14/3/11
On our last day in Hampi we decided to book some tickets for our onward travel later that month. The internet defeated us so we went to the travel agency. Well the saying TII (That is India) that we have come to use about ten times a day was never more apt. Despite the internet showing that the train was booked the agent managed to whistle up 2 tickets within 4 hours. This did take some phone calls and someone physically going to the train station to collect our tickets. That said we still fell down the Indian time vortex as we spent and hour and a half discussing this with him. Anyway the bad news is that we are in a general sleeper carriage as opposed to our 1st or 2nd class carriage that James has previously booked. This has caused some concern in James but he has promised to be brave…
The three of us then headed to Hampi's main temple. After depositing our shoes before entering the temple we found out that our western feet were not used to the Indian temperatures. What followed can only be described as the ministry of funny walks. We darted and dashed from shady spot to shady spot. After getting used to the 3rd degree burns we were blessed after making a “donation” and wandered around the temple. The monkeys rules this place and have free run. It was really rather interesting watching them.
Our next adventure was the overnight train to Bangalore. Our tickets did not have seat numbers just the carriage (1st class I’ll have you know!). This caused Mia and James much concern as they wanted to know where they would be sitting. My attempts to calm the situation by saying that as long as we get on the train (even in the wrong carriage as the trains are so huge) all will be ok. The inspector (of which there are many as India railways is the worlds 2nd largest employer) will send us to the right carriage. James tried to talk to the station conductors in order to get clarity but was none the wiser at the end. When the train arrived we got on and sat in a berth. A number of staff came to see us and in the end we were allowed to say in the carriage that we had commandeered. This was after James inviting the porter to get into the spare bed. James will maintain that this is because he thought the porter was anther passenger but we all know he likes short men.
We settled down to sleep duly setting our alarms for 30miniutes before the train was due at Bangalore. Indian trains have a reputation for being late so we thought this was more than enough time. A full hour early we pull into a station and didn’t move on. I got up to find out why and it appeared that we were in Bangalore and we need to get off. James and Mia were given a rude awaking with the lights being flicked on and me shouting get up get up were are here. We stumbled off the train and into a taxi (after some serious negotiation on price)
15/3/11
Feeling adventurous we decided not to bother going to sleep and headed out of the hotel at 7am to watch the city wake up and to have a coffee. What followed was 3 hours of walking round trying to work out if the locals ate anything and why nothing opened before 10.30. We thought we had brought Mia to the Indian version of Bucharest and for those of you who remember our 1st trip we did not like this place.
As the day progressed we decided that it was going to be ok so long as we never wanted to eat or drink before 10am. After a lunch and an explore we went to the cinema and watched Manu weds Tanu a bollywood blockbuster. Before the film commenced we stood for the national anthem. The film was in Hindi with a few English words thrown in. That said we just about followed the pilot and loved the dancing and colures.
16/3/11
James and Mia had a sleep in and I went on an explore of the suburb of Bangalore that we were staying in. It was bustling, hot and fun. I loved all the goings on the beeping cars, the smog, the colours, food and general activity. After getting nice an lost for a few hours I retuned to Mia and James and headed into the city markets. Again a huge mass of people all working away. The food market was huge, and each road leading off specialized in something be it stationary, toys or jewelry. We alighted at the tailor section and commissioned a shirt for James for the princely sum of 5gpb. Lunch was at a locals café were fortunately they had a special menu written in English. Being tight I did just check the prices were the same. For 2gbp we had a lovely lunch of rice, bread curry and a fresh juice. After another hair raising Tuk Tuk ride we arrived back at the main tourist / middle class India area where we had a coffee that cost more as much as our lunch. More cinema followed. This time a god awful America saves the world flick.
17/3/11
Rising early we boarded our taxi to Mysore which was supposed to be 2 hours away. 3 hours later fully anesthetized to bad driving we arrived. Feeling rater hungry we eventually found a café before heading off to the Mysore place. We were shown round by Mr Mhutti who was a tiny and aged India who was ferocious if anyone who had not paid tried to tag along on the tour or tried to take photos. WOW the palace was amazing. The architecture was Hindu, Muslim and christen. The empire was in full swing when it was built so there was masses of English tiles columns and influences. The king liked the best so there was also the best bits from, across the world ranging from Italian marble to a crystal chair from bohemia… The most amazing aspect of was the paintings that some how followed you from left to right. From the left the subjects were facing you and as you moved to the right they would be facing you again. In a time before 3D glasses this must have amazed everyone who saw it and by the sounds of things lots of the locals would have seen it as 21,000 people were employed in the palace.
The return journey was again three hours but it did leave ample time to begin to understand the rules of the road. Undertaking, overtaking and weaving in and out of the traffic is the accepted method of driving. Beeping the horn is to inform people you are there or coming though but is not to be used in anger. If there is no right turn it is acceptable to drive down the wrong side of the road to get to your destination (including the school bus) and if you want to transport an elephant simply have it stand in the back of your flat bed truck and drive.
18/3/11
Mia left today and in homage to her we had an omelet as mia ate an incredible number of eggs whilst in incredible India. We also returned to the city market to collect James shirt, liked it some much that we ordered another 9 for us to ware to work when we return. Not sure how we are going to get them home yet but at 5.8 gbp per 100% cotton tailored shirt we will worry about that later. Hilary expect a delivery sometime, possibly maybe???
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