Our first day in India was set down for recovery and exploration. Recovery from flying in and out of airports was quick enough so we set off to explore some of Bangalore and familiarise ourselves with India, it was 33 years ago that we were first here. Bangalore Palace was first stop on our list. A short walk from our budget hotel, past the street vendors, open drains, cows and beggars on the footpath and filth, we were there. Not a bad hut in its day but maintenance appears to be a problem and the place is slowly deteriorating. Back on the street and we wandered past numerous magnificent buildings, mostly government offices where the officials do not shy away from opulence. It must be hellingishly confusing for some of the populace to look out from under their $10 piece of blue plastic cover from the Warehouse, to see a building so grand, running water, electricity and spare rooms. But we are in India and the gap between the have's and the have nots is a gaping crevice wider than the Grand Canyon.
We did enjoy some fresh food off the street stalls, especially the natural wrapped varieties like banana. Also took a short ride in an "auto-rickshaw". These are tuk tuks in every other country but India previously had the rickshaw, pulled by a skinny man and these don't seem evident in the south. There are 95,000 of the autos in Bangalore alone and at times it appeared that they were all coming down the street at once. They have meters in them so are pretty much a very small taxi which if you think of the number of people that travel alone, then are more economical than huge cars. They squeeze themselves through pretty narrow gaps at times.
Our Tour car driver, "Pradeep", arrived at our hotel at 8.30am as organised and once settled into the rear seat of his Toyota car we were off on our journey through Southern India. First stop was to be Mysore about 4 hours southwest. The journey was uneventful if you overlook the 3 crashes we witnessed (one of which included a fatality), the hair-raising overtaking, the detours to avoid cows on the road and the over laden trucks, tractors and tuk tuks all using the same piece of bitumen (which itself added to the hazards in front of us). Our driver is very good though, very patient and we don't feel that we have been in any danger while driving, or at all for that matter!
We had a very salubrious hotel in Mysore and had booked a day tour of the city with a guide. These city tours are good value as the guide is able to show and explain things that we would otherwise miss. The tour took us to the top of a nearby hill however the views were not that expansive due to the amount of smoke and dust in the air. We travelled on to visit the Mysore Palace.....what a monstrosity it is. About 24 Maharajahs have called it home. That recently changed with the death of the last Maharajah last December. The Palace is now in Trust and will pass to the city administrators when his wife dies. We were not allowed to photograph inside but assure you it was extremely lavish for its day. (A mixture of Middle Eastern and Victorian architecture, teak doors, some also inlaid ivory or silver, Czech crystal chandeliers, painted copper panelled ceilings, cast iron pillars made and shipped from Scotland in 1906. The Maharajah was obviously enticed to get the best the world had to offer. Fully electrified as Mysore was the first town in India to get electric light in 1904. A cost of 4.2 million rupees $80,000.) What was most amazing was visiting the Palace again in the evening as they turn the lights on every Sunday night. There must be over a million lights, the place looked like Disneyland! and again must confuse those that are still scrimping and saving for candles.
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| The above Palace at night |
India certainly is a strange and different place. I have the privilege of having doors opened for me and chairs pulled back from tables while my dearly beloved finds her own way. Most of the hotel staff type people will talk directly toward me however after the first two words I am looking directly at Diana as I can't understand a word they are saying. They do then talk to 'Madame' but it isn't first option by a long chalk. Weather has been good, not nearly as hot as we expected and we were treated to the loudest electrical storm we have ever heard last night. Plastic bags, horse dung, fruit peelings of all types, general rubbish and men piddling into open drains in full public view will take more time for us to accept than we have.
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