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So, it鈥檚 been a pretty fun two weeks sine last time I wrote.
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After we went to Nandi Hills there was some trouble in the city again. This time it was about the Cauvery River. There has been a decision made as to which state owns how much and so there were a lot of protests in Karnataka and rioting one day which meant we couldn't go into work on the Tuesday.
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This week was the week we discovered Pizza Corner which is kind of like the Indian version of Pizza Hut. What makes it so good (apart from the pizza of course) is that the staff have a dance routine which lasts about four minutes!
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We had a lot of fun in Bangalore during the week including getting into a club called Fuga for free! We have two Indian friends called Ajay and Dinkel who live in Bangalore and they managed to get us on the guest list. A lot of the people we have met in India have been so friendly. You have to expect to be asked a lot of questions and you are expected to ask them in return.
 | | 1000 steps to climb |
People find it very interesting where you are from, who the leader of your country is, what your hometown is like. People will often invite you out or to their home. Sometimes when you ask for directions somewhere people insist on actually leading you there themselves. It took us a while to get used to but once you do it's really helpful.
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Due to the Cauvery River dispute we decided to stay in Bangalore for the weekend. On Saturday we went to the waterpark in the city which was really fun and on Sunday two other volunteers, Sooz and Tom, and myself went to Llabagh Botanical Gardens in the city. It was really pretty and so cheap to get in (Rs. 7 which is about 9 pence). It was like a little bit of the countryside in the city including flowers and lakes. There was also a small, rocky听hill which you could climb and get an amazing view of the city. The only downfall was the 'aquarium' which had fish in very small tanks including two catfish in a tank just about big enough for them to turn round in.
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Monday was 'Stikeday Monday'. All the transport wasn't running and everything was closed. Half way through the day Meg and Ranjan, two volunteers who live at the KV, ventured down the road and met some scary looking policemen with sticks. The day was fun though, we spent it on the roof sunbathing. reading and playing cards. Jo, another housemate of mine, had bought some henna paste the day before so she gave all the girls funky tattoos Indian style. We also have a guitar now bought by Tom and Sooz which provided the entertainment.
 | | Hogenakal waterfalls, Tamil Nadu |
This weekend we took advantage of there being no trouble in the city and arranged two trips. One on Saturday to the Hogenakal waterfalls in Tamil Nadu, a neighbouring state and one on Sunday听to the town of Mysore.
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For the waterfall trip we arranged a taxi for the seven of us who were going and started the journey. We thought it would only take three hours but it was more like four. On the way through one village we came across some kind of festival. There was a fairground there but also something very strange. There was some kind of procession through the town including men with metal poles through their cheeks with people on either side of them holidng the ends of the poles up. There were also men with hooks in their backs which were attached to things they seemed to be dragging, like coconuts and in one case a car. Nobody we have asked knows what this was about so we are still looking into it.
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The waterfalls themselves seem to be a big spot for Indian tourists. We had lunch in the village which was various Indian dishes served on a banana leaf and then took a look around. There were lots of streams connected to a bigger river. We walked around and saw some impressive waterfalls and then took a trip in round boats made of bamboo. Each boat had a man rowing with a big paddle. We took it in turns to stick our heads under small waterfalls which was really refreshing as it was a pretty hot day.
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Sunday was the trip to Mysore which was a three hour train ride away. We left Bangalore at 6.30 am and were pleased to find that the trains had beds on that we could sleep in. When we woke up we were in beautiful countryside surrounded by sugar plantations. About half an hour later we arrived in Mysore, the home of Sandlewood. The first thing we wanted to do was climb Chamundi Hill which is a well known pilgrimage.
 | | Maharaja's Palace by night |
On the top of the hill there is a temple and climbing it is said to give you听a 'karmic boost'. The climb consists of over 1000 steps which we just about managed. We were really tired out but proud that we'd done it. The climb back down was almost as difficult as our legs were so jelly like that they shook when we stood still.
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After that we were pretty hungry so decided to check out one of the places recommended in Mysore to eat in the Rough Guide. Turns out it was just westerners there for that exact reason. We got have some really nice North Indian food for the first time then decided to head out on a search for Sandlewood souvenirs.
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After being told about a market by a boy in the town we went looking for it and came across this guy who said he would take us there. We agreed and followed him as he told us about his job at a听healing centre, which is where we ended up! We met the doctor who gave us all a free massage demonstration on one arm and told us all about different oils. We also saw two women making incense sticks by rolling them in powder. They then get dried and oils are added. After a while we made our excuses and our new friend took six of us in his cousin's rickshaw to the Maharaja's palace.
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The palace is where the kings of Mysore lived and it is massive. We took a tour of the inside which was really interesting. One of the highlights were the paintings created with purely organic materials. There were scenes of armies on horseback that seemed to change the direction they were looking depending on where you were standing. On a Sunday the palace is illuminated with听97000 bulbs听which is an exciting thing to witness. When they all get turned on there is a big cheer from the waiting crowd and we just about had enough time to take some quick pictures before heading to the train station to go back to Bangalore.
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Despite being pretty achy and tired on Monday it was quite a big day for me at work as I got to do my first interview with Thai mega star Tata Young. Hopefuly it will be in the April issue of the magazine. Mixing with the stars! There will be more from Amy soon. | 
