Mysore- 23rd - 26th Feb JO

An epic journey was planned-a taxi, plane, bus, train and tuk-tuk- to get from the small Goan resort of Benaulim to a hotel in Mysore.
At 6am the taxi driver arrived, a relative of Flora the guesthouse owner. Once he had loaded in the luggage we were ready to leave, he turned the key in the ignition but not a glimmer of life. After a well know four letter expletive, the driver started yelling for help and a bandy legged elderly gentleman came to his aid. The poor soul tried to push us over potholes and uphill on an unmade road. It was never going to work and so more shouting ensued, by which time most of the lights in the guesthouse were on! Some younger members of the family came to help bleary eyed and clearly not impressed and after many attempts to bump start the vehicle the engine sprang into life. Then the driver crossed himself and said , 'Thank the Lord!' and we were on our way. The rest of the journey ran smoothly and twelve hours later, I was in Mysore and booked into hotel Dasaprakash for 275rp (£3.90) per night!
Mysore was a friendly place and easy to explore. The market was full of colour and fun to mooch around. A trip to the palace is a must. It is exceptionally popular place with local tourists, and westerners are highly prized in their photos. I was dragged into many large groups and photographed, whilst others requested/ insisted I took their photo on my camera!
If you are in the area Mysore is definitely worth a two or three day visit.