I once traveled to Mysore before being assigned there, and while it's a relatively major tourist destination in South India, getting around the town by train can be quite difficult, and I wasn't able to see all the details, so I was able to enjoy it even on my second visit.
First, I went to Shivanasamudra, a waterfall, and Barachukki, another waterfall, from Bangalore. The river splits into two, and each part forms a waterfall, which is quite impressive and enjoyable to watch. It's currently the rainy season, so the amount of water seems abundant, but it seems that it would be quite desolate during the dry season.
After visiting those two places, the next destination was the Sri Chennakesava Temple located east of Mysore.
This temple is small, but its distinguishing feature is that many of the stone statues around the temple are well-preserved. It seems that not many wall paintings remain. (You can enjoy more wall paintings at Lepaksi, which is located north of Bangalore.)
After that, we had a meal and then went to the Mysore Palace. Photography is not allowed inside, but it is so magnificent that you can enjoy it even if you visit it for the second time.
And then to the Mysore Zoo. This is my second time here, but unfortunately, the white tiger I saw last time was not outside this time.
This time, I used a mirrorless camera with a telephoto lens that I brought for the zoo, and I was able to take pictures that met my expectations, so I am satisfied. However, compared to professional photos and images, mine still look inferior. So, I thought that perhaps it would be better to travel light and just bring a 35mm prime lens instead of this lens, as the results I can achieve with this lens are only this good.
After that, I went to a park called Brindavan, which is located next to a dam north of Mysore, and watched the light and music show, then returned to the hotel.
That day, I stayed at the same hotel as last time, the Fortune JP Palace. It cost about 6,800 yen including tax, which is affordable, and the rooms are luxurious, offering great value for the price. However, as expected with an Indian restaurant, the food was disappointing. I should have just gone to the Chinese restaurant on the ground floor instead of ordering fish at the rooftop restaurant.
On the second day, I went to Chamundi Hill, which is located south of Mysore. It's a high hill with a temple.
While I was standing on the side of the road on the way home, looking at the town of Mysore, a child came up to me and asked me to take a picture. I took a picture and gave them a small tip (10 rupees x 2 people).
After that, I saw a large Nandi statue at a temple at the foot of the hill, and it was quite huge and magnificent.
And, because it was slightly earlier than lunchtime, I added a visit to a place called WAX MUSEUM on the way, and then went to St. Philomena Church. It was surprisingly large, and the mass being held inside had music that was full of Indian vibes. It wasn't so much solemn as a bit noisy. Hmm.
And after eating lunch, we were going to go to the bird sanctuary, but the river water had increased, and there were no boats, so we had to cancel.
Hmm. Maybe next time.
Instead, we went to see some ruins near Srirangapatna, north of Mysore, and then returned to Bangalore.
There are many vendors on the roads,
and some will sell things at the same price to foreigners, while others will try to charge more than 5 times the price. You can buy a small stone statue of Nandi for 100 rupees, but some people will try to sell it for 850 rupees. Although South India is generally more peaceful than North India, there are still people like this in tourist areas.
This time, I found many small paintings in various places, and since I was in a car, I didn't have to worry about luggage, so I bought a total of 4. Two cost 300 rupees each, and two cost 400 rupees each. The quality is decent for the price. They are not particularly good, but they are sufficient as small souvenirs.
