No, I was sick in Coonoor. I did have a bit of a cold in Hampi, but my main complaint was that a lot of the ruins were very ruinous. Dogster and I were in agreement about admiring Vittala, which is the temple that was illuminated, but I didn't think the site was worth the hassle of getting there.

Dogster's comment here: http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...omment-6849292

Worn out from a cold and affected by the heavy pollution and smoke, after half a day I retired to the room, leaving my husband to wander the town of Hospet without me. The Palace complex was more in ruins than the temples with only a little to see. As I said before, a complete overview of the major sites in Hampi can be done in one day. Yes, it is a long way to get here, the the history is fascinating.

Our driver is very knowledgable and has explained many aspects of Indian life in this region. The people are hard workers and all have a job. We learned too of the controversy regarding "ruined Hampi". There has been much debate that the structures should remain as they are without restoration to maintain the historical relevancy.

And for now, I will use the remaining day to sleep and attempt to get past this cold. Tomorrow morning we get picked up to go to Mysore which will be another long day.

Feel better, dgunbug!

Loved the description of Hampi and really appreciate the details that you provide in your report. I'm amazed by how much detail you're writing on the road!

I am really enjoying following along with your journey and am looking forward to hearing about your next stops. What sort of price is a meal or drink in the kind of places you are staying in ?

Following along and enjoying your report from the road. Having just returned from 23 days in Thailand and Vietnam I know that travel, although interesting, can be exhausting. Hope you feel better soon.

Meal this evening was $19.00 for two people. The average worker, we are told is making 300 rupees per day (approx $5 per day). I am sure that meals outside the hotel are much cheaper.

Thanks to all of you following along.

Thursday - I understand and concur with your thoughts. The second day was a bit of a disappointment...as you said, the ruins are quite ruinous. We knew the drive to Hampi would be long, but I did not anticipate another 8 hr journey to Mysore. We were supposed to stop along the way to visit a famous temple, but I was in no condition to climb the 600 steps required as I am still under the weather. My only hope is that I don't pass this on to my husband or our driver. So, while I was wowed by the first day in Hampi, I agree with your assessment that it is too much driving do what you get to see.

For now I am going to hunker down and try to get over this illness so I can enjoy Mysore over the next two days.

So sorry you're still sick!

Yes, until either the railway or the roads to Hampi improve it is a trek. I suppose you could make it a side trip from Goa, the train to/from Goa isn't bad, but otherwise... Of course I had had a particularly grueling car trip from Hyderabad, so I may have liked the train to Goa more than others would. In that area I actually think Badami is more worthwhile, but that's hard to reach too.

i found great chicken soup with lots of chicken at niros in jaipur when i did not feel great..

Feeling frustrated...I've been running a fever over the last few days and will stay in again. Taking my meds and hoping to recover soon.

Ugh - sorry, dgunbug. Feel better soon!

how about a sauna, if you can find one

As they say in Hindi:

जल्दी से ठीक हो जाओ

Get well soon, Dgunbug! There should be some good local village honey n Mysore. Mix into chai, or with just black tea with lemon!

Those long, long long journeys, especially when you're not 100% , are so difficult, aren't they? Hoping you'll be refreshed after a good rest with some bedtime FF perusal (saw your post on another thread about Malaysia) and a comfortable sleep, followed by one of those marvelous Indian hotel breakfasts. You're in South India, so ask if they have Kesari Bath.It's sort of like cream of wheat but sweet and mildly spiced.
Light food only for now--CaliNurse orders!

My cure for that kind of feeling rotten is hot whisky, lemon and honey, but given where you are you may be able to find hot lemon and ginger instead, and it should work about as well.

Thank you all for your well wishes. I have little appetite for food and while I normally enjoy Indian food, the taste of it is quite nauseating at this point. I've sent my husband out to explore Mysore, but he will save the palace till tomorrow as I'm hoping to be able to go with him.

Thursday - my understanding is that the brindavan gardens are approximately 22 kilometers from our hotel and that they are especially beautiful at night when they are lit up. Did you see them by day or nighttime? The Mysore palace sound and light show is now only on Sunday evenings, so I'm hoping to see that tomorrow evening. Should I push myself and try to visit the gardens later today as that will be my only opportunity?

The lovely thing about being sick here is that the bed is more comfortable than the one I have at home. We've been delighted to discover that there is quite a difference in the comfort of bedding in the south compared to the rock hard beds up north. So, for now I'll continue to relax and hope to feel well enough to go out later.

Sorry to hear that you are still fighting your illness. Hope you feel better and are back out experiencing India again.

Still tired and slept most of the day away.

Forgot to mention that yesterday our driver stopped at a sugar cane production plant to show us how their sugary product is made. This is not sugar as we know it and I'm afraid I cannot recall the name he gave it. Nor was this a factory as one would imagine. There were five workers and their young children who ran around in very unsanitary conditions. The sugary product was made under a hut out in the open. We learned that the sugar cane is first stripped and then put into an enormous vat of water where it is boiled for three hrs. During that time, one person stands above it and continuously strains the solution to remove dirt and particles. Once the solution thickens, it is poured into an adjacent vat where it cools off and hardens. A second worker is responsible for removing the sugary substance which then goes to several women who kneed it and mold it into small cubes which are sold and used as sugar. This plant was owned by a man from a northern region and the workers were hired from his home village. School is not compulsory for children in India and given that these workers are under contract for only a year or two, the children were not schooled. For the first time on this trip, these children begged for candy and pencils.

There is a big disparity between living conditions up north and in the south. While by our standards, the housing and living conditions in both areas is meager to say the least, the people of the south do not appear to be as impoverished and they seem to have an adequate supply of food. We are told by our driver that everyone works if they are able to. The children here seem to be adequately fed and most go to school. It is a shame that the migrant workers do not school their children.

Along the drive at times we saw tents and temporary huts along the side of the road. Our driver explained that those belonged to the migrant workers who move from job to job. Such poverty is sad to see, but again, we do not see the starvation that we noticed in the Rajastan region where children and adults would beg for food and money.

oh I do hope that you soon feel better and are able to get back to really enjoying your trip, dgunbug. it's just awful to be sick on holiday.

While I was reading a TR about a trip to Italy, I had a look to see if the poster had been to Sicily [our next destination] and by co-incidence I found this:

https://ashwinbahulkar.wordpress.com...pi-and-badami/

the pictures gave me much better idea of what you've been talking about!

dgunbug - sorry, thanks to the time difference I missed your question. The best time to visit the gardens would be dusk, and I suspect they may be better/last longer at the weekend. If you're still feeling rotten (hope not!) I wouldn't bother.

More (alas, unededited) Hampi pix:

https://kwilhelm.smugmug.com/Travel/...2010-11/Hampi/

Annhig - what beautiful pictures and such a lovely description of Hampi and Badami. Wish I had seen your report ahead of time - we may have included Badami, but unfortunately one can't see everything. The weather was great while we were in Hampi, although we didn't get as much lushness as you did. Thanks for sharing.

Thursdaysd - thanks also for sharing, but for some unknown reason, I couldn't open the pictures. I will try again later. The internet here is a bit slow.

I seem to be feeling a bit better, but skipped the gardens as my fever was elevated. This evening I managed to go to the dining room and enjoyed the splendid buffet dinner. I wish I could tell you what I ate, but being unfamiliar with Indian food, all I can say is there was great variety and most everything was tasty. Unfortunately, I dined alone as my husband is experiencing some stomach issues. We are indeed a motley pair! Hopefully we will both be well enough to go to the palace tomorrow.