Short and sweet :)

The net connection is PANTS!!!! Sorry, we have photos, but we can't upload them yet.

We are in Hampi - nothing less than fantastic!!!!! - but we have had a bit of tummy trouble, so what was to be 2 days is now 6 as we have had no energy to get around and see everything in the heat (it's about 30 sq kms of really good ruins and it's about 35C here!!!!) We were both feeling MUCH better today and tomorrow we will chase the last temple and give you another update (from another iCafe :)

We never made it to Madras, we left Mamallapuram in a cloud of dust and headed for Bangalore. We stopped in the silk capital for breakfast at a posh hotel and had the best coffee of the trip :) Then we hit the road and picked up an escort at the toll booth outside of town - a HIGHLY energetic 19 year old guy that had just done his own trip around India (9000kms in a month) and he was on his last leg home. He led the way on his new Enfield Thunderbird and we did our best to keep up (he waited when we got delayed behind traffic). The Pulsars don't have the high speed touring capability of an Enfield, but we don't need to go that far between where we want to stop so the Pulsars are great.

We don't recommend Bangalore...we think it's what made us ill :( It was great to see A's friend Adrian though and that was the reason we went :) Photo of their smiling faces is on the way! Bangalore is a very modern and expensive city...and very polluted. I did get my hair cut...but it cost me nearly the same as what I pay in London (well, I do go to Mr Toppers for 6 quid :). I am no longer shaggy and that makes me happy :) On the ride out of town we had the worst traffic yet and our respiratory systems suffered massively (which probably also contributed to our unwellness). The ride to Hampi from Bangalore was a joy (once we got away from Bangalore), it was hot, but the maniacal drivers were driving on other roads that day (woohoo!!!!) though we did see a lot of carnage - dead snake, smashed truck, smashed bus and a truck that had gone off the road and into a ditch).

Hampi is the old capital of the Vijaynagar - 12th-16th century.

Catch you all later!!!!