Hampi - Boulders & Star Trails

I arrived in Hospet after a very long but relaxing bus journey from Gokarna.

From here I shared a rickshaw ride to Hampi with a couple from South America. On arrival we began to research rooms. I wanted internet access and was willing to shell out a little more for one night with room based wifi. I was also very tired and was therefore willing to spend a little more than usually on accommodation. I settled for £6.00 with 'bathroom' and wifi. When I rose early the next morning to use the wifi I find out to my ever so slight annoyance that the guesthouse wifi actually belongs to the internet cafe below which does not open until 9am. I paid an extra 50% for wifi. Typical India. You have to love the enterprising nature of the locals.

That morning I headed across the river.... eventually...

The first three little visits from the passenger boat on the otherside returned empty each time.

There was one boat/family taking passengers from, and one taking to. Maybe a union of the two businesses may make things more profitable? Definitely more efficient. They don't always see the obvious here in India.

On the 2 minute overloaded ferry ride a girl commented on my matching shorts and backpack colours. Pure coincidence I assured her. She was from Belfast, and was recovering from a bout of Typhoid, which had her laid up in hospital for 6 days. Nasty. She also told me about a girl she met in hospital, now great friends. She had an infected spider bite. Whilst the medics operated to gouge out the infection, the electricity failed and five mobile phones were shone over the offending wound so as to shed enough light on the situation. This lady was left with a hole in her leg that could easily accommodate a small glass marble. Debbie led me to 'Goan Corner' a kind of tourist resort for rock climbers and folks wanting a base to explore Hampi. It's mainly young folks, lots of couples in fact. I asked about pitching my tent and 10 minutes later my shelter was erect.

Once again I've met many good hearted people. Though it is definitely a younger crowd more set on the socialising scene. People aren't getting drunk, but there is a definite whiff of 'pot' in the air.

Each morning I rise at 6.20am and head across the paddy field up in to the rocks to enjoy a yoga and meditation session. Danny, a 29 year old scouser (from Liverpool) usually joins me. Though the last couple of mornings I've headed up alone.

My Yoga Mat at Sunrise..... Solid!

The main past time here is 'bouldering'. Guys and girls head up in to the boulder strewn landscape with thick mats strapped to their backs. They then attempt to clamber up huge boulders using just their fingers and toes. No ropes.... Just a mat. They don't climb too high, but I feel 6 feet is too high when your landing could potentially be broken by thousands of year old granite. It's sharp and hard. I headed up in to the boulders with a likely crew a few nights ago. It was fun, difficult and
nerve racking. Climbing up was far easier than climbing back down.

Scouse Danny - ' Ey lad I'm on top o' da world!'
I also clambered my way up and down this ominous looking piece of geology.

On the third morning I rented a little TVS moped.  No power, no tread, but a real joy.  What it was lacking in everything else it made up for in gumption.  I spent 3 hours pootling down rugged tracks and through beautiful little rural villages.  Kids would scream at me to stop so I could take their pictures, 

'Which country?'

'What is your name?'

'School Pen!!!?'

I've got a thing about houses with cows outside..... Just love 'em.

Found this old wrecked cadillac out in the arse of nowhere.... Loved it too!

Funny story - Was focusing on a hugely overloaded little van
where the locals were literally fighting to get on board, just about to snap
and this little fella steps in the way, 'Photo, photo!'
What could I do???

The Biscuit Girl and her Mum and baby brother.  Check out their yard in the background.

The Yard.

Farmer at work....

Farmer still at work....

School Pen!!!  School Pen!!!  Photo, Photo, Photo!

One little girl ran off to get me biscuits.  I tried to break them in half to share with her and her little brother, but she insisted 'No, no, eat, eat, eat'.  I don't think I'm looking too thin.  In fact I have to say I've put a pound or two on having dined at Goan corner three times daily for the past week!

I love rural India.  I love the way life continues in the old ways.  No doubt it's a tough way of life, but it seems to provide great satisfaction to the rural communities I come across.  

A group of us headed to the monkey temple, 700 steps in to the sky. The sunset was magnificiet, and the monkeys playful and at times aggressive. One Russian girl was bitten on the arm once she's stopped providing bananas. Her boyfriend was clearly furious at her not bringing enough, I'd have bitten her too. Of course I'm only playing. The monkey chomped on her, not her boyfriend.

Coconut Muncher.....

Lone Tree....

Little Blighters....

Sunset from The Monkey Temple.

My main reason for coming here to Hampi was to capture star trail photographs. Every evening since erecting my tent it's rained. Rain requires clouds. Clouds block our view of the stars. My plans have been thwarted. I've since had to settle for sunrises and sunsets.

On waking this morning, I could hear the monkeys smashing around in the trees across from my tent, suddenly one was in the tree above my tent. Crash. He throws a coconut down at the tent. It settles by the front zip. Then I hear the sound of monkey piss splashing off my fly sheet. I unzipped the front of the tent and clambered out. I filled my water bottle from the tap and rinsed the piss away. As I turned I heard a thump. I looked back to see monkey shit stuck firmly to the fly sheet. The monkey laughed and jumped off to the next tree. Nice start to the day.

On my way up to yoga I stepped on a huge thorn that buried itself in my heel.

Due to the discomfort in my heel Yoga was foregone in favour of a sunrise meditation.

At 8.30am I hobbled back down to the eating area where the lady that owns Goan Corner and the restaurant manager spent 10 minutes attempting to dislodge the piece of wood from my heel with a needle and many (hopefully clean) finger nails. I trust it to heal well.

Last night the sky remained clear. I set up both cameras for a play with the light and stars.

After an initial failed 45 minute exposure I reset the aperture to allow more light on to the sensor then trustingly deserted my camera and tripod on the path to The Plateaux. I wandered back to the cafe to have the 'Special of the Day' dessert and a cool bottle of beer. Today's speacial were freshly made doughnuts filled with lashings of Nutella chocolate spread! Magic! Many of the folks around the table suggested me mad, trusting £1,500 worth of camera kit to the universe. I believed it would be fine.

An hour later I ventured back to my camera to find it sitting a little overly peaceful, at rest if you will. The battery had died. Gutted. I was sure two bars of power would suffice, but I was wrong. I wandered back down slightly disheartened from the peace of the lonely plateaux to socialise with the bouldering crew. I was quickly convinced by a group of excitable folks who had seen a couple of my practice attempts at light painting and star trails and wanted to return to The Plateaux for another try. Six of us returned up to The Plateaux guided by the light from our headlamps.

I spent an hour or so painting boulders with different coloured lights whilst directing my crew to move here and there allowing me to focus in the darkness. It was good fun, and the results strangely pleasing. If it's clear again tonight I'll take pull another crew together, they were all very keen!

Aux Natural - 30 minute Exposure

Painting The Boulders.....

Fresh Neon Sign in front of Light Painted Boulders

With Models.....

This morning I rose early for yoga and meditation. As I held the Warrior One posture I gazed at the orange sun rising from the tip of my middle finger, amidst the haze between the boulder strewn peaks. Amanda would have liked it here. So peaceful. She is what's missing, she is always what's missing... Being such a major part of my heart and mind her absence tends to me a rather vast 'what's missing.'

Tomorrow I'll have been here a week, and I'm ready to leave.

My lack of direction has left me wondering where to head.

All I know is that Nepal is calling,, the solitude of a mountainous rugged terrain. I'm going to go and book a train to Varanassi in the North East.

A train journey in Sleeper class carriage will take in excess of two and a half days with two short stops (India short stops, 3 hours and 4 hours) enroute.

The cost for such an epic rail based adventure? Fourteen English pounds.

Miss you all, talk again in Varanassi.

Love to you all.

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