Mysore visit

On Saturday, September 24, 2011 the 10 International Guests took a bus from Ooty to Mysore. Fortunately we had reserved seats on the bus and were able to sit together as a group for the journey. Bouncing along the road we were treated to many of the sights and sounds of India! The local bus took the long way down to avoid the 36 hair-pin bends. Some very beautiful scenery was missed ( I had done the trip in 2007) but we did arrive safely at the bottom of the mountain. It would appear the authorities have become very safety conscious and buses and large vehicles are prohibited from going down the 36 hair-p;in bend route! We did have some great views from the bus windows and we zigged and zagged our way. A morning coffee stop gave us a beautiful view down the valley.

After more than five hours on the bus we arrived at our destination, Mysore. The 8 younger members of the group stayed in a women's shelter and Gigi and I stayed at the Parklane Hotel with air-conditioning! (It was 32 degrees C in the shade) After a wonderful lunch on the hotel restaurant terrace we took a short stroll around the central part of the city. There were people everywhere, not to mention the multitude of street vendors who are more than willing to sell you souvenir objects.

Sunday morning was the time to visit the Mysore Palace. After paying our tourist entry fee of 200 IRS per person we made our way to the shoe depository! That's right - shoes and socks were removed and we entered the Palace in our bare-feet! The cool stones felt great at 10 h 15. The security to any of these historic monuments is high and after having our bag screened I had to deposit my camera at the camera depository! That's right, no cameras are allowed in to the Palace. Mobile phones posed no problem whatsoever! Can someone please explain! When we left the Palace and went to retrieve our shoes we realised just how hot the day had become. The former "cool" stone had become "hot" stones. We were not the only ones who experienced the discomfort! Once suitably attired we then were able to take pictures of the grounds and also the audience hall of the Palace. There were some great attractions! We returned at night for the light show and were not disappointed.

Monday morning we visited the Mysore Zoo following which we were taken by our rick-shaw driver to several silk and rosewood shops! My wallet is considerably lighter! The photos of the animals will tell their own story. After lunch we all boarded the bus for the return trip. Our driver swerved, careened, and blew his horn for the 5 hour trip back to Ooty.