Bangalore

After getting off the train in the evening we caught a Tuk Tuk to our Home Stay. Being a Home Stay it was a home and Bryan could not find it, even though the directs were very explicit. After about 45 mins of him walking up and down with a friendly local who felt sorry for us, Jody decided to try and find it and followed the directions - and of course found the Home Stay without any trouble at all. The Homestay family were just lovely. Summathi and her family made us feel so welcome and showed us to our room. We had our own area on the first floor and a kitchen if we wanted to make anything for ourselves. There was another lodger in - a German lad named Robert but we didn’t see him that night. On the streets just out side of the Home Stay we bumped in to a street corner shop that sold the most amazing samosas an bahjis which Bryan bought and brought back to the Home Stay for us to eat while searching for our next destination. So Hampi by bus over night, so with that booked we headed out with Robert who was working in Bangalore and staying in the home stay whilst he found an apartment for himself. We all jumped in a tuk tuk to the Bull Temple & the Ganesh Temple as Bryan had the Ganesh Temple on his list of must see when in Bangalore. Just our luck though, the time we arrived, the Ganesh Temple was closed. Never mind it was pretty from the outside so we walked up the road to the Bull Temple. The bull inside was carved out of one huge piece of granite but to be honest - it wasn’t anything special. So we all decided to walk to Cubben Park which was very typically British. It had a big lake and it was nice to just chill out with an ice lolly. Robert then had to dash off as he had an apartment to view so we headed back to Summathi’s - after a little snooze! While walking though the street we came across a flower market which was not only a wash of colour the smell was invigorating. It seemed as if every type of flower was available and it looked amazing. As we said our homestay family were lovely and the day we left they all came out to see us off. Mrs Sumanjay regaled stories of how she liked English guests but didn’t like Americans and Indians. She found ways to put them all off as really didn’t want them staying. She said it all with a twinkle in her eye though and we were so glad to have had the opportuinity to stay with them. I think we will remember her for a long time Sumanjay Homestay Room rating: 3/10 - hard beds Location: 5/10 - A little way out of the centre Family: 10/10 - Welcoming and very friendly Value for Money: 8/10 - This city is expensive, and it included breakfast Other comments: Stay again? yes Overall area experience: 6/10 - nice city, more like a large English city