Mysore is a great city - a grand palace, lots of statues, circular intersections surrounded by circular buildings with circular statues in the middle. Also lots of temples. Did a city tour in autorickshaw, coffee in the maharajah's guesthouse (where he put his guests so they didn't stay at his house) up on the hill overlooking the town. Very grand, horse and carriage with liveried driver out the front, formally dressed staff (Indian English style) and very ornate rooms and halls all getting a little bit decrepit. Still magnificent though. Now a state run hotel.
At the top of the hill, a temple overlooking the town, 1000 steps up and down for those pilgrims who are serious (putting a coloured thumbprint on every step by those who need the most enlightenment), a ride to the top and 300 steps down for the ancient aussie tourists. At the top we saw the temple priests and untold extras, getting a huge carved wooden temple cart out of the garage. It looked like it was ready to fall over. No doubt we will see it all decked out in its finery when we come back for the Dusserah festival in 3 weeks time. After 300 steps saw Nandi, a large black statue of a bull.
Back down in town we spent an hour at the palace, needs a day to do it justice. Magnificent building, enormous grounds, home of the Maharajah. At least here they value their impressive buildings and are trying very hard to keep them up to scratch.
It all got a bit much, so called it a day, and Peter collapsed for the rest of the day - ok today though. We started sorting through the medical kit, but decided only rehydration medicine was necessary.
Today we went out to the countryside, and saw 2 temples and another palace. Buildings were good, but the country views were even better. Rice fields, coconut and banana plantations, sugar cane. Stopped and watched sugarcane being squeezed, then concentrated by boiling in great big woks (3 metres across) before being poured into moulds and dried. Also saw washing being flogged on the steps by the river, and pots and pans being scrubbed with sand and river water.
Food is good, today we had fried vege rice and butter chicken, 2 cokes, a bottle of water and 2 chapatis for about $6...and we couln't finish it. they even brought tomato sauce for us to eat with it, but that didn't seem quite right!!!
Driving on the roads is better here, but still is an Indian speciality. In Vietnam, traffic lights are for decorative purposes only, but they do work here, probably because there is a policeman on every corner of the intersection. Lane marking are for decorative purposes here. Roads are as many lanes wide as can fit at any particular time, and the largest vehicle gets right of way. At one stage today we were driving up the freeway the wrong way for about a km looking for a way through to the other side!!!!
The Indian women look fantastic in their saris, even the poorest in the fields are colorfully dressed and very regal in appearance - when you can carry pots on your head, your posture has to be good.
Trying a night bus tonight - leaves at 11.30 pm. 10 hours to Kochi. Should be an interesting night and hopefully we get some sleep and a few loo stops
