Mysore

Have just checked into The President hotel: luxury! An elevator. Nicely appointed room too, with a soft queen size bed. Stopped for lunch at a great indian veg spot with piquant treats. A tasty dal dessert spiced with whole cloves. Meal isn't sitting too well tho. Fingers, toes, eyes and sundry limbs crossed that it's nothing more than heartburn. Heading out shortly. LATER...back again. Snuck into an incredible natural oil/incense factory that, as it turns out, supplies the Body Shoppe with the oils used to manufacture their fragrances. Sat at a table sniffing all sorts of scents. Mmmhhmm! Saw two women hand-rolling incense; seemingly they hand produce some 8,000 sticks each, daily. Drove to a mountain-top Hindu Temple honouring the universal goddess, Chamundi, and a sculpture of Shiva's bull, Nandi, carved from one huge rock. Then to a former royal maharaja palace turned hotel. Tonite, tho, was the best. Crazy nuts. Muthu took us to Brindavan Gardens, a park at the base of a 120ft high dam. The crowds were HUGE - felt gropping hands in the thick of it all. Tsk tsk! Muthu did his best to keep us moving. Turns out those throngs had shown up to watch illuminated fountains "dance" to Bollywood hits. When the lights dimmed and the show began, the crowds roared like one expects to hear at a raucus concert. Incredible !ndia at it again.
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