From the serenity of lovely Pondi to the colourful madness of Bangalore…
Delhi belly – 0.5, Mosquito bites – 0
Average daily step count this week = 12,739. Average daily spend for two = £44.
Independent reads this week: Men Without Women by Muraki, well written with interesting characters and some good stories. As a collection of short stories sometimes a bit repetitious with an undertone of melancholy (in Murakami style) and left wanting more. Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall, A thought provoking but sometimes dry read, good to read as a whole and then re-visit in chunks. It made me greatful to be born in the UK, worried about power-crazed China and sorry for countries created after wars. In the era of Brexit I’d recommend everyone to read it.
Highlights this week include:
1. Sri Aurobindo Ashram New Guest House. We loved this little haven so much we extended our stay until Wednesday. Basic room, but perfectly formed with box mosquito nets and a lovely balcony with a beach view. We’d throughly recommend it if you’re staying in Pondicherry. They also do bike hire, so we were able to cycle around all the associated Ashram sites and enjoy a morning swimming at the Pondicherry swimming center (apparently Indians aren’t big fans of swimming).
2. Bangalore Flower market – A bustling and colourful experience. We wandered around lanes full of bags of flowers and stumbled across this bustling square with flower auctions and large Leis / flower spirals made up for Hindu worship. Lizzie even gained a free rose from one of the sellers (makes for a cheap valentines).
3.Microbreweries – Since 2010 Bangalore has become the microbrewery capital of India and is now home to over 50 microbreweries. We enjoyed two (Toit and Arbor) which made a refreshing change from Kingfisher extra strong served elsewhere. Even better the beer was served in a glass, rather than the funny ceramic mugs they give you in Kerala (to try and hide the fact they’re serving alcohol).
4. Street Food – Feeling pretty good on only 1.5 episodes of a dodgy tummy we decided to head to VV Puram for a street food dinner. Cheap and tasty. The stuffed dosa and Roti with curry were a hit, the spicy hair ball and salty biscuits we’d give a miss next time.
5. Mysore Palace – Claimed to be the second most visited palace in India, secondary to the Taj Mahal (even though technically that’s a mausoleum) and still home to the Wadiyar dynasty. We enjoyed a wonder round accompanied by a down-loaded, free Indian tour guide. The desire for colour extends to the interior of the palace.
6. 1001 steps above Mysore – Early morning hike up champundi hill, see Bull stone carving, views over Mysore and temple at the top. Mark enjoyed a coconut refreshment having lost our bananas to the thieving monkeys and Lizzie posed for photos with lots of children.
Final thought – As we walked around the congested streets of Bangalore we were surprised to hear that only 5% of Indians own cars (compared to 70% in the western world). This is probably due to the predominant population living on low incomes in rural areas and the preponderance for motos. Despite this the roads are extremely congested. The congestion and exhaustion from constant bargaining with Tuk-Tuk drivers prompted two Mumbai graduates to set up Ola. We found Ola to work really well, no bartering required, practically half price journeys and the drivers deliver you to the right place. Ola has now developed low price trip-sharing options and long distance taxi hire.
Sabbatical adventures (Mark and Lizzie) 