So we got to Mysore two days ago now and it is hectic compared to the calm, relaxed Kerala! The traffic is manic. There are tiny roundabouts dotted all over the city and people will just drive into them then battle their way to the exit of choice. We stopped in traffic on the first day here because the palace elephants were being taken for a walk. There are also cows everywhere. It was normal to see in Kerala as it would be by the roadside in the country, but here in the city it is so strange!

The afternoon we got here (Sunday) we headed to the Maharaja's palace. It is stunning and absolutely massive. Inside the walls are painted with gold and inlayed with ivory. There are entire doors and chairs made of silver and gold. Everywhere you look - ceilings, walls, floors, columns, the level of detail is exquisite. Sadly we weren't able to take pictures inside (people were trying and being chased by security guards) but neither of us had every seen something quite so grand.

In the evening we returned to the palace to see it lit up. There are thousands of bulbs all over the palace and the palace walls, and every Sunday evening from 7pm they light the palace for a bit. People from the city gather inside - there were huge families of people as well as a lot of tourist - the most we'd seen in one place so far this trip.

We then went for a curry (of course) on a rooftop restaurant that was near the palace with the owner of the home stay we are staying with in Mysore and the other guests. Again the roof top was lit up which was really pretty.

The next day we went on a cycle tour of a near by island which is run through our home stay. It was hotttt. We started cycling about 10am and didn't finish until about 2.30, jeese! Loads of historical facts about different areas being invaded, mostly by the British, and the different holy waters in the area. We also saw them making sugar cubes from sugar cane. There is a lot more Hinduism in Mysore than Kerala, so we also saw some Hindu temples and went inside a bigger temple. Inside the temple you can choose to pray to many different gods who symbolise different aspects - wealth, luck, etc, or if you have a specific need you can go directly to that god. (Very simplified break down... )

Once we were finished with the tour - burnt and in need of a shower! - we headed back to Mysore and organised a rickshaw to take us around for an hour to see a bit more of the city. We went to the Mysore market. It is mainly used by the locals for fruit and veg. There where stacks of all different vegetables, sacks of dried chilies and spices and crates of rice and lentils. They also sold the brightly colored powder used for face paint which is ground down from rock and displayed in a pyramid in silver bowls. A young boy spotted us and showed us how the powder is used for face paints. He then offered to show us his factory where he makes incent sticks by hand. We followed him just around the corner to his stall and sat us down behind his display on plastic chairs. In his factory - a small piece of table - he showed us how he mixes the sandalwood dust with gunpowder to a pulp, then rolls it onto a small bamboo stick. His English was perfect and he was so charismatic! Whilst sat there we had attracted a couple of opportune sellers - one of which was an instrument seller. We realised he was waiting for us when he started playing songs from Titanic and looking over. Strange! The young boy then started to show us his collection of oils - the item he actually wanted to sell us! Whilst he packaged an item up extremely slowly (love actually moment...) the recorder player piped up again. He followed us for a while with his snake recorder - the most bizarre instrument I've ever seen - while we wandered a bit more.

Today we are seeing the last bits of Mysore before leaving for Bangalore in a couple of hours - another 4 hour car journey!