Intense

Mysuru (previously Mysore), Sunday 11th May.

Travelling in India is an intense experience. I can understand how some folk who’ve never been here could be put off by that intensity – the crowds, the noise, the traffic. And then there's the colours, an altogether different sort of intensity. All being well I plan to write a bit more about that later.

But for now I'm simply going to record a few travelogue-ish photos of Ooty and the journey to Mysuru. Commentary will have to wait...

First stop at Ooty was Doddabetta peak, a popular (and crowded, would you believe) lookout spot over the town. It started with Janet befriending a couple of the local cops:

Then we had a wander around the Government Botanical Gardens ( and I did rather like the flash office of the Assistant Director):

Next, Ooty Lake, a man-made structure very popular with the locals, and a bonus viewing of a dance competition:

And finally a visit to the Ooty Rose Garden, a most amazing, peaceful complex in the centre of the intense town:

This morning we made the 4-hour drive from Ooty to Mysuru, through many twists and turns and a lovely stretch through the Bandipur Tiger Reserve (no Tigers seen, but lots of other animals):

And a drive through a eucalypt forest which would be at home in Australia’s South-West:

More on Mysuru tomorrow ...