down! Eventually I prised it off him and made my way back to Hampi.
I got back to the guesthouse exhausted, weak, but glad to have done a mini expedition. I had a mini bowl of pasta (bleurgh), and watched the first half of Qatar v China in the Asia Cup on TV before collapsing to bed.
I've done a different post to chronicle today's events, but here are some pics from the day:
 |
| Rice paddies |
 |
| Boulders near temple |
 |
| View to paddy fields |
 |
| Resting |
 |
| Hanuman temple |
 |
| Monkey |
 |
| The descent |
 |
| Boulders on way to reservoir |
 |
| Reservoir |
 |
| Me and my trusty steed |
