Hampi is the best

Getting to Hampi from Goa was super easy once we got on the train. the ride went through some of the most spectacular green rice fields, jungles, and waterfalls i've ever seen. everything on the train was pretty dirty and smelled like sweat and poop, but ive gotten used to the smell a little bit. and i still haven't been sick at all here, so the weird smells are less scary and gross.

Hampi might be one of the greatest places to be in the world. Hampi Bazaar is a small bustling town covered with vendors, restaurants, ancient ruins, elephants, and monkeys. this is where we are currently staying for about $4 dollars a night. 30-40 miles of huge granite boulders, slow moving rivers, and ancient Hindu, Muslim, and Christian ruins surrounds us. We are having an absolute ball. yesterday we wandered through enormous temples with ornate carvings on every granite pillar to a swim spot we found on the river. it has gotten really hot here anytime after about noon. so, swimming is a necessity. then, we found some great boulders to climb in the shade. Hampi has definitely made it worth bringing my climbing shoes in my backpack. i'm still not very good at bouldering, but there is plenty of time and room for practice here. I was also able to go on a run through some banana feilds, satisfying some of my primal needs. I really enjoyed the run and can guarantee more.

I am becoming a bigger part of the 'asian backpacking community here'. its pretty fun. there are a handful of European backpackers that are doing the exact same thing as us. we've met up with two British girls that we originally met in Goa. we've spent the last few days exploring and climbing with them. it is really nice to share our excitement of adventure and love of this place with new friends.

The plan today is to rent bikes, for about 60 cents, and bike around the greater area trying to explore all of the ruins that we can. We did this a little last night as the sun set. it was awesome. the scale of the buildings and the fact that they seem to be everywhere that we go makes this extremely fun to explore.

we are thinking of moving away from the center of the the town, across the river, to a much mellower scene. the guesthouse would be a lot cheaper and there will be a lot less tourist-related vending. also, that is where international bouldering competitions happen. 'The Hampi Boulders' are calling our names.

we have little to now plan to leave this place any time soon. it is too much fun to want to go anywhere else. i figure that the two biggest worries i have are: what curry to eat, and watch out for monkey attacks. the only sort of plan i have is to get to Nepal by october. we'll worry about travel arrangements later, because we are having too much fun to think about anything else.