From Mysore to Jaipur

February 10, 2010

Today was a “travel day” left Mysore for Jaipur which is up north in Rajasthan and travel via Bangalore. We started out early so that we could stop at a bird sanctuary and old ruins called Srirangapatnam (spell that baby) on the way to the airport in Bangalore. Of course everything here comes with a twist or a miscommunication, which we can’t seem to crack, so not all works as we envision. Even though we pay well (in Indian terms) for a driver the few times we used them, they still seem to dictate the terms which always includes a stop at some type of silk factory, emporium, etc., that they insist is the best in India and from which we are sure they get a commission from - even if you don’t buy. No matter how many times you tell them, “NO!”, they still seem to get you there. So, we are rushed through the bird sanctuary because we are told traffic is horrible in Bangalore and that is could take hours. Of course the driver takes us by a carpet emporium located in the center of Bangalore, which is why it takes hours to get to the airport. Needless to say we were out of the store in two minutes. Unfortunately, we also saw a terrible motorcycle accident that happened right in front of us – two men, one got up the other didn’t. After all that we made it safely to the airport 4 hours before our flight. We had arranged for a driver to pick us up at the airport in Jaipur because we were arriving late at night and for the second time, the driver didn’t show up –just cannot get that driver code down correct! We’ve now used all modes of transport – train, bus, driver, auto rickshaw, boats, canoes and elephants and air and the best really is as they advertise – India Railway!!
Steve and Laurie