23 to 27 December, 2018 - Bengaluru, Mysuru - (India)
Arriving in Bangalore, the chaos which is India was only mildly mitigated by the fact that it was 2 am. Add a layer of officialdom; there are few other countries we could be in.
Even before we made it out of the airport, we were reminded of the excessive bureaucracy that is such a part of this place. Visa processing was slow and protracted despite the fact that we had done all the paperwork in advance. More forms with the same information on it, not to mention the dodgy finger print device that took 15 or more attempts to register Jo’s prints. Finally, we thought it was all done. We snaked around to the next uniformed official, who confirmed that our paperwork was indeed in order. Queue for the next step in the process – a sort of pre-customs check. After which, we collected our bags, cleared final customs, and suddenly we were officially in India.
Once again, technology foiled our plans to be cashed up with uncooperative ATMs wasting 20 minutes of our morning. So, we changed $50 to rupees. Straightforward? Of course not. Forms, visa checks, passports photocopied, thrice verified, and then a handful of faded and torn notes made their way in to our possession.
Days later, we have a plethora of stories of the unique way that India blends red tape with mayhem. This combination is best exemplified by the overuse of a whistle. Throngs pushing and pressing, heads craning, no concern for right of way or order of arrival, and then multiple shrill blasts by a khaki clad employee because of an infringement – a child out of line, or a family sitting by the wall.
Which leads to discussions about personal space, or more correctly, not having any. Strangers manhandling us while we visit shrines and palaces. Placing hands on our shoulders and trying to move us aside, or creating wedges with their hands as they just push on forward to the front. Heaven forbid if you are not pressed hard against the person in front of you – that is a space that someone will fill the instant you leave it.
We had a couple of days in Bangalore to settle in. Markets, the main palace, the old fort. Bought some fabric for curtains. While having hems sewn in to our new purchases, we met a local man, who invited us to his home for Christmas lunch or dinner. We had already written Christmas day off as a non-travel and non-sights day, but already had other plans. We decided we could at least drop in.
Piles of Kumkum
In the city market, Bangalore
Tailor in City Market, Bangalore
In the city market, Bangalore
Hanging Out in Bangalore Fort
We had a marvellous afternoon in the small but atmospheric fort in Bangalore. Some intriguing carved stones from various temples are incorporated in the walls. One or two on the risque side. I'm too embarrassed to put them here...
Bangalore Palace
I can Feel the Indignity
Inside Bangalore Palace, a taxidermed elephant head has become a roosting spot for pigeons. Oh, the shame...
Church attendance was a priority for Christmas, and we found an appropriate service at Bethel church.
Christmas Day - Bethel Church Bangalore
It was nice to go to a service on Christmas Day.
From there, we headed to our lunch. We had made a reservation at an upmarket restaurant which was offering a very classy buffet lunch, with an option of all drinks included, which we took up. There must have been 50 or more options for entrée. We both did a number of visits to this part of the table, particularly when the 15 cm prawns made an appearance. The devilled eggs with truffle, the duck mousse, the cheeses and prosciutto; these all were tackled multiple times by the pair of us. I only made one round of the main courses – primarily focussing on ham and a turkey drumstick. And then, a few return trips to the desserts. Christmas cakes and puddings, mini cheesecakes, and various other bite-size festive treats. With cocktails, I tried to stay on the seasonal ones. Eggnog, mulled wine, cinnamon infused mixtures. But when I finally settled on a hot rum and apple cider cocktail, I knew I should have started my tasting from the bottom of the list.
First Round of Entree
Plate number 1 of many. Christmas Day at Olive Bar, Bangalore.
Christmas Day at Olive Bar and Kitchen, Bangalore
Still going with entree. Cocktail trolley doing the rounds.
Sampling Sweets...
Starting Christmas desserts, Olive Bar in Bangalore.
And after lunch, we dropped in on our new market friend, Surya, and his family. We were exploding from our lunch, so stuck to chai and conversation. It was so nice to have a social element to the day.
With Surya and His Family
It was so nice to spend some time with new friends on Christmas Day. Surya invited us to his home after we met him at the market.
After travelling by train to Mysore, we visited the palace exterior on the evening we arrived. Tens of thousands of globes strung over and around the edifice made it an outstanding affair. The next day, we joined thousands of on-holidays Indians in the interior. One child was encouraged by his father to go under the rope to stand in the middle of one of the palatial halls, for a photo. A blast from a whistle indicated this had not gone unnoticed, and seconds later the owner of that whistle was making the aforementioned father delete the offending photos from his phone.
Mysuru Palace at Night
A very impressive sight.
Public Durbar Hall
The public durbar (reception) hall of Mysuru Palace.
Mysuru Palace Private Durbar Hall
And to finish this entry, a couple of random shots from Mysore.
OHS?
Using a jackhammer to demolish the concrete balcony you are standing on - Nothing could go wrong here, surely!
A Place to Keep your Clocks.
I'm sure they are punctual, too.
