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a long walk, originally uploaded by alwaysforward.

A very dear friend, Eren, who went to India with me last year, and Gajendar, our guide in Hampi. Gajendar, a PHD student working on his own book about the history of Hampi, was a great guide and a very sweet and decent person. We were lucky to run into him in the tourism office among all the so many tourist guides in Hampi. He also introduced us to this incredibly delicious snack called chilli, a deep-fried piece of dough with a whole chilli pepper burried in it. It's HOT!! It is seriously hot but equally YUMMY :)) We ended up eating it everyday. Don't leave Hampi without trying it!

With no exaggeration, not a single moment in Hampi goes by without fascinating you. Every step you take will reveal so many hidden beauties.

There is just so much to say about Hampi that I don't even know where to start. Google it. I mean it, really, read about it. You'll see that it's well worth your time. It is one of the most astonishing places that I have ever seen!! It's full of ancient temples, monuments, ruins from the Vijayanagara Empire scattered all around a vast area, most of which are still erect and absolutely amazing. It's located on the banks of the Tungabhadra River.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.