As we stepped of the train at 7:30am in Hospet, a familiar Indian train station aroma hit us, but for some reason the smell in Hospet really lingered. Everywhere. When the taxi stopped at the ATM a mile up the road from the station it was still there. As soon we had left the town, the smell had gone. The taxi journey to Hampi lasted about an hour until we surrounded by incredible rock formations. It was like a film set. These piles and piles of rocks inbetween lush, green fields and trees. In the guest house we are staying in we have small villas with a double bed in the middle of the room and mosquito nets hanging from overhead. On the terrace outside each villa are swinging beds. A plank of wood, with a thin mattress and a pillow, held up by thick ropes tied through each corner of the wood and tied to the frame of the villa. I have breakfast and nap on the swing bed for a few hours. Chandra said that nearby was a lake that we could go swim in. This particular lake would be ok for me because it had a series of alcoves- local women don't go swimming in the lake. We start walking and the owner of guest house says he will bring his tuc tuc around to meet us. After a few minutes he comes chugging up the hill and we (Chandra, James, JohnMiller and I) jump in. A few seconds later, a tuc tuc comes hurtling past us, and cuts us up. This driver is angry. He's shouting at our driver. Turns out the guest house owner has taken what would have been his customers; us. And he was not happy about it at all. He shakes his fist outside of the tuc tuc and our driver tries to undertake to the left, he swerves to the left, we swerve to the right, as does he. He then corners is as the road narrows and slowly brakes and turns his tuc tuc to block the road. Both drivers get out and start shouting. The other guy in our guy’s face. What was initially a bit funny over 50 rupees suddenly turns worrying. The four of us sit in the back dumbstruck over how angry this other driver us. Eventually our driver gets back in the tuc tuc, manoeuvres his vehicle over a mound behind the blocking tuc tuc and we slowly chug away. This just irritates the angry man even more and whilst he's doing a three point turn to straighten himself up and chase after us, he holds his horn incessantly and flashes his lights faster than strobe lighting! He slowly gains us and we repeat the weaving side to side process until he nearly runs us off the road into a ditch and Chandra, after reading our faces, has had enough too. Chandra shouts at both drivers and the angry driver drops back and leaves us alone. Wasn't quite the first experience I really wanted in Hampi but it didn't seem like an entirely out of place dispute. The lake, when we reach it, is calm and peaceful and as predicted we have an alcove to ourselves. We all jump in and after 45 minutes we realise that a congregation of local boys have spotted us and are watching up from the over head rocks. This means that getting out of the water for me will be a little harder. Women don't even go in the lakes, let alone wear bikinis. Chandra gets out of the water first and grabs my towel for me. And I get dressed (with great difficulty into my leggings while I'm sopping wet). Our tuc tuc picks us up and whisks us off to our next destination; Anjaneya Hill to visit the Hanuman temple at the top. Chandra reckoned there were 675 steps to the top, but I counted 658. However, I've never been one to let the truth get in the way of a good story, so we’re going to agree with at least 675 steps. Once at the top, I got my breath back and had a little sit down. The view of Hampi from the hilltop was breathtaking. Ruins, temples, rocks, rice paddies, banana trees and coconut trees in all directions. We sat on the rocks, enjoying the stunning view and watched the sun slowly set. James also took the best photo of me ever which I am definitely going to get blown up and printed when I'm home. We took the steps down, there were at least 700 I think… Sipping coconut water from freshly fallen coconuts we made our way back to the hotel. We played uno and drank until the early hours and went to bed.