The Ruins at Hampi
Sandwiched between two overnight trains and a couple of days in Bangalore (big modern city, hub of software and outsourcing industries in India, no pictures!) with our friends Anuja and Bobby Bose, we spent a day in the ruined city of Hampi. Hampi is one of the newest World Heritage Sites and is comparable to Pompeii, Machu Picchu, and (we've heard) Angkor Wat in its scope and beauty.
The landscape at Hampi was totally different than anything we'd seen so far, a mix of plush, tropical foliage and hills of massive, threatening granite boulders. Most of the ruins date back as early as 1336, although some are believed to be as old as the 8th century, and are all spread out over a 26 square kilometer area.
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For a banana and a ruby, a somewhat hesitant Matt is blessed by the elephant of the ruin (note the trunk tapping him on the head).
One of the five town markets or bazaars, and the Queen's Summer Palace.
The Royal Elephant Stables (it was pretty good to be an elephant back then) -- also, apparently, Anuja was exactly the size of a 15th century elephant keeper!
Pool/reservoir with stunning geometric Jain architecture; sweeping view of the alien-looking Hampi landscape.
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