Gokarna and Hampi (Karnataka)

I have now spent almost a month between Gokarna and Hampi, where apart from a brief stint in Goa for New Year, I've generally avoided technology and spent my days very chilled.

On Om beach, Gokarna, we rented kayaks to explore the coast, seeing dolphins in between Om beach and half moon beach and then carrying on around to paradise beach where there were no guesthouses but a community of travellers were living in hammocks on the beach (and one guy selling coconuts and Snickers).

Since leaving Gokarna I have been told that the police evicted everyone living on paradise beach but this may have just been for the Christmas/ New Year period.

In Hampi there is even more to do. We spent one day exploring temples and ruins, but would've needed a lot longer to see it all. We spent must of put time on the other side of the river where all the tourists stay and rented motorbikes most days to explore the surrounding countryside. The countryside here is something completely unique - as far as the eye can see are massive boulders and palm trees and makes you feel like your on the set of the Flintstones. Most evenings could be spent climbing a massive pile of rocks to watch the sunset and listen to someone playing the guitar or drums.

Travelling around the local villages was the first place where I encountered children asking for pens, and sods law, I only had 2 on me and 20 children asking (even though I had intentionally brought loads of pens with me from England).

One downfall for Hampi was that during the Christmas season the police were imposing a 10pm curfew on all the cafes. Generally we were able to find somewhere that had paid them off but locals or anyone that looked Indian seemed to get a lot more trouble, with one Indian looking tourist even being asked to leave.

While we were there we also heard stories of what has happened in Hampi over the last 10 years. It was made a world herratige site, which you would think is a good thing, but it means that all of the villagers that had been living in the ruins have been moved out. They were given compensation but this did not vary according to the size of family and a lot of people that used to have quite a good quality of life now have a lot less. People that saw out last year also say that the ruins have lost their character without the people and it does seem that in trying to protect buildings the government has lost the culture ...

One final point to consider if you plan to visit Hampi is that power is scarce, with electric only being available for a few hours in the morning and evening. This was not much of a promblem though, and gave me an excuse to let my phone die and have no instrument for knowing what time it was, let alone the day.