October 21
Early shower. Our hotel room requires that we throw a switch twenty minutes prior to wanting to use hot water in order to heat the water in the tank, which provides a limited amount of hot water. Actually worked fine, but another example of the many things we take for granted.
Buffet breakfast at the hotel is okay, but a far cry from the Taj. The Royal Orchid Metropole, the name of our hotel, may overstate its grandeur, but it is perfectly fine, more than adequate.
Carol and I spend an hour or so outside the room and at 9:30 are picked up by Sachin and Shanta (who has been our driver since arrival in Bangalore). Shanta has done a fine job, attentive and helpful, pleasant and prompt.
We first visit a silk factory, which, until independence in 1947, made saris exclusively for the royal family. Mysore Silk is known to be the finest and Mysore Silk is not only a geographical designation, but a brand name, made exclusively by the factory we visited. Sachin gives us a thorough and fascinating tour of the factory, taking us through probably a dozen or more steps necessary to produce the final result, from washing the silk, combining strands to strengthen it, twisting it, winding it onto spools, dying it, putting it into fabric, melding the welp and woof, adding gold strands.
All of this is done in a huge, very loud factory, with Japanese-made machinery, overseen and tested each step of the way by people doing repetitive tasks all day long and wearing earplugs to protect their hearing. Takes one back to how things used to be in the industrial revolution. Certainly gives you an appreciation for all that goes into the product and why the best go for $5000-6000. Unfortunately photos are not allowed (out of concern that designs may be stolen), so you’re stuck with this rather bland description of a very interesting process.
Next we went to the decidedly less interesting factory where oil is produced from sandal wood. Carol and I would not have been able to understand a word of the English-speaking guide, but Sachin translated for us. Not a must-see, and again no photos allowed.
Next, in a steady drizzle, we head out to the Mysore market which, like all Indian markets is colorful, chaotic and multi-functional. Here are a few market photos, starting with Sachin buying us some bananas to taste.  
 
The rain becomes heavier as we walk through the market, and we’re quite drenched by the time we make it back to the van and head to a restaurant for lunch and interesting discussions with Sachin, who is quite worldly for a 26-year old who has never left India.
After lunch, Sachin takes us to the studio/workshop of a Mr. Mohan, who is the Indian master of inlaid wooden art in which he utilizes different types of wood to produce incredible images that one would swear were paintings.
He does a freehand wood cutting of two elephants for Carol. there are others in his studio, learning the skills. Mr. Mohan is doing a dining room table for Sachin, which we saw, partially completed. It looks beautiful, and Sachin clearly is very proud of it.
We leave the inlaid wood studio, and the rain increases steadily, as we drive to a sculptor’s studio, where work is being done outside. After ten or so minutes, the rain, other people there and general weariness prompt us to tell Sachin we’ve had enough of this. Win a few, lose a few.
The increasing rain makes walking to a temple and seeing the supposedly great views we were going to have impossible (or at least unattractive). Here’s the great view. We do drive up to Chamundi Hill where we see the massive Nandi Bull which stands guard over the hills 
On the way back to our hotel, we give Sachin a copy of Where the Sacred Dwells, Namaste, our poetry/photography book about India, Nepal and Bhutan and he seems genuinely wowed by it and anxious to read and display it.
Today was a pretty good day, but was definitely dampened by the weather, about which neither we nor anybody else can do a damn thing. Sachin was an altogether terrific and fun guide, though, and we enjoyed the time we spent with him. And Mysore feels more like the India we know. There are cows wandering down the streets.
We got back to the room early and plan to have an early dinner, then pack for our 6:15 departure tomorrow morning.
October 20
We drive to Mysore, about three and a half hours away. The drive is totally unspectacular. While we see bits of Indian life, there is no scenery of any interest. For the most part, the roads are good, many of them excellent. Part of the trip involves heavy traffic; in other parts, we move along quite well.
We have Wi-Fi access in the van, so we are able to check and send emails. Is this good? I’m not so sure. We also have access to the Internet, so, for example, we were able to follow, pitch-by-pitch, as the Astros eliminated the Yankees. While I am always happy when the Yankees lose to anyone, and we now know it is the Astros we have to root against along with our grandson, Jasper, when we back the Nats in the World Series, I wonder whether we really needed to know this driving through India. Seems like another example of being connected a lot more than we need to be.
On first blush, Mysore seems a city of some character, as opposed to the rather non-descript Bangalore. At less than a million people it’s about a twelfth Bangalore’s size. I like this street sign, which we encounter en route to the hotel. y
We check in to the Hotel Royal Orchid Metropole, a very nice, unpretentious hotel.
We unpack in our comfortable room and have lunch in the hotel restaurant.
Our guide for the next two days, Sachin, is not a professional guide but someone who grew up in Mysore and has a deep love for the city and knows its inner workings, giving us an insider tour of the city. Sachin is an avid reader, philatelist and connoisseur of art. He’s an amazing story teller with a smart sense of humour. Sachin holds a bachelor degree in engineering and is a mixed martial arts student. He is a fourth generation Mysorean and has always been proud of his heritage and culture; hence his passion for learning about history and meeting travelers.
We meet Sachin and start at the magnificent Mysore Palace, originally built in the seventeenth century, but now in its fourth incarnation (completed in 1912), due to various forms of destruction. The palace follows the Indo Saracenic designs prevalent in the north and is built in grand proportions with a confusion of domes, arches and colonnades of carved pillars. One of the largest palaces in the country, it is beautifully restored and maintained and has beautiful stained glass, ivory inlaid doors, wall paintings and some valuable art treasures. It is the second most visited shrine in India, topped only by the Taj Mahal.
The palace is mobbed and at time claustrophobic, but quite spectacular. Sachin does a great job of threading us through the throng and stepping off to the side to explain clearly and interestingly what we are seeing. He is very engaging and easily understandable. He’s amused by how much I know about him (as a result of having pumped our travel agent for information) and impressed by the extent of our travels.
When we first met Sachin, I told him that we were old and couldn’t remember a lot of stuff about all the places, so I wanted him to make sure that we understood two or three key things about Mysore. He clearly “got it” and said he would, over the course of our time together. I told him that I did not feel I had that about Bangalore, that we understood that it was an IT hub, but that that was not something we’d seen. Sachin said that people say that the best thing to do in Bangalore is to go to Mysore.
I use my new walking sticks, which I’m not sure I actually need for the palace and which present a challenge in tight quarters, but I think they do lend an extra measure of stability. By the way, thus far, I’m enjoying not having my camera along.
The following photos don’t begin to do the palace justice. Note the “plastic free zone” sign in front of the first photo.  
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As we leave the palace, we encounter a light drizzle, which provides a refreshing cool. We drive back to the hotel and rest up for a while, then are picked up by our driver to go to see the palace lit up at night, which happens only on Sunday nights and holidays.
So this is what we see when we first get there, okay, but not spectacular.  we are almost ready to leave, when, all of a sudden, 97,000 light bulbs light up the palace. Very cool!
The evening is a festive event,with many Indians and their children and grandchildren in tow. Of course, I’m actually more intrigued by some kids playing on a statue of a tiger than by the spectacular palace complex.    We head back to the hotel, where we have a pleasant dinner in an outdoor courtyard, then retire.
October 19.
Another great buffet breakfast, and sent out our first laundry in our new do-laundry-often plan.
Today we do a full day tour of Bangalore City. Bangalore was founded in the 16th century by a local chieftain, Kempe Gowda’ and derives its name from the local Kanada word bendakaluru. The translation to the rather prosaic “boiled beans” stems from a story of an old woman who gave this to a Hoysala King in the 10th century when he turned up hungry at her home. Today the city is the center of a thriving information technology industry and home to a growing population of young professionals. It’s often referred to as India’s Silicon Valley. It’s modern, sorta, but not with many large buildings. If one wanders into old Bangalore, you see remains of the city’s historic past.
We’re accompanied by two very engaging guides, Usha and VIdya. Usha, an engineer turned writer with a passion for travel and history, she juggles her time between walks, managing her organization’s content, freelance writing to magazines like The Alternative, Citizenmatters, Indiahikes, GoUnesco and raising her 12-year old son.
Vidya is an avid food blogger, with more than 65000 followers around the world. She is passionate about all things food, and has been featured in quite a number of Indian cookery shows – News9, Suvarna Kannada News, High Ultra Lounge to name a few. She is knowledgeable about the contents of every dish and points them out as we walk through markets, and skilled at getting into the back seat of our van. Vidya and Usha get along well and complement one another, which makes for a pleasant and fun experience for their clients.
We start at the Snake Temple, an active, functioning Hindu temple. It’s always interesting to observe people going through their daily rituals at a temple.      
We stop to rest for a beverage at a local cafe before visiting the farmers market away with wholesale flowers, fruit, vegetables and spices.  The flowers are quite amazing and are brought and turn over fully each day.  
Back in the car we take a historical drive through the city, stopping for a traditional Karnataka lunch, with small portions of over a dozen foods served on a large banana leaf and eaten with our hands.
Carol and I decide to pass on a visit to a fish and meat market, as we’ve seen too many of those around the city, and we’re getting tired and hot. We do go to visit the remaining portion of a fort, most of which was destroyed by the British and the summer palace of Sultan Tipu, an important historical ruler who we’ll hear more about when we visit Mysore and Hampi. Most of the Palace has been destroyed. Neither the fort nor the palace is likely to make our list of the ten highlights of our lifetime travel experience–or the top two hundred.
We’re taken to an art show featuring work of students from a local art school and a crafts market being held there, both of which are busts. Usha takes us to a store that features ancient board games, run by an engaging and passionate young woman, from whom we enjoy hearing about some of the games.
Back at our hotel, both Carol and I are exhausted and fall asleep, getting up for an okay, but not exceptional dinner at the hotel, before retiring for the night.
October 18
We spend some time in the Business Lounge at Heathrow, then sorta stagger, dead tired to our gate for the flight on to Bangalore (Bengaluru).
The plane is considerably more comfortable and, because of a magic little pill I took, I actually slept. Not sure how long, but I definitely dropped off a couple times. I’m so proud.
Anyway, after our roughly 1000-hour flight through London, we arrive in Bangalore at 5AM, pass by the elephants and are met after we clear custom formalities, encountering the inevitable Bangalore Pizza Hut sign and are transferred to our hotel, the Hotel Taj West End, which has been booked from the night before to ensure the room is immediately available for our early morning arrival. Mercifully, nothing is planned for the rest of the day, though our travel agent has arranged for us to have a car and driver for the afternoon.
Hotel is very nice, upscale and we’re upgraded to a suite. And don’t you love it when you see this in your closet?
we partake of the lavish breakfast buffet, then go up to the room to sign the books we’ve brought and relax. The grounds of the hotel are lovely, the lobby a little odd in its decor and the rooms, very nice and spacious, but not as special as some of the best Indian hotels at which we’ve stayed (the Imperial in Delhi or the Taj in Mumbai for two).
At 2:30, we’re picked up by our driver and we drive around in a vain search to replace the Backjoy seat that I left on the plane. We do get to see some street life, all of which is captured through a closed van window     
Here’s the cell phone tucked neatly into the bottom of a motor bike helmet
We also stopped at an art/archeology Museum, which proved once again to us that not all old shit is interesting, particularly when the lighting is not very good, and the descriptions non-existent.
Back to the hotel, where I went to the spa to use the steam room, hoping that it might help the cough. We had dinner at the hotel’s Vietnamese restaurant in a beautiful setting, with excellent and unusual food and very good service. We return to the room and collapse, not long after nine.
All and all, an unexceptional day, but not a bad way to reenter the world after our long trip over. Tomorrow is our first real day of the trip.
Oct 16-17.
It doesn’t quite take three days to get there, but it almost feels as if it does. We leave on Wednesday night, fly through London and will arrive in Bangalore (Bengaluru) early Friday morning. As is usually the case, we plan these trips so far in advance that when they actually arrive, it’s almost a surprise.
I had been to Northeast India last fall on a trip that Carol did not join me on. which you’d know if you’d followed the blog last year, as you should have. It’s actually not too late to read about it now, if you want to go back to last year’s blog, but you won’t, will you? http://dualartspress.com/here-we-go-again-tribal-india
Anyway, that was a great trip and I returned home to tell Carol that she’d have loved it, and that we should go this year. There’s a big festival that I attended and wanted Carol to experience. The festival dates change from year to year. This year, they conflicted with our grandson Max’s 7th birthday. This would not have been a problem for me and, for Max, it would have meant another birthday celebration. But Carol wasn’t buying it, so I lost my 823rd consecutive tie vote.
I wrote to our fabulous Delhi travel agent, Shonali Datta, Shonali@banyantours.com, to tell her that we couldn’t go this year, but we’d go in 2021, Shonali wrote back that she had some other ideas for us for this year. So, I asked her to send an itinerary, she did, we loved it, and here we are on the plane.
The plane, by the way, is a double-decker and we’re on the top deck, which would be really cool if I were, say, 65 years younger. We’re flying British Air, business class, and it’s actually not all that comfortable. In fact, to be honest, I generally pay no attention to the type of aircraft, but this one is the least comfortable damn plane I’ve ever ridden in. It’s the Airbus A380, so, if you have a choice, avoid it. We’ve eaten enough in the Business Lounge at O’Hare that I completely pass on dinner. Breakfast, just before landing, is okay.
An aside here on the value of a terrific travel agent. This morning I awoke to a notice that two flights we were taking within India had been canceled, and the airline was no longer flying those routes. Imagine how you’d feel getting that notice on the day you are leaving if you’d “had the fun of” or “saved money by” booking the trip yourself. Now imagine getting the notice from your travel agent and, in the same email, being told here is how we’ve solved the problem for you (hired you a driver to another city and booked you on a flight from there to your destination).
India is one of my absolute favorite destinations. It’s Foreign, with a capital F, interesting and overwhelms all of the senses. To me, only Africa rivals it. Carol and I first went there in November, 2006 and this will be my fifth and Carol’s third trip there. Aside from my trip last Fall, mentioned above, I spent four or five days there without Carol when I went to Bhutan for the second time, in April, 2010.
We’ve not been to any of the places we’re going on this trip, but we know that the itinerary Shonali has planned includes widely diverse experiences ranging from leopards to shepherds (she told us that one area we were going to was famous for both of those). I won’t try to summarize the different types of experiences built into our itinerary, but let you experience the diversity of the trip as we encounter it, along the way.
We’re pretty experienced in these kinds of trips, so we tend to do what we do to prepare, and repeat it. This time, though, I’m trying three fairly significant changes.
First, I packed in a suitcase I can carry on so as not to have to check any luggage. One key to doing that is to plan to do laundry pretty-much everyplace we stay, which allows you to pack fewer changes of clothes. Generally hotel laundry is relatively expensive, but it certainly is not going to affect our overall trip cost materially. And launderers need to live, too, y’know. Actually, I wound up checking the suitcase for this leg of the trip. We packed a large box with six copies of our book, WHERE THE SACRED DWELLS, NAMASTE, for distribution to people on this trip and, as long as we needed to check that, I checked my bag, too. But I won’t on other legs.
The other thing that will allow me to pack in less space is a big change for me. I bought the new iPhone 11, and have decided that that will be my camera for this trip. They’ve improved things so much that, after discussions with my friend and photographer pro, Nick Sinnott, I’ve concluded that I’m unlikely to be losing much by using just the iPhone. And that fits SOOOOOO well with my general laziness gene. We’ll see how it goes. If I find I miss it, I can always go back to taking my camera and lenses on my next trip. But I’m thinking and hoping that this is the right decision for me at this point in my “career”. You can play around quite a bit with photographing on the iPhone 11. Here’s a shot of our takeoff from Chicago.
And the final change is prompted by the fact that on a couple fairly recent vacations, I’ve tripped and fallen. I can, of course, explain these as aberrant, insignificant events. And I do. But old farts fall. And they sometimes hurt themselves. Badly. So, I’m taking walking sticks, something that friends have recommended to me for years, to compensate for the fact that we humans are not really meant to walk on two legs. I’ve tried out the sticks in Lincoln Park, and I think they’ll really help with balance. Though this means more to pack, they’re collapsible, and so can fit into carry-on luggage.
Carol and I both have had really nasty coughs for weeks that we’ve been unable to shake. We’ve both been to the doctor and had tests that have not revealed anything useful. We’re hoping to get rid of them soon. Otherwise, I told Carol, we could become the first Reconstuctionist Jews to have our ashes spread on the Ganges. She didn’t seem to think that was funny. Poor girl has VERY little sense of humor. But I’m going to continue to work on that.
Since we have a couple hours in London with access to the Business Lounge, I’m going to post this now, and leave you in doubt as to whether we make it to India. If we do make it, I’m hoping that this blog will become a lot more interesting to you. And to me.
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