Week 3

Outside Mysore Palace we were really thirsty so Ravi suggested a freshly squeezed sugar cane juice

I had my first sugar cane and ginger drink - the man above is passing the cane through this machine while the juice is collected underneath and then poured into a glass. It was really tasty

                                      More views of Mysore Palace and the different entrances

 The highlight at Mysore was a visit to the palace - wow the whole building was amazing especially the wedding room, beautiful floors and doors and stained glass. No photos were allowed inside though. We loved the silver doors!We spotted an elephant and fed him one of our bananas, skin and all!

 

We went to the railway museum and saw the maharaja's coach all kitted out with a bed and a western toilet!!

We visited Shri Mahabeleshawa swarmi temple which is high up a mountain and can be reached by walking up 1000 steps.We chickened out and walked down instead.

 The bull is Nandi, Shiva's chariot. This one is about 5 metres high and is half way down the mountain steps.

We decided to walk down the 1000 steps and watched the sunset!

Next day we visited a 12th century Hoysala temple at Somnathpur-simpy stunning.

The detail in these temples is amazing. Hand carved stunning detail - the real thing is outstanding.

 The above photo is the hand carved ceiling at the Channakeshava temple built in the 11th century

Nearby in Belur another fascinating 12 c temple - we went 'native' for this!!

 Nandi the bull is inside the complex at the temple in Belur

Ravi drinking a fresh coconut 10 Rupees / 7p and the inside flesh is for free and really yummy. 

Note Ravi is modelling a Khadi homespun (like Ghandi) top!

Just for you Debbie, Upekshe and Tanya - The travelling duck on the bus to hampi!

The bus journey was 8 hours long and the driver did an average speed of 50mph over craters and bumps on the unfinished roads. I blame the driver for making me ill!

We arrived in Hampi - lovely, a good place to chill out and get over my bug! We have a sweet little cottage and a hammock in the front - see me modelling it! Across the road there are paddy fields with a backdrop of boulders!

Paddy fields,coconut plantations and boulders-what more do you need?Ah yes a 15th century lost kingdom!!

We went up a boulder mountain to see sunset and found these children running around selling tea. Rebecca, an american lady wrote their names on paper and they had such big grins on their faces.Ravi tried to teach a 10 year old kid the economics of using clean cups to sell tea and a new business of taking pictures of tourists during sunset using their own cameras

Sunset from a mountain in Hampi

On Monday we started walking to see the ruins and came across this pretty pattern outside a house-a Rangoli design.It is traditionally used to decorate the doorstep or courtyard of a house at Diwali.Here it is used to let people know they are welcome inside.

This is a lost kingdom, dug out of the ground by the archaelogists of India.So important is the site that the govt of India is closing all the shops and buying land from the farmers to ensure that the site is not damaged.

We walked this path to the lost kingdom and it only represents a small part of the overall Vijaynagar 15th century kingdom.You must visit Hampi if you come to India!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                Look how thick the walls are to this temple used by the Royals of the day.

                                                     Examples of some of the ornate columns.

                    This temple was also dug out and was hidden under  a coconut plantation for 30 years !

Ravi the leo (lion) meets a carved lion which is often found at the entrances to temples in this region.

This is a carved ceiling but does not look so good in the photo. It is also covered in bats.

This would make a great backdrop to an Indiana Jones movie, The Vittalya temple circa 15AD.The main dance area has musical columns which 63 musicians used to play!