Firstly, apologies for taking so long to update our
blogg! We have been so busy travelling we have had very little time to sit down and organize our thoughts!
Our journey through India started to wind down and our penultimate stop before leaving was the City of Palaces, Mysore in the southern state of
Karnataka.
The capital of
Karnataka has shifted between Bangalore and Mysore for the past 200 years. It became the capital after the battle of
Srirangapatna in 1799 during the Anglo-Indian War, when the British defeated the Tiger of Mysore,
Tippu Sultan. The British influence is evident in the many buildings and the
infrastructure which still exists in the city. Not for long though as many of the colonial bungalows, which were residents of
British officers and merchants are being razed to the ground and replaced by new multi story modern office buildings and hotels.
Mysore is also known as the "Sandalwood City" due to the flourishing incense, and essential oil industry. The markets are fragrant with the smell of Jasmine and
tuberose's used in
Hindu worship and fashioned into garlands. The stalls are piled with mountains of powders is
incredibly vibrant colours and vats of flowers and petals. shop windows display an assortment of antique perfume bottles containing mysterious essential oils. It is a feast for the eyes and nose...a nice change!
Beautifully displayed
vegetables and fruit!
Sainsburys not quite up to scratch!
Alice trying her hand at making incense sticks!
After a brief stop in Cochin, we boarded our houseboat for a 3 day cruise in the backwaters of Kerala. These waterways are made up of interlinked channels and lagoons and a perfect way to unwind after a hectic 6 weeks touring through this spectacular part of the world. We really enjoyed observing everyday life carrying on on the riverbanks; people fishing, working in the rice paddy fields, doing laundry or just splashing about in the water. It was quite a contrast to the hustle and bustle of road travel and life in many parts of India.
