Traffic part I

Time softens memories. Last time we were in India in 2009 we were terrified  by the car journeys we made. All trips whether 100 kilometres or 250 k all seemed to take 4 hours and we would get out of the car totally wrecked. Somehow we seemed to have blurred all that out and remembered the colours, the scents, the amount of laughing we did and the wonderful people.

Yesterday we had to make the journey  from Bangalore to Mysore a trip of 4 hours, 2 of which were in the dark. I was like Pi , I prayed to every God, Profit, Buddha , Mother Teresa whoever I could think of.
I swear I clenched my buttocks so hard so many times I pulled my hamstrings. Is that possible? I don't know but that's what it felt like.

The traffic is a constant river of vehicles surging forward, playing a game of dare with each other. I have no idea what the annual number of road deaths are  in india but it must be high. They  have introduced something new since were last here, Sleeping Policeman. The traffic department have invested heavily in this idea. They are every two hundred yards in town and every few miles on the main Bangalore Mysore highway. Like every thing in India they are extreme.  There come in two designs. The pointed bastards and the five in a row shallow, narrow and  deadly. Occasionally they put cats eyes along them to warn of their arrival but mostly they don't . Hence a lot of last minute braking or bumping so hard that your back ends up ruined.
There appear to be a few basic rules to driving here.

Day two and three Cricket on the beach

Some Indian boy were playing cricket on the beach. The bat was broken in two . They handle was used for the stump and the remaining bit for the bat.we stood and watched but they stopped playing to come and talk to us, they love to ask you questions about where you are from. Franco tried to explain that his son had played cricket for Italy.
"Italy town or Italy country?" we'll , yes exactly, there was no answer to that.
They new Alex Stuart.
They asked if we were here for "Joyfulness"
"Joyfulness?" of course" holiday" , yes we are.

Last night we ate at a restaurant called Gunpowder . It was the best Indian food I have ever eaten. Kerelan. The winner was "sweet and sour pumpkin" just delicious. I have never known how to eat pumpkin, whether it is a savoury or a dessert. This was cooked with tamarind and toasted mustard seeds and fresh curry leaves. The entire meal 4 starters 4 mains and 4 deserts cost £26 with £6 for the wine which we took along ourselves. So far the food has been wonderful.