Like this:
Except the REAL Deal:
Traffic was BUSY as usual, with a lot of "start-stopping". We stopped at the river where my mother-in-law's ashes had been released along the way. That was very emotional. It makes me really sad when I think that the girls and I were never able to meet her, but I know she is watching over us. My father-in-law told me that he so wished that could could have met us. I told her that she sees us every day and I tell them that she is in their hearts and keeps them safe. He appreciated that. He told me throughout the day that I was his daughter and it really meant a lot. We saw a little girl begging for money, so my father-in-law gave her some coins. Maya & Suri asked why "Tata" had given the girl money. It was time for a talk. I explained to them how very fortunate they are in having all of their needs met and that some people don't have homes or enough food. We talked about it alot and they kind of got it, but would ask questions such as, "well, why don't they pick an apple off a tree or go to their neighbors house?". I explained as best I could and we still talk about it. It's very important to us that they know how very fortunate we are.
We stopped for breakfast in Mysore. Mysore is famous for their silks. We had also passed through the "City of Toys" and the "City of Sugar". We saw lots of sugar cane, which was pretty cool! We had idli & vada for breakfast. After breakfast, the kids were playing and Suri feel off a swing. Thankfully, Ramesh grabbed her and she didn't get hurt. We had our first "bathroom encounter". Most public places don't have a traditional western-style commode. They have bidet-type set-ups and some bathrooms are simply holes that you stand over and squat. Plus, toilet paper is rare since water is used to clean yourself. We had been carrying paper with us in case we needed it. Suri is pretty adaptable, but Maya-not so much. I had a feeling it may be a challenge. Both girls did great, though. And I will tell you that whenever we went somewhere, the first thing we did was check out the bathroom! :)
After breakfast, we looked around at the shops at the restaurant.
The girls each picked out a little purse and their Uncle bought it for them.
We arrived at the Mysore Palace, and it was HOT outside. There were tons of vendors trying to sell goods. They had toys, fans, and tons of other stuff. They approach you and basically follow you waiting for you to give in and buy something. We ended up with a few postcards, flutes for the kids, and a head massager (seriously the best thing ever!).
We decided to take a horse-drawn carriage ride around the palace grounds and to the Government of India goods store.
The store had tons of Mysore silk sarees for sale. We looked at them and I picked one up. It was the equivalent of $200 US dollars! I decided against it since I knew I wouldn't get much use of it and I had already been given three. We looked at jewelry and carved sandalwood items. I picked out two necklace and earring sets that I liked. My father-in-law bought them for me :)
We bought tickets-that was pretty funny since there are different prices for "foreigners"! Indians pay forty rupees to get in and "foreigners" pay four hundred rupees! TEN times the price! Kids were free, so that helped-only one foreigner to pay for! :) We had to leave our shoes at a counter (and pay a fee, of course!) before we could enter. They were stored in a locker and we were given a token to pick them up when we were done with the tour. We also had to do the same with Anand's camera since cameras were not allowed in the palace.
Best part of the day? Several children and one grown woman stopped me, said hi and asked to have their picture taken with me. It was hysterical! I obviously stand out, but never expected people would approach me. It was so funny. Every time it would happen, we would laugh. Anand told me that I was a "celebrity" which totally made my day. :) Here is a picture he took of me with one of my "fans" LOL:
The tour of the palace was very interesting. When we came out, we bought tickets to do the residence tour. Then, the girls saw that they had elephant and camel rides. They both wanted to ride the elephant, so my brother-in-law, sister-in-law, and father-in-law took them while Anand & I took the residential tour. Alone time! It was a nice tour! We got to see where the royal family lived. Pretty cool! When we got out of the residence, the girls were just getting off the elephant, so we were able to see them. Then, they got in line for a camel ride. My niece, Mouna, got on the camel and the girls got scared so their uncle got on with them. Maya was in front. They walked the camel by us, so we got to see them. Anand & I got a drink and I saw some monkeys on top of the palace-totally made my day-I love monkeys! We picked up our shoes and camera, and headed out. On the way, we took all of the photos above and tons more. Then, we discovered that the gates were locked-oops! So, we talked to a guard who we had to bribe to get out. Seems that money will buy you pretty much anything! We drove to a water fountain show that my brother-in-law was adamant that we see while we were there. It was really cool. Although I haven't been to Vegas, I assume it was pretty much like the Bellagio fountains...beautiful lights with fountains set to music.
After the show, we decided to find a hotel so that we could go to the Mysore Zoo the next day. We found a nice hotel room and when we saw the western-style bathroom, towels, soap, and toilet paper, we were instantly thrilled! It's definitely all about the small things in life! We took showers and got ready for dinner. I seriously felt like a million bucks after sweating all day! I told Anand that when we got home I would most likely become a paper products hoarder. :) I have a new appreciation for them since they seem to be pretty rare in India. We went to dinner and had lots of delicious dishes. I drank about a gallon of water. The girls & I went back to the hotel room while Anand spent some time with his brother. Once we got back, we went to bed and slept like babies.
For more India trip posts, see Day 2, Day 1, Journey to India, and My Carry-On
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