I got up this morning and had breakfast and great chats with my family, then we left to spend the day in Hampi. It was really very amazing, but also very hot! It took about two hours to get there, we spent about six hours walking around, and then two hours to get back to Gadag.
Big statue at Hampi.
Really big temple at Hampi.
I want one!!
I was really looking forward to taking a shower and having a relaxing dinner with my hosts, but instead we were dragged to the president of the Rotary club's house for dinner.
It was 9:00 PM, we were sweaty, tired and just gross. And everyone at the dinner wanted to talk with us and they were all taking photos and feeding us a tremendous amount of food. I tried to be smiley - had a good conversation with a Rotarian who is a science teacher. He wanted to know all about the education system in the U.S. and how we deal with students' individual differences in large classes.
Angst-filled dinner.
By about 10:45 I started to get a little cranky. The president owns an Ayurvedic pharmacy and he was showing us all his little bottles of medicines. It was a little bit creepy, so finally I just asked outright if we could please go home. So they took us home! When I got to the house, Poonam and her daughter Mrinal were there waiting and asked how my day went. I guess they could tell from my face that I was a little worn out and a little bummed. They're so nice. I really wish I could have spent more time at home today.
Poonam teaches English at a school nearby which we're supposed to visit tomorrow. I think the Rotarians have plans for us that involve visiting another hospital, but I am a little burnt on hospitals. I kind of wish we had more of a say in the places we visit.
On a very positive note, I got to see monkeys at Hampi and feed them bananas!
"Oh my God... MONKEYS!!!"
Hell, any day that includes feeding bananas to monkeys is pretty darn awesome in my book. I'm guess I'm just tired, that's all. Tomorrow is a new day -- and God only knows what it will bring!
