Mysore - home, among other things, of sandlewood essence and Ashtanga yoga's guru, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois (guruji). We are staying at the Hotel Maurya, and the helpful staff have already told us the buses we need to catch in order to reach various places and warned us not to buy anything from the street children (verry bad boys, bad sandlewood). So far we have staggered downstairs with armfulls of laundry and dumped them in reception (haha - they can wash my mildewy clothes), eaten cheap, delicious thali until we felt full to bursting (with fingers of course), and trailed around the streets looking for the entrance to the palace (yelling at any poor streetkid/tout/guide that homed in on us).
We have many things we plan to visit here; the glitzy and grand Maharaja's palace, the big fruit & veg market and Chamundi hill (with it's 1000+ steps up to the temple on top - will I climb them? Nooo, I think not). We are also planning to visit the government-run sandlewood factory and also maybe go to the Ashtanga Research Institute and take a peep at the freaksome uber-ashtangis doing their thing (maybe Madonna will be there - she is another of Guruji's fans.) So, will probably stay for a few days before hot-footing it up to Hampi for shopping and sightseeing. Yay - we're somewhere new, fuuuun!
Below left: Mysore streets Below Centre: The Palace Right: Old man Guruji does his thing
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