Blogs from Mysore, Karnataka, India, Asia
May 25th 2012
13.5 Mysore Hab mich von Wwoofhost getrennt und ab in den Bus nach Mysore. Die Busfahrt ist ein Abenteuer. Vor uns bleibt irgendwann ein LKW stehen und blokiert die Strasse. Nicht gross erwaehnenswert beim aussteigen faellt aber auf, dass unser Bus viel einer neongelben Fluessigkeit verliert. Ich haette auf eine Art Hydraulikflussigkeit getippt. Jedenfalls scheint es keinen zu interessieren, weiter geht die Fahrt. Irgendwann halten wir dann an und sie kippen Wasser nach. Warscheinlich war es doch nur Kuelfluessigkeit. Trozdem seltsame Farbe. Jedenfalls halten wir noch 2 oder 3 mal an. Einmal an einer Moschee, wo irgendein alter Mann scheinbar gar nicht gluecklich ist, dass sein gutes Moscheehahnenwasser jetzt als Buskuehlwasser missbraucht wird, einmal an einem Bach bei dem ich mich frag wie sehr sich der Bus ueber die Truebstoffe freut. Auf dem Weg fahren wir ... read more
March 20th 2012
20 mars 2012, Mysore et Ooty Après un train de nuit de 12heures qui s’est, comme toujours, bien déroulé, nous sommes arrivés à Mysore, une ville de taille moyenne au centre du Karnataka. Bien qu’on ait choisit cette ville prime à bord pour transiter vers les montagnes, nous y sommes restés 4 jours. Nous avons visité un magnifique palais différent de ce que nous avions vu jusqu’ici, celui-ci mêlant une architecture européenne de style baroque au style indien. J’étais bien désolée que les photographies à l’intérieur soient interdites, mais on a pu se reprendre sur l’extérieur qui s’illumine les soirs de fin de semaine, des ampoules parcourant tous les contours du palais et de ses arches d’entrée. Magnifique! Mysore a aussi un marché central qui vaut le détour pour ses étales colorés de fruits, légumes, fleurs, ... read more
February 29th 2012
Maandag 27/02/2012 – van Kochi naar Conoor Lange transferdag (geen foto's). We ruilen de broeioven (rond 40°C !) voor de veel koelere Nilgiriheuvels (Conoor ligt op ± 1.850m). Wanneer je de grote baan van Kochi naar Mettupalayam (Coimbatore) volgt, waan je je midden in een XXXL Lifestyle magazine : gigantische billboards - soms wel een voetbalveld groot !!!) met reclame voor luxeproducten ontnemen je elk zicht op het landschap. Je rijdt als het ware van de ene bladzijde naar de andere... Gelukkig stopt deze publicitaire overdaad aan de grens met Tamil Nadu, waar dit soort extravaganza - gelukkig - ietwat aan banden wordt gelegd, zodat we velden, dorpen en bossen weer kunnen zien... In Conoor is niet zoveel te beleven, maar het is onze opstapplaats naar Ud... read more
February 8th 2012
This morning we had to say goodbye to mr varnam, beina and all the animals at the farm. Beina was so nice - she gave me a toy duck! We took a taxi to Mysore in Karnataka with Claude and Michelle. It was kinda boring so I slept most of the way. After checking into a new hotel and having some lunch, I was put in my backpack again and we went out to explore. We firstly went through a huge market, where everything you can think of was for sale! I just wanted the bananas. Daddy thinks I'm getting addicted (I even tried eating one with the skin on earlier today!). It was very busy in the market but everyone stopped and looked at me. They thought I was very funny in my backpack. Then ... read more
January 6th 2012
HAPPY NEW YEAR Hope you all had a good one. Since last time very little has happened. I spent some time over christmas and new year at a couple of beaches in Goa. It was OK but nothing special. Goa has a lot more people on package tours than elsewhere in India and because of that is alot more expensive and not very much differant than any other beach in the world. Also it dosn't really feel very Indian. To be fair though I did only go to one town and two beaches so probably didn't get a real feel for the place. I may pass back through on my way home so might give it another go then. I had planned to go on to Hampi next but have changed my mind but I may ... read more
August 5th 2011
It’s Friday, the 05th of Aug, sitting in office and had just finished my lunch. I’m drowsy and don’t have much to do. I wish this day gets over as soon as possible because tomorrow I’m heading to a place which is about 140 km odd from Bangalore. I’m planning to visit a place called “Somanathapura” aka “Somnathpur”, a town located 35 km from Mysore City in Mysore District Karnataka India. The town of Somanathapura is famous for the Keshava Temple built by a celebrated army commander Somnath of the Hoysala Dynasty which were the major power in South India and thus the name for the town Somnathpura. Although this particular temple is not as well known as the Keshava temple in Belur and Halebid however from what I have read this temple is still well ... read more
The Heat, the Dust, the Constantly Blaring Horns
Published: May 18th 2011Asia » India » Karnataka » Mysore
May 18th 2011
India freaks me out. This morning I was sitting in the nice outdoor restaurant at my hotel, eating breakfast and having a deliciously milky sweet South Indian coffee. The restaurant is shaded and cut off and green, because there are large trees just across the road. But it’s India, so it was hot even at 8 am, and already car horns were blaring nonstop on the street below. I was reading the morning paper, reading the cricket scores from last night, reading the Bollywood gossip. Shriya Siran is a drama queen. Sonakshi Sinha has stopped talking to the press, because of so many spats with other Bollywood starlets. And there, underneath the Sonakshi Sinha article, was a full-color ad for a flight to Geneva, and a picture of Lake Geneva and the Swiss Alps at sunset. ... read more
May 12th 2011
Mysore. Good times were had in Mysore. I found my favourite restauraunt in India to date, through Stephanie's recommendation. I believe I spent 15 hours inside its walls and tried over 20 different dishes that I had as yet not tried. We also took in the surrounding sight seeing attractions. One of the best of these was the Chamundeeswari temple that is situated on Chamundi Hill. A flight of one thousand steps built by the Maharaja Dodda Devaraja in 1659 leads up to the summit of the hill which is at a height of about 3000 feet. We did the walk, which saw us pass groups of monkeys, pilgrims, a few smaller temples, a giant cow and try some sugar cane juice and coconuts. Once at the top, we found literally thousands of pilgrims, the majority ... read more
April 13th 2011
Lying in a fan-cooled room with calming pale blue walls this morning, I can hear the non-intrusive sounds of clucking chickens, chirping birds, Musilm call-to-prayer, shuffling feet, muted conversations and the occasional wandering street vendors calling out their wares and alerting the residents to their presence. They are selling Chai tea, fresh fruit and vegetables, cooking pots and pans, snacks and bottled drinks, sometimes even ice cream. I feel utterly blessed to be in this tranquil neighborhood setting, away from the hustle and bustle of the nearby downtown markets, temples, churches, palaces, crowds of people, piles of garbage, gaunt cows, dogs, cats and goats, honking buses, motorbikes and the ever-present put-putting polluting 3-wheel rickshaws. We braved all this yesterday. We enjoyed a delightful home-cooked Indian breakfast of dosas (a thin sourdough-type crispy pancak... read more
March 30th 2011
As we plunged down the hill side from Ooty I changed my mind about Indian bus drivers not being as bad as the Vietnamese. The woman in front of me spent most of the time throwing up out of the window, probably because the driver was playing chicken with an envoy of dumper trucks on a one lane mountain pass. On the plus side my triceps got an excellent workout from maintaining the brace position for 4 hours (if you don't you stand a good chance of losing your teeth). When I did find the courage to open my eyes it was to the sight of wild elephants bathing in a river. Now that's worth swapping a tooth for! Mysore is a very pleasant Indian city of wide boulevards and an imposing palace set in the ... read more
