HAMPI - UNESCO World Heritage site

We have only spent our first half day here and already we are bowled over by the size and grandeur of this place.  It is like a mixture of Cappodoccia in Turkey with the same strange landforms with a lovely river and then South American style pyramid temples - reminds me of Walt Disney's Jungle Book with the monkey king in his monkey temple in the jungle.

The riverside is stunning - seen loads more birds today including the most stunningly blue kingfisher ever.  Saw big coracles made to get you across the river and you can just freely explore the huge city complex as if you are discovering the ruins for the first time.

It is a very laid back place with lots of young hippie types as well as a few oldies like us- prices are quite good.

We had to report to the police to register this morning and when there we passed a young teenage local smoking his cigarette provocatively by a temple - next we saw him marched in by 2 middle aged policemen and hit about the face for breaking the law and smoking in public - Moira misunderstood and thought the police were asking us if we had any cigarettes so she pulled hers out to offer one to the boy only to realise that was why he was in custody!  He had mugshots taken and hauled in front of the boss for a telling off - Moira was really worried about him - but happily we saw him an hour later having been released - he looked really scared at the time and they get £30 fine for smoking in public here - it's an effective way of stopping smoking and drinking in the streets by locals here!

We are getting up early tomorrow to catch a tuktuk to visit the biggest temple complexes before the heat sets in.  Amazing place!