Day 30 - Pune, India - Laxmi Road Market and Pune Palace

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There was nothing better than to blow away all the cobwebs from the night before to go into the city and explore a little bit of history then go shopping.

We arrived at the palace at around 15:30 just outside the hottest part of the day and the stalls were beginning to open again as they close from 1pm until 4pm due to the extreme heat.

We had a walk around the Palace and its gardens which has pretty much been destroyed from uprisings in the past, but you can still see a bit of the British influence here in the decor around the city. They hold fountain light shows here every evening giving you an insight into the history of the city, which is quite interesting.

After our tour of the gardens we decided to go shopping on the market. The market is absolutely huge and there were hundreds of people all hustling for the bargains and with it being wedding season it was particularly busy.

I got my haggling head on (I am quite used to this now lol) and the first thing I saw was a guy selling "Bongo" drums. We have a full set at home and this one was going to complement the set. he wanted 600 rupees for it, which is about £8, so i said to him "No way, 350" he did not want to budge, he said, "I have got kids to feed, you are a tourist" lol well he didnt get the sale so I walked away. 30 minutes later I heard him behind me and he gave me the nod as if to say do you want to try again, so I said 200, he wasnt having it, I said to him, my team are saying I should offer you 150, so I will give you 200, he agreed with a grimace, so I got my drum for about £2.50, bargain! Then I got a pair of shades for a pound, another bargain.

The market was amazing, and I would definatley recommend anyone who visits should go there, I wonder what else will be in store for the rest of the week................................

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