Hampi

Ruins. Admiration tinged with sadness.
Magnificent sculptures, created by taking parts of the breathtaking environment.
A kingdom that tried to be tolerant, destroyed by the Mughal Empire which destroyed anything that didn't look like their own.
Ingenious constructions; the aqueducts that brought water from the Tungabhadra River; the pin-hole camera in the walls of the Virupaksha temple; the system of pipes in the Lotus Palace to keep the hall cool; the pillars that reverberate with the sounds of musical instruments. Perhaps the technology still exists, but the art is dead.

The Tungabhadra dam. A wall holding incredible amounts of water. Man harnessing nature. Does living together mean one controlling another?

The JSW steel factory. Spewing smoke into the sky, planting trees to ease their conscience.

All in all, a contradictory trip, and a wonderful time.