Bengaluru

😭😭😭😭😭😭 I did not sleep a wink. The entire carriage was full of fog horn snorers. Even Will decided to join in!! I felt like I'd been in a car crash when we arrived in Bangalore but I was determined to get on with it.

We arrived at the station at 6.15am - still dark. We had no idea of what our plan was. Do we stay in Bangalore or do we make a move to the mountains in the south for a short stay. We stumbled off train and sat down with Anna and Mattay to gather our thoughts and drink chai while the cleaners cleaned up around us and constantly asked us to move. Eventually we came up with a plan. We were going to spend the day in Bangalore and get the night bus, our first night bus in India, to Kodaikanal which is in the Western Ghats. We also decided to make the most of being in Bangalore and set up a public hangout on Couch Surfing in hope of meeting a local and we soon organised a late lunch with a local family man.

We had a morning to kill before meeting up with Mohsin so the four of us started walking across the city towards Cubbon Park, we didn't make it very far when Anna was feeling very very ill. I think she had what I had 😔 So we made it to Freedom Park and chilled out with them till about 1pm, when myself and Will decided to begin walking to MG Road to meet Mohsin.

Along the way Will got talking to a nut job. Will was initially oblivious to his crazyness until he said he was 90 years old and looked 60 because he had never taken public transport in his life, he was British and that his name was Einstein Hyde and descended from the Hydes that made Hyde Park. Will finally realised he was crazy. Oh Will! After departing from the company of Einstein Hyde we saw the High Courts which was hidden within Cubbon Park. I wish Anna had been well enough to walk a tiny bit further as chilling in Cubbon Park would have been much nicer for her!

Eventually we got to MG Road which is quite a hipster area. Mohsin told us that a Bangalore resident went to erurope and loved the European feel and decided to design the MG Road area in the same feel and style. Mohsin took us for lunch and we ate Paratha, kerela style chicken and Chicken Virnela. It was super tasty!! We all instantly got along and it was like we had known each other for years. After lunch we wandered around the area for a while and then headed for some local Indian sweets and then a coffee. Let's just say I was absolutely stuffed and on quite a low from the sugar, coffee and no sleep. Its incredible how much common ground you can find with absolute strangers. We must have been talking for hours. Eventually Mohsin had to leave to pick up his daughter and as Bangalore is so famous for its brewing we decided to go to Arbor where we ordered a taster tray of all the ales on tap. The original plan was to then go to MTR which is now a famous chain of Indian restaurants with the original one in Bangalore but we enjoyed Arbor so much that we just stayed and ordered surf and turf nachos! Heaven!!

Finally it was time to jump into a taxi and catch our night bus. We had to wait around a lot and change buses, but eventually we were on the bus and it was surprisingly comfy, roomy, with bedding and even had a TV! Luxury.

At about 2am I was dying for a wee. Unfortunately Will had taken a sleeping tablet, we were on the upper berth and I was on the window side so let's just say getting out of the bed was nearly impossible. Eventually I got down and headed towards the driver to ask him to stop. Just as I opened the cabin door his out on his break and I went flying into the door. I smashed my head, my left side and cut my toe open. After going to the toilet I had quite a big cry and passed out from the pain I think. Next thing I new it was morning...Read more