West coast
Trip Start
Dec 30, 2006
1
45
84
Trip End
Jul 27, 2007
Mangalore,
India
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Gurpur River
Not too much going on in Mangalore. Relatively speaking its a pretty small place with only a couple hundred thousand people. Main industry is fishing as it is located on the western coast. I came here primarily as a transfer point to Goa.Mysore had no direct train or bus service to Goa and Mangalore has a few daily trains...so, an eight hour bus ride later I was there. I opted not to take the AC coach and saved a few rupees. I didn't know you could fit five seats in a row on a bus - but you can, quite easily. Thankfully the bus was only full for the first couple hours then it started to empty out so that eventually I was able to lie down in my own row. Very nice. Especially when it was only 126 rupees...about $4.
Sultan Battery
Just outside Mangalore was an interesting lookout, built during the 1600s but pretty much abandoned now. Considering it has been abandoned it has somehow been able to keep its main structure intact over the years with no evident refurbishment. Next to Sultan Battery was a little beach as this was the mouth of the Gurpur river, leading out to the Indian Ocean. A number of traditional fishing boats and a few fishermen taking naps but besides that not much going on around Sultan Battery. 
