Our bustrip down to Mysore was easy. actually first that morning we were meeting up with metrobloggers at Lalbagh -we got there 30 minutes early and got to see the sunrise at 630 am. there is a sort of granite hill with a shrine on top. lots of people exercising, some people meditating, lots of
people facing the sun. there were even women in the all black muslim clothing that covers everything except their eyes exercising. we saw chipmunks or maybe the are squirrels that look like chipmunks, lots of crows and kites and some blue wade in water birds. walked around for awhile then went to MTR for breakfast - idlis and dosa - yum - and to start with a very sweet thing made of milks solids and in a sweet syrup.
oh and great coffee - strong and milky and sweet and they bring one full metal cup and one empty medal cup and they pour it between the two to cool it off. was very yummy. then one of the metrobloggers told a rickshaw driver where to take us - the mysore road bus stand. which we got to and it was the right one and we found our bus, which was the inexpensive option - no AC, but at least a direct bus. we had assigned seats but nobody sat in them, but it was all fine. I was a little queazy on the way down. oh and hahaha since the bus had no bathroom and was going to be 3.5 hrs I decided to use the bus stop bathrm - you pay 2 rps and you get a dark little room with a hole in the middle, when the woman noticed my uncertainty she unlocked the special bathroom which had a toilet with no seat on it, just the porcelain part, so
I stod above it and peed. and luckily I had brought my kleenex. ugh.
the drive was fascinating - rice paddys, coconut trees or palms trees, and two nice paved lanes in each direction - but lots of bikes two wheelers trucks filled with people and underpowered vehicles. Charles took lots of photos. On the way down we encountered huge protests over a water decision made by a board - the road was blocked and we had to go the wrong way down the other side, the buses did a good job of coping. once we had to take a detour down a dirt road. protests here are amazing. in many ways far more nuanced than the US, every new word I learn is some new way of protesting. and people really band together. I guess I am surprised at how much it comes up. a few days before we travelled some other buses got stoned!! in protest.
ok. our driver was really good at his job. we stopped halfway at a bus station that had no signs in english.
Made it to Mysore and stayed in the Green Hotel, famous for its yoga. stayed in the maharishni suite, which was beautiful, old wood everywhere, four poster bed, little sitting room. all expats/tourists staying there. we hired a car to take us around for a day and a half. went to a store that had silk, bought some, they took our measurements and now we have some raw silk kurtas. the palace where the Wodeyars were was stunning, you had to walk barefoot through it and no cameras inside! and security guards constantly asking us for american money!! but oh my god that palace is stunning.
ok more later. getting on a bus to come back did not go nearly so easily.
people facing the sun. there were even women in the all black muslim clothing that covers everything except their eyes exercising. we saw chipmunks or maybe the are squirrels that look like chipmunks, lots of crows and kites and some blue wade in water birds. walked around for awhile then went to MTR for breakfast - idlis and dosa - yum - and to start with a very sweet thing made of milks solids and in a sweet syrup.
oh and great coffee - strong and milky and sweet and they bring one full metal cup and one empty medal cup and they pour it between the two to cool it off. was very yummy. then one of the metrobloggers told a rickshaw driver where to take us - the mysore road bus stand. which we got to and it was the right one and we found our bus, which was the inexpensive option - no AC, but at least a direct bus. we had assigned seats but nobody sat in them, but it was all fine. I was a little queazy on the way down. oh and hahaha since the bus had no bathroom and was going to be 3.5 hrs I decided to use the bus stop bathrm - you pay 2 rps and you get a dark little room with a hole in the middle, when the woman noticed my uncertainty she unlocked the special bathroom which had a toilet with no seat on it, just the porcelain part, so
I stod above it and peed. and luckily I had brought my kleenex. ugh.
the drive was fascinating - rice paddys, coconut trees or palms trees, and two nice paved lanes in each direction - but lots of bikes two wheelers trucks filled with people and underpowered vehicles. Charles took lots of photos. On the way down we encountered huge protests over a water decision made by a board - the road was blocked and we had to go the wrong way down the other side, the buses did a good job of coping. once we had to take a detour down a dirt road. protests here are amazing. in many ways far more nuanced than the US, every new word I learn is some new way of protesting. and people really band together. I guess I am surprised at how much it comes up. a few days before we travelled some other buses got stoned!! in protest.
ok. our driver was really good at his job. we stopped halfway at a bus station that had no signs in english.
Made it to Mysore and stayed in the Green Hotel, famous for its yoga. stayed in the maharishni suite, which was beautiful, old wood everywhere, four poster bed, little sitting room. all expats/tourists staying there. we hired a car to take us around for a day and a half. went to a store that had silk, bought some, they took our measurements and now we have some raw silk kurtas. the palace where the Wodeyars were was stunning, you had to walk barefoot through it and no cameras inside! and security guards constantly asking us for american money!! but oh my god that palace is stunning.
ok more later. getting on a bus to come back did not go nearly so easily.
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