Mornings come by far too quickly on this trip. Today was a jammed pack day of new experiences and adventures. I started my day off with the hotel's complimentary breakfast of two hard boiled eggs and watermelon. We then boarded the bus that took us up a very large mountain (kind of beautiful, kind of terrifying). We travelled all the way up to go and see a temple. The sights were incredible and the temple was large. We saw lots of wild monkeys ranging from infant to adult as well as many free roaming cows. We were quickly surrounded by masses of people who wanted to be near us and take pictures with us. We also had many people trying to sell us trinkets. In order to go in the temple we had to remove our shoes and socks (the socks were because of the wet ground). It was very uncomfortable for me to walk around barefoot outside, especially with mystery wet spots. My feet were my main concern, until I saw the monkeys up close. The monkeys crawled on bars a top of us and were not afraid to drop down next to us. They were quite scary because they are very intelligent. One monkey was carrying a water bottle. In my opinion, God gave monkeys too much power. The temple itself was pretty but not super interesting. It was more stress than it was worth. I did get blessed and bought a lucky bracelet. We took a long walk down from the temple to the bus which included 1,000 steps down a steep mountain. It was a challenging walk to say the least. I also found out that I do not like coconut water (do not believe the smile I have in the picture).
Following, we took the bus to the Mysore Palace. The palace was stunning. It was ginormous and quite literally fit for a king. We had to pay to use the restroom which was a literal hole in the floor. That was not a pleasant experience. To enter in the palace we had to take off our shoes but not our socks (since it was not wet on the floors). The inside of the building was glamorous and I am happy that I was able to see it.
After the Mysore Palace, we traveled to two different ATM machines and my card got declined at both. I had to call my bank to sort it all out, even though I told them twice before I left that I would be out of the country. After sorting out my financials, we went to lunch. I got spaghetti and chicken which was delicious. I also ordered a glass of lemonade but I received a glass of literal cleaning spray. The glass was filled with fluorescent yellow liquid that smelled like bleach. I told my waiter I did not want it and he smelled it and made a face saying that it was not lemonade... When we were about to leave, we saw another worker cleaning a table with a liquid similar to what I was served. I would have definitely been extremely ill (or dead) if I drank that "lemonade". Always trust your instinct.
Post lunch we went to the market which was large and confusing. I went to another ATM machine and my card finally worked (thank you 24-hour call centers). All of the women in our group went to a sari shop together. The lady that assisted me was really talented at picking out sari's that complimented your skin tone, hair, and eyes. She picked out a hot pink sari for me with gold accents in the forms of elephants and designs. It was a very personal experience and it happened rather quickly. We then had to go to another shop for the cropped top and skirt. I got a gold crop top and a pink under skirt. The price for it all was very reasonable, about $17. After that whirlwind of an experience, we went to other parts of the market. I was able to bargain down a pair of earrings from 300 rupees ($4) to 200 rupees ($2.67). After that a small group of us got lost around the market and went to some sketchy areas. We eventually found our way and were guided by a friend of our tour guides to a small shop where we could buy figurines. I was able to buy white cedar elephants for myself, family, and friends. They were of good quality. We then took a tuk tuk back to the hotel and freshened up and got ready to dress in our sari's.
We were properly dressed in sarees by our female tour guides which took about 10 minutes per person. The sari's were very long and heavy. We then took tuk tuks to the Mysore Palace and received many compliments. We were supposed to see a lightshow at the palace but the weather did not permit it. We then walked 10 minutes in our sari's to dinner.
Dinner was on a rotating rooftop which was pretty trippy. It was buffet style and I had chicken, rice, and lots of other foods. I had vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce. I also had a screwdriver. It took us about a hour and a half to get the bills sorted out (it was a nightmare). We finally paid and took tuk tuks to the hotel. After a few hours of wearing a sari while walking, sitting, and eating, I was ready to take it off. It got tight around my waist and uncomfortable. Mysore is beautiful and less busy than Bangalore. Mysore had a different vibe than Bangalore which made it more chill and relaxed.
Kommentare