Hampi

I have just spent 8 days in Hampi. How I got there and away to where I now am (Om Beach) is irrelavant. Hampi was amazing, a tiny village nested up in the eastern plateau of Karnataka is one of the most beautiful sceneries (can I write that?) I have ever seen. The village, actually there are two but they are usually lumped together, sit on the two banks of a large, filthy river which has to be crossed by a dirty leaking about to die and sink motorboat which is about 3 meters long and can carry 20 people, 3 goats and 2 motorcycles (and of course the fervent prayers of all the occupants, including the goats (and they know they're going to be eaten that evening). The boatman is silent but his assistant, a boy of about 12 is loud enough for both and totally obnoxious, he has a squeaky voice and whines for money and in a couple of years will be squeezing the T and A of the girls crossing in the boat. You can also get across in coracles (look that up if you need to know) but they are out of the way - though they charge less for motorbikes.
Because of the scenery Hampi is full of tourists, in Hampi proper you will find tavellers and tourists from all over the world but no Israelis, on the other side, in you will find travellers and tourists from all over Israel but very few, and those only the very brave, from anywher else. The Israeli side is, like Arambol, geared for Israelis, all the guest houses and restaurants serve Israeli favourites, the computers are all geared for Hebrew and many of the locals have adopted Hebrew names to make us feel more at home (and thus willing to part more easily with our untold riches (all tourists are by definition millionaires!). Little Israel, just like "The Valley" in LA. And for a while it worked, every day I ate 'shipuddim" (Shishlik) or Israeli breakfast or borekkas at a different place but after 5 days it all blurred into one and I had to leave (Thats why I'm in Om Beach now). Also because of the neverending satla brought on by what I personally consider Primo grass. If you do get to Hampi dont pay more than 500 rhupees for a 10 gram packet!
In Hampi ther are the ruins (huge) of an old temple site and I did the right thing and walked around the complex for about 2 hours and was then "templed out". There is also another temple which has an elephent which blesses you, by patting your head with its trunk for a rhupee, and 50 more to take a picture. Of course I did that.
On the Israeli side you can rent a bike or motorbike and ride through magnificent rock formations to visit the nearby lake, which may or may not have crocodiles in it, whatever, when I was there a numbe of tourists (Okay, Israelis) were swimming despite the rumours. there is also the Hanoman (or Monkey) temple to which I had to climb 600 steps (Thanks Jeremy, for getting me into shape). The view from the top is amazing and the Baba who lives there has a sattelite dish and a chillum. You can see forever in every direction and the ground is covered with huge piles of cacked rocks that look like they were put ther by a 5 year old playing with blocks. And all around green fields and palm trees and little hovels for the locals.