Last day in Mysore.

A Rickshaw guide tour with Dave from Australia that also stayed at the guest house. We rented the guy to take us to Srirangapatna Fort, Sultan Tipus Summer palace, fort dungeon, Hindu temple, and a lot more places, six hour tour, a long and fun day.

Boys by a river that wanted me to take a picture of them :)

We stopped at a place in a village where they made these wagons. And on the street we saw how they are used.

 The rickshaw driver took us to very interesting places. In this work shop they made pictures from wood put together. Also inlay wooden frames.

The train museum was a bit disappointing... but interesting enough.

It was sad to say good bye to my lovely host and Mangela. She tought me how to make Indian food, lovely vegetarian food. I had an amazing time with them. 

Mysore 23-26th of November.

MYSORE WALK TOUR

I was supposed to take a bus from Kodaikanal to Ooty, but changed my mind. I did not feel like standing on another Hill station waiting for a bus 4 o'clock in the morning. So I booked another ticket to Bangalore. Arrived in Bangalore 6,30am,  after 12 hour bus ride, private slow bus. There I found a car that was going to Mysore. I think it was a seven seater car, but they managed to get 11 people in it. I was placed in the trunk with four other Indians. And interesting uncomfortable trip it was. They said it was governmental transport, but I dont think so, coz I paid a lot. 

In Mysore I had booked a guesthouse to stay at. It is not many guesthouses in this city, so I was happy that I found this place. And a very lovely place it was. They picked me up on the bus station, the place was a bit out from the center. I felt very welcome there. It was not like staying at a normal guesthouse, it was like visiting some peoples home. The owner, Stephen from England lived there, and he had 3 rooms for rent. The day I came, also two other couples came later in the afternoon. We had late lunch together in house that Mangela, the house made made. In the evening, all us visitors joined "Mysore walk tour", an excellent guide tour through the city. We got some history of the town, saw outside the palace and town hall, tasted Mysore sweets, went to marked and loads of local places around the city. 

The second day I used like 3 hours to find out and decide what bus to take to Hampi. Its very hard to choose sometimes :)

Mysore sweets, extremely sweet flower sugar things. It is called Mysore sweets because its special for Mysore, and the kings baker was the first to make it.

Nice colors at the marked. 

Women making flower decorations. 

Paper recycling shop :) Yesterdays news, today a shopping bag.

Mysore Palace, I had audioguide through the palace. 200Rs for foreigner and 20 for Indians. Speaking about racism. Most important thing I remember is that the old one burned down, and it took 15 years to build this new one. And its not that old, only hundred years old. I was a hassle to get in, I had to give away my camera, security x-ray of my bag, give away my shoes and to be able to get a audio guide, I had to hand in my passport. Also I was extremely annoyed by the Indian tourist that took pictures inside with their phone, no restrictions for phones, only cameras!

Me making instant sticks :) very fun, natural talent I have :)

Dry sugar from sugar canes. 

Kodaikanal

I arrived at this Hill Station 5am, Saturday morning. It was extremely cold. I got some sleep after a long bus ride, but even with all my clothes and 2 blankets I was still freezing. 16 degrees feels very cold when you are used to 35 degrees. Luckily it was sun during the day, I walked around the area and found a place to rent a bike by the lake. I expected less people at this "remote place", but loads of tourists here, tourist bus and hotels and restaurants. My short 5km bike ride around the lake was far from peaceful, a high school group of sixty students from Kerala was accompanying me :) They where so kind taking an excellent picture of me and my bike :) I love cycling.

On Sunday I intended to move to this guesthouse up in the wally with a beautiful view out of town, but when I saw the rooms I changed my mind and walked back to a warm comfy hotel. I can stand a lot in warm areas, but in this cold I needed a warm semi clean bed. And warm water!

On Sunday I met a girl from Israel, also traveling alone. She stayed at a small village Vattakanal with a lot of other backpackers from Israel. I wanted to see this place so I walked with there. About 1 hour walk to get there from the center of town. Beautiful nature there, great view, local people and a lot of monkeys eating trash.

Beautiful view in front of their hut in Vattakanal. I did not want to walk alone in the dark back to town so I drove back in a old Jeep from the sixties with a local "taxi driver". I prayed the whole way back on the bumpy road that the car would not fall apart.

Me and Zoya. On Monday, yesterday we had plans going on a cycle trip to see mountains and waterfalls, but it was very cold and cloudy so we stayed most of the day indoor in my hotel. She left in the evening with a night bus to Kochin, on her way to Alleppey and Varkala. Unfortunately she managed to take with her my headset. So today before my bus to Ooty on my way to Mysore I have to search the town for some new once. Will be pretty boring on a 16hours bus journey without music and my audio books if I dont find a new headset. 

My last day in the Hospital.

It was very sad to leave this group of fabulous Doctors. 

From left: Dr. Prem, a very energetic doctor. Dr.Bala, the best teacher in surgery Ive ever had.. Dr.Sabu, my second father away from home :) Dr.Maya, A brilliant Obst&Gynecology Doctor whom I admire. Dr.Pratyush, whom I always tell what surgeries Ive attended that he missed, just to tease him :)

Was also very hard to say good bye to these lovely people in the OR. Im not a very sentimental person, but nearly cried when I left the OR that day. 

Visiting Dr.Bala and his family. Had a lovely time with them. This is his sons, 6 and 14 years old.

Hans, the youngest one, was very energetic and exited about having me there I believe, I even got a hug from him, so so cute, I felt blessed.

Dinner with Dr.Devaprasath and his lovely wife Dr.Renu. They invited me to their daughters wedding, unfortunately I can not come.

Hospital life!!!!

Operations, its in the OR i lived, mostly from 9-17, six days a week, what ever kind of surgery, Im there :) 

Ive learned so much!

Lunchtime. Chaptingla?

Lunch with Anju on a hot Sunday in Kanyakumari :)

Two of my favorite jr.Surgeons. Dr.Prem and Dr.Pratyush. 

My cozy room, which I love and will miss.

Some of the staff nurses in the OR. They are so cute and nice to me.

A trip to the jungle-mountain Maramalay.

Me and Dr.Sabus' daughter Anju. I was very excited about the rubber threes. 

Fresh rubber coming out of the three. They cut all the threes once every day to harvest the rubber. Its very elastic when it coagulates. 

Their mountain Residence where we stayed :) On top of that Jeep we sat on the drive up, we where looking for leopards and tigers, we only say two deer and a iron gate that was destroyed by a wild elephant. I also for the first time in my life saw firefly. I though I saw a black leopard just behind me, I screamed, and the seemingly leopard barked back at me, of curse it was a dog :P We saw the remnants of a old hospital  just behind  the house, forgot to take picture of it . Also a beautiful waterfall they have.

A wild banana three :) And an animal in the three behind, cant remember what Dr.Sabu called it, may be a Camelon?

Aloo dosa, Puri, Cocunut Chutney, and Papaya for breakfast. Heaven on earth :)

A rainy Sunday in Kanyakumari.

I wanted to go to this island,Vivekananda Rock Memorial but because of heavy rain no ferry was going.

The walking street does not look so nice in the rain. I was standing here deciding whether it was worth buying an umbrella or not. I bought one, even bargained a good price (I think) I ate noodles for lunch and was very happy after many weeks with mostly rice. On the way home it was raining so much that I even got vet inside the bus. What an adventurous Sunday indeed :)