Two years later I have decided to pick up where I left off and finish my India blog. Why now? Well in 1 1/2 months I will be setting out on my next month long adventure (to PERU!) and decided I should wrap up loose ends before I hit reset. So rewinding in time...
Mysore:
Mysore the bonus town! Due to our flight snafu we rearranged to go through Mysore. This was mostly for logistical purposes since it is a meeting spot between buses and trains and we were worried that night buses are a bad idea due to the dangerous roads, so 1/2 in Mysore was a bonus. According to Lonely Planet (we have been traveling without a guide book to date since the one I bought was only for southern India hence why I am so excited to use/quote it don't worry I don't suddenly think guide book knows all) "you haven't seen southern India until you visit Mysore." So let me tell you a bit about our stay there. After doing a bit more internet planning and making sure we had a place to stay the following night we visited the palace. I mean why not throw an added palace into the mix right? This was one impressive palace - built after the old wooden palace that was there before burnt down the royal family pulled out all the stops. Sadly, the didn't allow cameras (or shoes, like so many places not just temples as I anticipated but also shops, houses, and even palaces) inside so I cannot share photos to show the immense detail in this building. The ceilings were atriums of colored glass made to look like peacocks, the teak wood doors were made specifically for each frame of every size and shape, and painted columns oozed splashy wealth and power. There was an open air public hall and curtained balconies for women (always out of site) and silver detailing that would blow your mind; it really was stunning palace. After roaming through the gardens and feeling rather pleased that a. we randomly squeezed in this marvelous place and b. that once again people were staring and asking to take our photo a welcome change from the touristy feel of Jaisalmer, Casey and I were debating whether or not we had enough energy to tour a market or if we should call it a day. I suppose we were due for some good luck because after refusing a million tuk-tuks we finally decided the market was a good idea and said yes to a man who referred to himself as "Master Blaster" - No Joke. Master Blaster promised to show us the 'real' India all for 40R before dropping us at the market. It was certainly quite a ride! The rickshaw was decked out with colorful designs, disco lights, and loud speakers that he blasted Spice Girls from. To my dismay he let Casey drive the rickshaw for a short but and luckily (it was pure luck) we didn't crash into a car or bike or other mode of transport. Real India? Not so sure but it was certainly entertaining. We did get to tour a random ally where we were shown the many steps in how to do wooden inlay work. Stacks of wood and half finished chairs and tables it was a workshop that would certainly have impressed my dad though it had far fewer gadgets than his own. We also went and sat with the men who roll the Beedi (Indian version of cigarettes). Each worker rolls 200 a day and they sell packs of 20 for 25R which is approximately 50 cents. Just think about how much money smokers save in India. I of course could not manage to roll or smoke a single one. After these fascinating tours the 'real' India began to fade and Master Blaster took us to a place where they both make and sell aromatic oils and a place where the both make and sell rags and other souvenirs. The selling bit of course is what makes it feel a bit more set-up and returns us to the reality of being a tourist. It as a lucky choice however to get a crash course on Mysore in our 1 bonus afternoon. We ended up skipping the actual market since our bus from Mysore to Tholpetty (wildlife reserve in the Wayanad district) is at 6:45am.
Our way out of Mysore was not as smooth as our stay although the people were just as helpful and accommodating as the day before. Switching gears from train to bus was certainly an adjustment. As I sat bumping along all I could think of was Newtons law that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. I can't quite explain it but I feel like this applied to trains and buses in India. Trains have platforms and schedules and tracks for that matter - our biggest hitch was lack of reservations which already says quite a bit about the efficiency of the train system. Buses are a whole other deal. We managed to miss out bus - although we were at the correct station we weren't at the right part, however, once we were able to communicate this the guy at the station called the driver and told hime to wait for us at another bus stop in town. We grabbed a tuk-tuk lickety split to the other station in attempts to chase down our bus. Here we were equally as lost as to where to go and now hurrying about like crazies this is when I slipped on some sludge and went down splat, flat out! I mean vertical to horizontal in the blink of an eye. Feel free to laugh at me, it was quite amusing. Luckily for me my pack it now stuffed enough that it broke my fall and heavy enough that it spun me around so although I bonked my head I landed face up - still not sure how but I think I spun midway. So apart from a bonk on the head and a skinned knee and hand I was ready to get back up and continue to chase our bus. We found another possible area and as we bee-lined there we saw a man waving us over. The guy must have told the driver to look for 2 lost white girls because he hurried us over to the correct bus. The bus itself was a bumpy ride but we stopped for "tea break" and were served a lovely breakfast. Our new gauge for meals is if they serve us tap water not knowing we won't drink it then we have found a treasure chest - our tea stop was a treasure! One of the challenges here has been how to figure out just how paranoid to be in regards to what I consume. My body usually pushed me to be adventurous by not getting bothered by anything. This has not been true here. I have been continuously healthy but slightly queazy for a chunk of the trip. This has subsided but left lingering weariness. At the same time restaurants where I understand the menu have not wowed me and the times we have ventured to try places where food simply appears and people stare and watch us eat (very sloppily I'm afraid with our hands) have been the fantastic flavors I have dreamed about. For now the drinking water seems to be a good indicator but don't worry I'm not actually drinking it or even brushing my teeth with it. On our bus ride today we met a lovely gentleman who had spent some time in Los Angeles he was keen to chat and gave us his phone number should we need any help while we are in Wayanad - these small gestures make me full of expletives like "I love people" - but its true the desire to connect, help, and show off your home and hospitality gives me the warm fuzzes - I love people! It was also very helpful as the driver tried to explain that we had to get off the bus and catch another one the last 8 km to Tholpetty where we are staying. This of course was not communicated to us when we bought the ticket, but nevermind that, on the second bus we spotted an elephant! No joke on the side of the road just hanging out was an elephant! It was incredible our 25 cent safari! Almost as exciting as the elephant was watching everyone's reaction they saw the elephant immediately turned around to make sure we were paying attention and then grinned because we were so excited. So buses may not be quite as simple as trains but you might just spot an Elephant!
Mysore:
Mysore the bonus town! Due to our flight snafu we rearranged to go through Mysore. This was mostly for logistical purposes since it is a meeting spot between buses and trains and we were worried that night buses are a bad idea due to the dangerous roads, so 1/2 in Mysore was a bonus. According to Lonely Planet (we have been traveling without a guide book to date since the one I bought was only for southern India hence why I am so excited to use/quote it don't worry I don't suddenly think guide book knows all) "you haven't seen southern India until you visit Mysore." So let me tell you a bit about our stay there. After doing a bit more internet planning and making sure we had a place to stay the following night we visited the palace. I mean why not throw an added palace into the mix right? This was one impressive palace - built after the old wooden palace that was there before burnt down the royal family pulled out all the stops. Sadly, the didn't allow cameras (or shoes, like so many places not just temples as I anticipated but also shops, houses, and even palaces) inside so I cannot share photos to show the immense detail in this building. The ceilings were atriums of colored glass made to look like peacocks, the teak wood doors were made specifically for each frame of every size and shape, and painted columns oozed splashy wealth and power. There was an open air public hall and curtained balconies for women (always out of site) and silver detailing that would blow your mind; it really was stunning palace. After roaming through the gardens and feeling rather pleased that a. we randomly squeezed in this marvelous place and b. that once again people were staring and asking to take our photo a welcome change from the touristy feel of Jaisalmer, Casey and I were debating whether or not we had enough energy to tour a market or if we should call it a day. I suppose we were due for some good luck because after refusing a million tuk-tuks we finally decided the market was a good idea and said yes to a man who referred to himself as "Master Blaster" - No Joke. Master Blaster promised to show us the 'real' India all for 40R before dropping us at the market. It was certainly quite a ride! The rickshaw was decked out with colorful designs, disco lights, and loud speakers that he blasted Spice Girls from. To my dismay he let Casey drive the rickshaw for a short but and luckily (it was pure luck) we didn't crash into a car or bike or other mode of transport. Real India? Not so sure but it was certainly entertaining. We did get to tour a random ally where we were shown the many steps in how to do wooden inlay work. Stacks of wood and half finished chairs and tables it was a workshop that would certainly have impressed my dad though it had far fewer gadgets than his own. We also went and sat with the men who roll the Beedi (Indian version of cigarettes). Each worker rolls 200 a day and they sell packs of 20 for 25R which is approximately 50 cents. Just think about how much money smokers save in India. I of course could not manage to roll or smoke a single one. After these fascinating tours the 'real' India began to fade and Master Blaster took us to a place where they both make and sell aromatic oils and a place where the both make and sell rags and other souvenirs. The selling bit of course is what makes it feel a bit more set-up and returns us to the reality of being a tourist. It as a lucky choice however to get a crash course on Mysore in our 1 bonus afternoon. We ended up skipping the actual market since our bus from Mysore to Tholpetty (wildlife reserve in the Wayanad district) is at 6:45am.
Our way out of Mysore was not as smooth as our stay although the people were just as helpful and accommodating as the day before. Switching gears from train to bus was certainly an adjustment. As I sat bumping along all I could think of was Newtons law that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. I can't quite explain it but I feel like this applied to trains and buses in India. Trains have platforms and schedules and tracks for that matter - our biggest hitch was lack of reservations which already says quite a bit about the efficiency of the train system. Buses are a whole other deal. We managed to miss out bus - although we were at the correct station we weren't at the right part, however, once we were able to communicate this the guy at the station called the driver and told hime to wait for us at another bus stop in town. We grabbed a tuk-tuk lickety split to the other station in attempts to chase down our bus. Here we were equally as lost as to where to go and now hurrying about like crazies this is when I slipped on some sludge and went down splat, flat out! I mean vertical to horizontal in the blink of an eye. Feel free to laugh at me, it was quite amusing. Luckily for me my pack it now stuffed enough that it broke my fall and heavy enough that it spun me around so although I bonked my head I landed face up - still not sure how but I think I spun midway. So apart from a bonk on the head and a skinned knee and hand I was ready to get back up and continue to chase our bus. We found another possible area and as we bee-lined there we saw a man waving us over. The guy must have told the driver to look for 2 lost white girls because he hurried us over to the correct bus. The bus itself was a bumpy ride but we stopped for "tea break" and were served a lovely breakfast. Our new gauge for meals is if they serve us tap water not knowing we won't drink it then we have found a treasure chest - our tea stop was a treasure! One of the challenges here has been how to figure out just how paranoid to be in regards to what I consume. My body usually pushed me to be adventurous by not getting bothered by anything. This has not been true here. I have been continuously healthy but slightly queazy for a chunk of the trip. This has subsided but left lingering weariness. At the same time restaurants where I understand the menu have not wowed me and the times we have ventured to try places where food simply appears and people stare and watch us eat (very sloppily I'm afraid with our hands) have been the fantastic flavors I have dreamed about. For now the drinking water seems to be a good indicator but don't worry I'm not actually drinking it or even brushing my teeth with it. On our bus ride today we met a lovely gentleman who had spent some time in Los Angeles he was keen to chat and gave us his phone number should we need any help while we are in Wayanad - these small gestures make me full of expletives like "I love people" - but its true the desire to connect, help, and show off your home and hospitality gives me the warm fuzzes - I love people! It was also very helpful as the driver tried to explain that we had to get off the bus and catch another one the last 8 km to Tholpetty where we are staying. This of course was not communicated to us when we bought the ticket, but nevermind that, on the second bus we spotted an elephant! No joke on the side of the road just hanging out was an elephant! It was incredible our 25 cent safari! Almost as exciting as the elephant was watching everyone's reaction they saw the elephant immediately turned around to make sure we were paying attention and then grinned because we were so excited. So buses may not be quite as simple as trains but you might just spot an Elephant!