India is full on! Or...Here a cow, there a cow, everywhere a cow cow.

From the minute we walked on the plane we knew that going to India was going to be FULL ON!  The plane ride itself was exhausting , and not in the I've been traveling I am so tired kind of way.  I mean everything was a new experience, and nothing came easy.  We were the only 2 non-Indian people on the plane, and boy did we get all the stares; and not just because we are so cute...they just stare.  The driving is insane, the honking non-stop, and the cows plentiful!  We arrived late in the eve in the city of Bangalore.  The first task was trying to get to a cash machine which turned out to be the first of many hilarious mishaps that would occur.  Everyone we asked sent us on a wild goose chase, and we never did find it, at one point someone told us to go behind some building in the airport and when we got there, the entire wall was torn down and open to the street, so no cash machine there. We decided to just forget it and and got in cab with a guy that spoke no english whatsoever.  We asked him to take us to the nearest cash machine, which he never did, so we gave him some US dollars, and a good amount I might add, poor guy had no idea what it was or how much it was and since it was one bill he looked so disappointed, we tried to explain how much it was in rupees and show him on our handy converter app, finally we hope he understood.  Mind you we have been in this country now for less than an hour.  Let me just say the cab ride was crazy!  Driving like mad, full speed, honking to no end, driving on side streets, medians and curbs.  It was wild.  I gotta say that when I got to India I knew it would be llike nothing else, but it most def has a similiar vibe to Cairo.  I was totally having so many Egypt flashback moments.  Except exchange the wandering cow for a donkey and it's basically the same street.  

We rested our weary heads for the night and anticipated what this city would be all about.  The next morning we had a big day walking through Bangalore.  Now from what I understand it's supposed to be a softer city in India...well it was pretty hectic to say the least.  So much going on, and so much to see; the crowds of people, the cows that walked by zooming cars, the dogs sleeping in the streets, the massive stares we got  (we saw hardly any tourists) the dirt, the garbage, the incessant honking, the scooters with a family of 4 on them, the awesome food, the colors, the shopping, the crow eating the rat, and good lord the hilariousness of the bobbles.  You get a bobble nod for everything, apparently it means many things; thank you, you're welcome, it's ok, no problem, yes, no.  It's amazing.  By the full first day I was getting bobble nods from Debbie.  Oh India...so so funny.  We went to the market shops to buy some scarfs, and shirts, and look at all the beautiful things.  Well I found a lovely shirt that I wanted, but it was sleeveless, and I wanted sleeves on it so I was wasn't going to get it.  The little man who worked in the shop would not have that, so he said to give him 5 minutes.  He had some kid pick up the shirt and run off with it, and within 5 or so minutes the shirt arrived back and presto SLEEVES! 

In India we would learn things were no problem and that anything is possible.  The funny thing about that is that things were indeed very difficult at times, and while it seemed to be no problem for them, it became huge problems for us.  I will get to that...we ended our day with spa treatments and massages.  Much needed I might add.  

The following day we had grand plans to take a day trip to a new city calle Mysore.  We heard and read that this was a calmer city, a beautiful place to visit, and getting there would be easy. 

We arranged with our hotel a driver and we set off for a ridiculously difficult day.  The drive we were told would be an easy 2 hours...nope it was a horrid 4.  With so much traffic, stop and go, and honking..MY GOD The honking!  Debs got car sick and we both got terribly irritable.  Once we arrived we had no idea what was in store for us, and it was insane!  So many Indian tourists staring at us, trying to touch our hair, and asking to get pictures of us with them.  Seems that we were more of the attraction than the marvelous palace we were there to see.  After that we decided to explore this palace, it was amazing!  The driver then took us to a famous church, an temple on a hill, and a market place.  I got some beautiful photos that day.  It was so wonderful to see all these places, but it was a whirlwind and everything was very intense.  It is a very busy city, and by the time we left it was late and we were so tired.  Drive home was just as insane and as we finally (4 hours later)  approached our hotel we got stuck in the most craziest traffic jam i have ever seen.  Well let me back up, it started to rain, and rain, and rain, and the traffic jam was caused by people all driving in all directions, not paying attention to the floods that were starting to happen in the roads, and then before we knew it there were cars stuck, rickshaws tipped over or completely under water with only the tops of the roofs showing.  We were 5 minutes away from our hotel and stuck in this flood for over an hour.  People were starting to flee their vehicles and walk.  A huge bus was stuck and no one was letting anyone in, and the honking...MY GOD THE HONKING.  Some guy jumped out of the bus and tried to direct traffic, but no one was listening.  It was absolute maddness. Did i mention the driver spoke zero to no english, so all day was one misunderstanding after another, and the funniest thing was that he communicated that this was big rain and it would be in the paper in the morning, and low and behold it was on the front page of the Bangalore Times.  Biggest rain storm they have had in 20 years.  Yup I was there.  

Our last day in Bangalore was a relaxing one.  We needed rest and needed to not be in a car.  

We had a flight to Goa that evening, and we were so ready to be beach bound!