Today, our first assignment was due. We each wrote about our first impressions and expectations that we had after we experienced a week of Indian culture. Some of us finished early and packed our suitcases at a leisurely pace for our weekend trip to Hampi, while the others finished their essays right on time an packed frantically. We would begin our trek to Hampi at 12 PM and it would take us 8 long hours to drive there. We journeyed through lush mountainous regions, winding, bumpy roads, and layered plateaued fields. We craned our necks to get the best view possible of the changing landscape. During our bus ride to Hampi we made a stop to an abandoned structure where we took photos, and to stretch our legs. It was unkempt and overflowing with greenery. On our way to Hampi we also saw some monkeys while we drove through a wildlife sanctuary.
We arrived at the Orchid hotel by 8 PM. Although we had air conditioning in the bus over to Hampi, we were relieved to sleep in air conditioned rooms with sheets and comforters. We briefly freshened up, oo-ed and ahhh-ed over our rooms and toilets and met for dinner. Many of us returned to eating Indian cuisine while others tried out different dishes. We retrieved to our rooms as quickly as possible to recover from a long day and start fresh tomorrow. We’re excited to see what Hampi has in store for us!