7/4/2011

Arrived in Bangalore at 6.30am but decided to go straight to Mysore. Queing for tickets, people are so rude, they literally have no system and everyone just pushes in. It is extremely annoying. People thread their money and tickets through the glass to the staff and when I tried to squeeze from the side like others, the woman sent me back! So I pushed back in as I had still been waiting a while, only for some old-ish man to start shouting. He probably had no idea what I was saying but I had a right to push back in! To be fair to the ticket lady she even sent women with kids to the back after they tried to push.

All-in-all though we had paid 250rupees instead of the 450 that they tried to charge us back in Hampi.

In Mysore, a hustler tried to taxi us to a hotel but we eventually got a 20rupee trip to Mannars Lodge hotel (even though we came across a queue-for-your-ticket system to get a tuctuc), agreeing 400-a-night for a decent room (only negative the hole-in-the-floor toilet).

Was the first time I had pretty much used the toilets in the floor!

After a nap Chris craved McDonalds and we went on a ridiculous quest to find one (which was never going to happen despite all the tuctucs telling you that one existed). Dominos did though, so a pizza and coke did the job. A lot more expensive than our usual meals but still not bad!

A tuctuc then conned us into 30rupee trip (the guy that accompanied us as a guide looked like a crack addict but was informative) in which we visited a market (some rubbish about an annual one but that was nonsense), saw a potions and incense shop (where he tried to sell us water lily oil for insect repellent amongst other bits), Chris was tonking a tennis ball around whilst they launched it at him in the alleyway, a Kashmir and silk tailors (where if we bought anything our driver would get commission) and being dropped at the Mysore Palace after listening to Vengaboys and Crazy Frog being pumped out of the tuctuc as we weaved in and out of traffic!

At the palace I splashed out 200rupees to go in and see a very dull interior. Lots of tourists visit, apparently it's the most visited place by tourists in India, but I wasn't impressed. Inside the palace what I saw was all so boring and photos and architecture was just all the same and nothing special to that of palaces and that I have seen before. Outside however, it was a spectacle. A huge, nicely-kept building that was beautifully lit-up at night. Tiger statues were all over the grounds which were also cool to see, but all of them (roughly eight) were all identical. Why not put them in different positions or sculpt different animals for a bit of variety?! I wasn't even allowed to take my camera inside (not that there was much cool to see).

I tried sugar cane juice off the street which was drinkable. The coconut I had the night before was good too. Chris and I had another lazy nap as he was feeling ill but we headed back to see the Palace's lights and a spot of curry.

Cards, chess and a shave before bed.

Earlier on the train today, some woman epitomised how I feel about India. She was spread out along the seats selfishly and one minute just sat nonchalently, to the next belching as loud as possible with all of us men around her. Disgusting doesn't even do this justice! Between that, the ripping-off, the staring, spitting everywhere, pollution and smell, just no.