Cycling amidst the ruins - My trip to Hampi (Part 1 of 2)
Hampi trip for me is like that ubiquitous trip to Goa that always gets cancelled. With weather and friends taking turns in playing a spoilsport, I couldn't visit this place though I desperately wanted to. Post COVID-19, it was nearly impossible to do a trip with public transport hardly in operation. After shifting to Hyderabad, some family responsibilities put my travelling in the backseat. So finally my brothers & I decided to do the trip during the long Christmas weekend. Boarding a long distance bus was a bit eerie given the situation. I took a deviation from the usual budget stays/hostels that I stay at & booked a hotel kind of a homestay. We hired bicycles for a couple of days and started off. The first image that usually pops up when you search for Hampi is the iconic stone chariot and that was our first stop. An offbeat path along the course of the river Tungabhadra to cut short the distance gave way for more adventure. We had to carry our cycles at places due...