Following Bukka

I rode into Hampi just like King Bukka must have in 1358 when he moved the capital city of his empire to Vijayanagara from Anegundi. Well except maybe Bukka didn't have the corner of his bag shoved up his ass during a bumpy bus ride.

Besides asking me my name and where I'm from, many kids (and adults) wanted to take pictures of me. I couldn't help thinking, 'We're in the presence of the magnificient 600 year old ruins of the capital city that oversaw the largest empire in the history of south India, AND YOU'RE TAKING PICTURES OF ME?!?!?!' I'm mean I'm cute, but not 600-year-old-ruin cute.

After being on the internet yesterday I played with some of the young kids near my Hotel, Hotel Rama. The youngest son of the family that runs Hotel Rama is adorable. We played karate and he kept flailing his arms and hitting me in the groin. At one point a large cow came up behind us and all the mothers started screaming. I scooped up the young kid and pulled him out of the way just in time. It was very much like when J.T. Snow saved Dusty Baker's son in the 2002 Worls Series. But while J.T. Snow was a national hero, the mothers just laughed at me.

I really don't understand myself sometimes. While in the Vittala Temple a guy came up to me. He offered to be my tour guide through the temple because, "You wouldn't understand it. I understand it and I can show you." I lost it. First I pulled a Larry David. (I sucked air through my teeth) Kinda insulting. (Exhale) You kinda just insulted me." Then I started all out yelling at him, "How do you know I wouldn't understand? Why would you assume that?" He said he took a couse in the university on archeology and then showed me a picture ID of a man 20 years his senior. But I wasn't questioning whether or not he knew what he was talking about, I was angry that he assumed I didn't know. He said that he thought I wouldn't know because I was of a different religion. "So you don't think I'm interested in other religions?" His meak reply was , "No." "Well you're wrong." I know a lot about Vijayanagara, but not much about Hindu temples so I was totally bluffing but it felt good. Not 60 seconds later I was smiling while having a talk with some kids about where I'm from and other things like that.

I tried to calculate how much I've walked. It was at least 10 kilometers on Friday (including to Kamalapuram), assuming I didn't walk through the ruins (I did) or get lost (I did). So I would add another 6 KMs. Keep in mind it's 110 degrees here (not a dry heat). I walked to Anegundi (also spelled Anegondi) on Saturday. Everybody thought I was crazy to walk all of that. Nobody walks the ruins in 110 degree heat. But it was very satisfying to walk so far. The huamn body is amazing. And I've lost some weight. I no longer have to stare at the mirror naked crying and pointing in shame. I walked even more today, but didn't keep hydrated as well and I'm suffering slightly, but I'll be fine.

Anegundi has none of the tourist traps that Hampi does. It is rural India without much Disney World. There are goat herders and the women perform tasks that I couldn't imagine why. I stopped for a bite to eat in Anegundi. After I was done I asked for directions back to Hampi. They wouldn't let me walk back the way I came. One young man Sanil (or Sameer, I didn't think to remember his name at the time he told me) walked me to a waiting post. Then we got into the back of a jeep and the jeep dropped me off in Virupapur Gaddi, only 1 KM away from Hampi and a boat ride over the river. After fretting about paying Sanil the entire time by the end I decided to pay him. He declined. That is the first time someone declined money from me here. What's more is that he performed a service that was well worthy of acceppayment. He told me exactly where to go and when I started walking he screemed, "Bye David!"

This guy was an angel. He walked me from the restaurant to the waiting post and went with me in the jeep and then told me where to go, just out of the goodness of his heart. In fact he laughed at me when I offered him money. He is the type of person that I would like to be. He's very sure in his stride and very outgoing. However, I have a feeling that I'm somebody that he would like to be, a humble kind-hearted introvert. But he left a big impact on me and I wish I had thought to remember his name at the time. I have a torn receipt that says, "HOOVA," but I think there's more to the name of his restaurant. Maybe Shoova, who knows. In any event, I wish him all of the good things life has to offer.