mysore madness.

We just spent the last 3 days in Bangalore, cosmopolitan, hi-tech capital of India, and a world away from Hampi even though it's only 8 hours away by train. When I was in Bangalore back in 2006 doing a research project, I became friends with some German medical students who were working at the same hospital and by extension, with some of their friends in Bangalore. One of them, Prasyanth, still lives in Bangalore so we called him up to say hi when we arrived. Thus began two whirlwind days of activity.

The first night, after a lazy stroll through Lal Bagh gardens and some excellent ghee dosas at Mavalli Tiffin Rooms, Prasyanth picked us up for a night on the town. We headed for a new club called "Hint" on the top floor of a shopping mall. Virginia and I walked in, but as we turned around Khanh had been stopped at the door by the burly security guard. Apparently clubs in Bangalore are now trying to emulate clubs in the U.S. - no flip flops allowed! (for guys anyway) So we all trailed back out and made our way downstairs to the shopping mall. We found the first shoe store we could and the cheapest shoes there were Chucks. Unfortunately, Khanh's feet are too big for the puny range of the Indian shoe market. So he ended up buying the only pair available in his size, which were exactly like the ones he already had at home. =P After that diversion, we ended up going back to Hint and having a great time dancing the night away to lots of Akon and house music.

When we mentioned to Prasyanth that we were planning a trip to Mysore the next day, he suggested going by motorbike rather than bus. He offered to recruit two of his friends to accompany us. Since it was 2am when we got home from the club, we didn't think it was very likely that this plan would actually work out. But, at 7:30am the next morning, we got a call from Prasyanth and at 9:30am we set out for Mysore on three motorbikes. (We made a quick pitstop to buy extra helmets, for everyone out there who is imagining grisly accidents right now.)

Now I don't know how many of you have spent 4 hours on the back of a motorbike, but let me assure you that it is a painful experience for your ass, and several other muscle groups. We spent a total of 8 hours on the bikes that day, so you can imagine how we felt that night when we got home. But overall an excellent trip and a great way to experience the roads in India. The Mysore Palace was absolutely stunning, but alas there's no photography allowed (much to Khanh's chagrin). More to come on our adventures in Bangalore in the next post...."Rickshaw to Nowhere"...(da da dun!)

Ammu