Cycling in India stage 32 to Mysore

The hotel was ready with an expansive breakfast buffet at 6:30, so we left at 7. Much to our surprise, it was foggy and moist, so that the bike felt wet, and we collected moisture as we rolled along. This happened regularly up north, but this was the first time we experienced it in the south. Couldn't wear my glasses.

It was  coil , the road was smooth, and probably a bit downhill, so we zoomed along.  Just before 9 the fog cleared off, and the temperature immediately picked up. We had a quick early lunch, and kept going, reaching the hotel by 1, having covered 129 km.

We are located within easy walking distance of most sights. Tried to do some shopping for silk, and found selection of silk by the yard very boring. Huge variety of saris to choose from. They tend to be 44" wide and 5 to 7 m long.

More exploring tomorrow....

Cycling in India stage 31 to Hassan

The hotel had a good breakfast  ready at 6:30,so we were able to get rolling shortly after 7. The temperature was below 20, so I felt a bit under-dressed in my light jersey on the initial downhill. Within 45 minutes, the temperature had picked up, and it kept rising all morning.
The first part of the ride was across a flat plain with mixed agriculture and some small reservoirs. At 40k, we climbed for 7k on a smooth but hot road with little traffic, and shot down the other side into treed and cool coffee plantations. A dramatic demonstration of what the development of tree cover does to ambient temperature.
Eventually we were back in more arid country, where we could feel the heat. The total distance was 135k, so I kept up a steady pace except for a side trip to a temple, where I couldn't see a safe place to leave my bike, so I just looked from outside.
Nice, quiet country hotel with a good shower and tea set with kettle...

Cycling in India stage 30 to Lakkahalli

We rode 120 km today, initially through irrigated agricultural land, with lots of rice cultivation at various stages in the growing cycle. For quite a long distance, we rode beside a lake behind one of the irrigation dams, where there were men deploying very fine gill nets from little home-made corricles both close to shore and well out in the lake where a nice breeze was  blowing, probably 15 kph. What a risky business!
We then went through a forest reserve, which should have been a nice ride, but the road was so rough that it was bone jarring. 20 km of terrible pavement. The bike made it with no problems, but I am still trying to protect my right arm from too much shaking, so I had to ride slowly, and in a somewhat twisted position, which was exceptionally tiring.
A mix of smooth and rough roads led us to a very nice resort on the shore of a huge reservoir. I showered and changed quickly to be ready to go on one of the safaris offered  by the resort. I went on the boat safari, because I didn't want to sit in the back of a Jeep jostling over bush roads for two hours.  Unfortunately,  both 'safaris' proved to be as unexceptionable as they were over-priced. We saw a couple of types of deer, an osprey and some other birds, but the 'naturalist' didn't know where to find particularly unique animals.  Dinner was good, so the day ended well. The weather is warm enough that we are now eating all our meals al fresco when we are outside the cities,

Cycling in India stage 29 to Davanagere

The hotel did the best job yet of serving us an early breakfast, but then things slowed down as the ferry boat drivers coped with us and our   bikes. There was plenty to watch as we waited for the bikes to be ferried across, and then it was fun to ride past many of the Bampi sites as we left town.
It was a long ride -- 140km, but the roads were generally smooth, so about 6 hours riding in the increasing heat. We rode through a lot of dry high plains, with relatively little agriculture and few settlements. There was a strong wind that blew from the side most of the time, providing air flow to relieve the heat, but also blowing various kinds of dust on us. Several times, I was blinking a lot to keep my eyes clear.  Some small farmers were taking advantage of the wind to do their winnowing: they would spread the grain on the road where the traffic would have to drive over it, then they would use a basket to throw it in the air and let the chaff blow off. Unfortunately, when I stopped to take a picture, they would stop the throwing procedure, to pose standing still.
Felt tired, sweaty and dirty when I got to the hotel, but the shower and the air conditioning work fine, so relaxed before dinner.

Hampi

<p>Our hotel is situated on a strip of laid back tourist facilities across the river from the religious and archaeological village. There is a backpacker feel to the  area: guest houses offering accommodation in thatched huts, simple little eateries offering a wide variety of menus.  Tourists are speaking a wide range of languages, and they  are dressed in a wide variety of styles, including fashionable light western clothes with scarf, colourful mix and match from the stalls that line the streets in tourist areas, hippie outfits and all types of western summer wear.
On the other side of the river, restaurants are not allowed to serve meat or alcohol because it is a religious centre, but no such restrictions apply on this side.<br>
The first morning, we crossed the small river on a specially adapted motorboat that operates as a ferry, and met our guide for a morning tour of the major sites. It was a good thing we hired him, because the monuments were spread out across a lot of rough terrain and there was little signage. <br>
The two most famous monuments are the Vitalla temple, with its musical columns, and the Royal Elephant stables. Each of the small, narrow granite columns in the Vitalla temple is designed to sound a different note when struck with a stick, so musicians entertained the court by playing music on the columns.  Throughout the temples, there are several beautiful statutes of Vishnu's bull, including a monumental one carved from a single stone.  There are many representations  of horses and elephants in bas relief.  The elephant stables were remarkable for their size and architectural design.

Hampi prospered for two centuries following 1350, serving as a trading, administrative  and religious centre. Within the rocky terrain, they built royal buildings, temples, and seven huge bazaar areas, each specializing in a different trade, including one believed to specialize in trading Arabian horses.
On the second day, we went by tuk-tuk to visit some small caves to see the ancient rock paintings. The "caves" were very shallow and low horizontal gaps between rocks, and the paintings were in places the water did not run down the rock face. In many ways, they resembled the Wari tribal art. I can't find any information about them on the web.

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Cycling in India stage 28 to Hampi

We got an early start to minimize exposure to the heat over the 120k ride.
The terrain was initially quite dry flat country, with patchy agriculture. Saw a mix of mechanized tools and beasts of burden.   I stopped to photograph oxen ploughing in a field, and pulling a roller in a winnowing operation elsewhere.
The ride offered the typical mix of rough and quiet rural roads and bustling towns with chaotic traffic!
As we approached Hampi, we were in a high plateau surrounded by hills of huge boulders, and an oasis - like abundance of water, and lots of rice paddies among the palm trees.
  Our hotel is in a rural setting across the river from Hampi, looking out over rice paddies.
Very relaxing.

Cycling in India stage 27 to Ilkal

Since we only had a 60 k ride to our next stop, we were encouraged to visit a couple of temple sites.  What a treat!
The cave temples at Badami were spectacularly situated on cliffs overlooking a small lake. There were four caves carved into the cliffs 15 centuries ago. The carvings were on a par with Elephanta island: many dancing idols, and many animals, such as lions and elephants in the decorative trim. There were also some bulls featured. The combination of the location and the carvings was stunning.

A few kilometers down the road we stopped at another World Heritage temple site. A cluster of ancient temples in a flat desert location, and well maintained. The were built in a distinctive style,  and  were ornamented with many statues and friezes. Shiva's bull was represented in several places, and in one small temple, a huge black stone bull filled the inner sanctuary were offerings were being made.

By the time I had explored the two temple sites, the temperature had climbed to 40, and we were riding into a head wind. We traversed a dry region with a certain amount of agricultural activity.  There was a winnowing operation taking advantage of the highway traffic on a bridge: the grain was spread across the roadway on the bridge so that the combination of passing traffic and cross wind was gradually moving the chaff to the side.

Tonight  we are staying in a very basic hotel beside a big road. Pretty rough, but manageable for a night.