Hotel Vyshak International Mysore

... demanded a pit stop on the outskirts of Mysore, a city that I would have to see another time. On the bus I sat facing the side of the highway I’d missed on the ride up, contented and managing well enough to take notes when the bus wasn’t careening over speed bumps.

Skillfully decorated trucks marked Goods Carrier where painted in candy-store colours and garlands of yellow chrysanthemum flowers hung from the windscreens. Even the fuel tanks and running boards were ...

... br>
Then had a great meal that wasn't spicy, paper roast it was called. Like a dosa (very long rolled up light wrap type thing) if you know what that is with yummy sauces and chutneys...and then some treats for desert called 'burfis' with milk and egg, kind of like shortbread but better...mmm. I was very happy to find an enjoyable meal and to find my own true pleasures for that day, for that moment, for that city... for Mysore.

... stuff working on the roadside. but then realized it was from the front tire.. the side where I was sitting. whenever I sit in the front , something or the other happens. some people are not destined to sit in the front seat even if they pay the emi for htat :(. sriram and I got down and sriram poured water on the tyre and said "letz try now " ! what this is like restart the system for anything and everything.. ! ok .. we tried.. and like all restart ...

... too, they were a lot more than I wanted to pay but I had a lot of trouble finding shoes that would fit me, Indians don't seem to have feet bigger than size 9. The fact that all the sizes were on the english scale helped me though. We stopped back in to see how Tom was getting on and he agreed that it was probably for the best if he tried to come out with us. We went to see the palace and were let in the back gate by the guard in exchange for a ...

... though when they sang altogether it sounded amazing, Indian songs sound so beautiful. They then taught me a few dance moves and dragged me round to their mums, teachers and boyfriends making me repeat it in front of them! They were so full of life and very affectionate, giving us hugs and squeezing our faces saying how cute we were! We then decided to book a houseboat to take us around the famous backwaters of Kerala, it was amazing, me and Naomi had the boat to ourselves ...

... pupils!

26 March 2009 - Is it a bird...?

UPDATE: Five new explorers, Jasper, Gavin, Anuta, Emily and Zahra, arrived safe and sound at Field Base this lunchtime. They are currently settling in and looking forward to meeting their fellow venturers on Saturday. Rumour has it that tomorrow they may be climbing Chamundi Hill very early in the morning...

PRO Peta is once again absent from Field Base, searching out juicy gossip in Alphas 3 and 4. So the ...

... inside and was greeted with the sight of an old man asleep on the floor and a young woman with a baby crawling around her, sewing a pile of clothes. They didn't speak English and I of course didn't speak Kannada. With the help of the rickshaw driver we establshed that the yogi in charge would not be making an appearance that day. Jivi put her foot down and said she didn't want me to pursue it any further and we would just have to find something and somewhere ...

Our first night in Mysore and we were exhausted, so we went to watch a Bollywood film. Like last time, I think I was the only woman in the cinema with far too many horny men, who couldn't help themselves from whistling at every girl on the screen and then feeling my **** as I walked out. The City Palace is lit-up once a week (Sunday from 7pm-8pm). We almost missed it, but luckily got to see the lights for about 5 minutes before it was ...

i told one of you (whose name i'll keep for privacy sake) that part of what India sounds like is a heated debate on French talk radio. apparently that's not because French and Hindi both have a very sing-songy tonal quality, but instead, it is because the French are slowly trying to make their colonial claim on India (nobody tell them that they had their chance a few centuries ago). as i've found myself crossing the tourist trail a little more these ...

... as does in grandson Sharath, and apparently so does their secret weapon , the lesser known Saraswati, the daughter of Patabi Jois. she is the current teacher while the other 2 are away. but, let me tell you, Sarawati is not a substitute teacher. she knows her stuff and she'll let you know it. one of the first things out of her mouth to me (aside from "go there") was "what are you doing? it's wrong." classes are run similar to OBE (outcome bases education ...