South Karnataka in a Day
As Kanako’s and my last encore together, we plan a hectic day of rapid-fire touristing through the southern part of Karnaraka. Our train arrives in Mysore before noon and we quickly make our way to the Devaraja Market. This brisk excursion into the Indian bazaar is a full on assault to the senses. Hordes of vendors peddle colorful kumkum powder along side fruit-wallahs and fragrant flowers. Here, I fall victim to a violent allergy attack and my sinus begin to flare so bad that it brings tears to my eyes. We quickly escape and take an auto-rickshaw over to the Maharaja’s Palace.
At the cities star attraction, we fight swarms of touts and eventually get through the Disney-fied entrance to the sprawling front yard of the Indo-Sarcenic Palace. The stately building combing European gothic and more traditional Indian architectures sits surrounded by great lawns, Hindu temples and more tourists than bearable. A brief walk through the inside is an impressive glimpse into the world of the Wodeyar Maharajas; obscene opulence stains every surface from the elaborately painted ceilings, down the intricately carved walls and onto the endless marble floors. Excessive color is liberally used and the whole place feels more like a cartoon than its royal European cousins. From the omnipresent souvenir vendors to the animal rides, the whole experience reminds me more of that mousy theme park than any historic residence. Nevertheless, the experience nicely fills out the afternoon.
See all of my photos from the Maharaja’s Palace
But our whirlwind day brings us back onto a crowded train on the way to the states capital of Bangalore. We only have two hours to spare and since the place isn’t particularly renowned for any specific points of interest, we opt for the chance to sample the well-desired tastes of foreign cuisine that the city is famous for. An outrageous splurge of a thousand rupees is well enjoyed on foods that my palate hasn’t touched in ages. The $25 is gargantuan compared to the cost of any regular meal, but this prime ambience and five-star quality accompanied by whiskey would have cost much more back home. Alas, before long it is time to cap the day with another sleeper train out of town.
This maddening day is the antithesis to the lazy backwaters and culturally exhilarating Madurai. With so much hustle, following the crowds and excessive spending I can only begin to fathom why people will spend their week-long vacations this way. The entire day flew by in a flash, and I hardly had time to comprehend what was going on. I’m glad to have witnessed these cities first hand, but I ultimately crave a more leisurely pace and the time to delight in each moment with proper appreciation. I dread the thought of experiencing it ever again! This too, like everything else I learn on the road, is yet another lesson into travel and life; total reassurance that biding my time and savoring the experience is so much more valuable than checking sights off of a list.
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Tags: - Photography, - Transport & Travel, - Transport: Train, Asia, India, India: Karnataka, Karnataka, Mysore
Adam Shane
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