Hampi: Jan 9- 11

Beautiful scenery: big red roundish rocks, the blue river, green rice fields, ancient temples. 
We arrive early am and the light is gorgeously orange, the people are washing themselves in the river along with Lakshmi, the temple elephant that every morning receives a bath and a big scrub! I feel India! Ladies are making fresh flower ornaments and I have some arranged on my hair. The bazaar that overtook all the ancient buildings along the entry road has been removed to allow the full renovation of this world heritage site. The temple look nicer without the noisy crowd but I think it's missing that Indian flavor.
We cross the river to reach Mowgli Guesthouse, with huts peacefully sitting in front of the lovely rice fields. The vibe on this side is really cool: musician singing and playing, and friendly travelers with nice stories. Pm walking thru temples, and side bazaar: juices, coconuts, and colorful fabrics. At Gali, local musician shop, I finally find an egg shaker, which I have been looking for for years, and he invites us to a sunset jam session on top of a big rock: there are really good musicians here, and I can shake my egg along too! The next day we rent two scooters and explore the green and rocky countryside, stopping by a nearby lake for a swim, listening to rice farmers singing in their colorful clothes, getting harassed by locals wanting to take pictures of us! One car passed me and stopped me to ask to take a picture of me!! Ah!ah! Maybe they also wonder why I take pictures of them in their beautiful traditional clothes.
Today I took a full body 1.5 hr Ayurvedic massage: amazing n $16! Then I went shopping a little and the young shop owner - who practice Ayurveda and kundalini n knew i'm a yoga teacher before i told him- tells me that I need to eat only fruit n veggies to be healthy n loose weight. I say "yes I'd need to loose maybe 4-5 kilos", and he says " mmh, maybe more!!" Talking about honesty! Well, and meditating on that statement, we went for a great dinner at the Mango Tree Restaurant with river views and crickets soundtrack. Night bus to Bangalore, then bus to Tiruvannamalai, where the sacred Sri Ramana Mahasri Ashram is. : )