Mysore! Food, Music, Sandalwood

After spending an few uneventful days in smog infested Bangalore :) (check out Tamara's blog at tracktamstravels.blogspot.com) I picked up my brother at the airport and we headed down to Mysore.

Pistachio Barfi. Sounds good, tastes even better!

Sandlewood factory tour. A naturally scented tree. The bark is used for incense and the wood is used for oil, soaps and pastes to alleviate headaches.

Taking some tabla lessons from the local guru! Tha Tho Kiri Tha Dhi Ka Tha. Every inch of the drum skin has a different name, so you need to memorize place and name. These type of drums sound great though!

Your average silk shop.

Rolling some sandlewood incense in the Bazaar shop

Oh yeah, did I mention we bought a travel guitar in Goa and are decking it out with any cheesy sticker we find.

Love it!

Tamara making friends with the locals.

Great dyes available at the local Bazaar.

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Choose your scent. They sell all types of oils in Mysore (Cardamom, Black Pepper, Mint etc.)

The flower offering section of the bazaar.

These Mysore incense sticks are about 3 times the regular thickness, cheap too.

Yeah colour! Such a change from Bangalore!

Beads and silk shop and the Mysore bazaar.

You cant go wrong with the local food here. The only problems you face are when trying to order North American dishes like "pizza" or "Grill cheese" you are at the mercy of the chef(I bet you he's never even seen a pizza before). Half the fun is seeing what comes out of the kitchen!

Cool type.

Most signs and license plate numbers are hand painted here..crazy!

South Indian Thali in Bangalore. 2 bucks for lunch for two!

Fresh young coconuts here will fill you up for a half day, cost 20 cents.

Cows are sacred in India as they represent fertility and and nourishment. You'll see them everywhere minding their own business. It can get quite tricky when one decides to cross the street during rush hour.

North Indian Thali. Soooo good!!