BREAKFAST IN THE JUNGLE…

20th January
Hotel Pai Vista caters for the up-and-coming wealthy Indians. Good breakfast choices but I can´t face curry, so cornflakes will do.
Off with driver to famous sacred hill temple- Chamundeeshwari. Thousands heading there. Being a temple novice here it was all a bit much knowing what to do. Leave shoes in a special area, pay entrance (foreigners pay several times more), knowing where to go….a tout guide helped me through the complex process and showed me how to place the offerings of flowers and sprinkle red powder. I left with 3 circles on forehead…red…ash…and vermillion. I assume all mean ‘luck’ but that comes at a price…all want their ´tips´. So religious devotion is big business…..you can even get faster access by paying more!
On to Mysore Palace supposed to be the most beautiful after Buckingham? Well that´s what guide told me.. More procedures…entrance fee, leave camera, security checks, shoes off, pay for guide…etc. The palace was indeed stunning. Glasgow played its part providing ornate metalwork and beautiful stained glass ceilings. Marble,teak,crystal,tiles, silver and lots of gold… all over the world. Walls full of portraits with 3-dimensional effects…the eyes and even the whole body followed you around…amazing.
On to Srirengapatna, palace of Sultan Tipi (Duke of Wellington lived there too 1799). Hoards of school children, some shoeless but wearing uniform ..some staring at me, the only white face and with painted brow.
On to another temple…mausoleum….etc but by this time I´ve had enough history (head buzzing). Get me to some shops driver! Mysore is famous for silk but nothing is to my taste. Later I went off on own to very busy shopping street and got shoes (not particularly a bargain). Park Lane Hotel restaurant for nice light curry, nan, beer and masala chai..all for 4.50 euros. Ich sproch mit zwei deutschen Mädchen, die auch hier fahren. Got a bit lost finding my hotel and police guided me. Crazily dangerous crossing roads as no pedestrian crossing is respected and roads/pavements need constant vigilance to avoid falling down a hole.