India Weekend #2

[ksz]

I managed to take an early 4th of July holiday and make it a 3-day weekend. I wanted to see the countryside and visit nearby cities. So we drove from Chennai to Coorg, a distance of about 600 km. After spending most of Saturday in Coorg, it was on to Mysore followed by a brief stop in Bangalore before the return to Chennai.

It was quite an experience. This part of the country is greener and lusher than I expected. Coorg is known as the "Scotland of India" with flowing hills and overcast skies. Temperatures year round are mild, but the rainy season is long, easily 6 months in duration. Unfortunately, this is the rainy (monsoon) season. The sun peeked from time to time, but I was dodging rain showers most of the time. Coorg is famous for its coffee and tea plantations.

Next up was Mysore with three main attractions: Maharaja's Palace, St. Philomena's Church (the "Notre Dame" of India), and Chamundi Hills with a large Hindu temple. There are more than 10,000 light bulbs all over the facade of the Maharaja's Palace, but they are only lit on Sunday. Wish I had been there Sunday night to photograph the lights...

A word about the highways: Although you see some nice pictures of the highways, don't let it fool you into thinking that all is calm and controlled on these roads! Instead, you have to be eternally vigilant. Traffic will suddenly come at you (yes, Wrong Way traffic is everywhere); pedestrians and animals will cross the highway at any moment; motorcycles, rickshaws, scooters, and cars will enter the highway from every direction without looking for oncoming traffic; etc! It's a real safety nightmare and it took my driver 12 hours to cover 600 km.

Gallery.

As before, all pictures taken with a Nikon D200 and the Nikkor 18-200 f/3.5-5.6 VR lens.

On to the pictures...

Highway between Chennai and Bangalore

The Forum shopping mall in Bangalore and a quick McDonald's chicken sandwich, fries, and coke (I luv Indian food, but this was for the fun of it)

Orange County in India?? A wonderful resort in Coorg.

Dining hall

Coffee House serving coffee grown on the famous Coorg Coffee plantations

The most relaxing place I have been to for sitting down and enjoying a cup of coffee

Buddhist influences. Must visit the nearby Tibetan village on a follow-up trip

Plaza outside the Maharaja Palace in Mysore

But first, we go to another palace that is now a 5-star hotel

 

[ksz]

Dining hall

British influences

St. Philomena's Church

Typical Gothic architecture with Flying Buttresses necessary to prevent the tall and narrow structure from collapsing outward

Entrance to Maharaja's Palace

Maharaja's Palace

Wrap it all up with Pizza in a Cone

 

[Pistol Pete]

wow great pics man, keep them coming.

 

[ksz]

Self portrait??

Another look at McDonald's.

This "painting" is pieced together from several types of wood, each of a different color. This is more of a finely crafted jigsaw puzzle than a painting. In fact, I believe no paints or dyes were used. The colors are the natural colors of various woods. White comes from plastic.

Under construction.

Demonstration in progress. The artist or craftsman is demonstrating the carving process on a small piece of wood. I would look grungy too if I worked in a carpentry shop all day.

In less than 5 minutes he carved out my initial "K".

 

[ksz]

Shopping at a silk shop. Mysore is known for its silk plantations.

Packed and ready.

Arts and Crafts.

 

[Abstract]

Fantastic. Your photos tell a story so clear, I may not even have to go there anymore!

Joking. I really want to go there more than ever.

 

[Grimace]

Really random:

I'm curious why you used ISO 320 in the first shot with the animals. Was the light not bright enough for ISO 100-200?

 

[ksz]

Thanks Abstract. There is a fair bit of poverty and strife, but also a lot of charm. It has been my aim to show more of the charm and less of the strife. I am really enjoying my 3-week stay which ends this coming Saturday, and I already look forward to a return trip and the chance to visit the northern parts.

carletonmusic: I was shooting from a moving car and set the ISO to 320 for higher shutter speeds; also, VR was set to Active, which is designed for taking pictures from a moving vehicle. The photo of the bull-drawn plow was taken quickly after I told my driver to stop the car, and the ISO stayed at 320. This setting is actually fine because the lens merely stopped down to f/10, which yields a better optical response anyway.

Finally, if I had been lucky enough to see the Maharaja's Palace on a Sunday night, it would have looked something like this (photo courtesy of a postcard):

 

[yellow]

Kick ass.. thanks for the pictures of Orange County resorts. That place looks great! My wife and I are planning a trip to India in a few years and will definitely be stopping in there.

 

[emw]

Very nice pictures. I've been to Chennai twice now, and am returning next week, but only for 6 days. I travel on business, so have had only very little time for sightseeing - we went one day my last trip to visit some temples south of Chennai.

I've never even brought my camera, but this time I will, if only to get some good pictures around town of the architecture and such. My family would enjoy seeing that.

I'm jealous that you've seen so much of the "real" India outside the big cities.

 

[ksz]

emw: I'm here on business too; that doesn't stop me from exploring. You visited temples south of Chennai? Was it Mahabalipuram?

yellow: Orange County Resort is a wonderful place. Be sure to allow at least 3 days to take in some of the many excursions offered by the resort. Here's a campus map.

 

[emw]

emw: I'm here on business too; that doesn't stop me from exploring. You visited temples south of Chennai? Was it Mahabalipuram?

Indeed it was - nice pictures of that place too.

I wish I had more time for excursions, but with 2.75 kids at home with the wife, plus 2 dogs, I try not to extend my trips more than I have to.

At least going business means I get to fly business class.

Are you still in Chennai now? And when you fly, which direction do you go - east, or west?

 

[ksz]

Indeed it was - nice pictures of that place too.

I wish I had more time for excursions, but with 2.75 kids at home with the wife, plus 2 dogs, I try not to extend my trips more than I have to.

I understand. The 2.75 kids really make things difficult!!

At least going business means I get to fly business class.

No such luck right now with my company, although we're Fortune 500. But being a Premier 1K member allows me to get Business Class upgrades quite regularly.

Are you still in Chennai now? And when you fly, which direction do you go - east, or west?

Yes, still in Chennai until Saturday. I took United to Frankfurt and Lufthansa to Chennai. This is more convenient than the westerly routes through Hong Kong and Singapore. There is only a 2-3 hour layover in Frankfurt.

 

[emw]

Yes, still in Chennai until Saturday. I took United to Frankfurt and Lufthansa to Chennai. This is more convenient than the westerly routes through Hong Kong and Singapore. There is only a 2-3 hour layover in Frankfurt.

Guess we'll pass in the air - I arrive Saturday night via the same route you take over. Actually, we may well be in Frankfort at the same time - I arrive there at about 10am.

 

[ksz]

Ha, please keep the Business Class section nice and clean...I will be taking that same airplane back to Frankfurt after it drops you off in Chennai.

 

[emw]

I'll leave a present for you in 4C

 

[ksz]

LOL! Maybe I will refuse that upgrade and comingle with all the little people in Economy.

 

[DJMastaWes]

What an amazing country. The colors and everything are just so nice. I hope when I'm older I can vistit for a few months. I find it hilarious that you went to a Mcdonalds in india!

 

[m-dogg]

I can't see the pics for some reason, but I'm at work and it's probably just due to the tightly controlled IE I'm forced to use here. I'm going to check out ksz's threads on this from home tonight and hopefully I'll be able to view the images then.

Two years ago I almost went to India for the traditional Indian wedding of a college friend who grew up in (and then after college returned to) India. Unfortunately the condo we bought earlier that year proved to be a bigger financial & vacation time hurdle than we anticipated and were not able to go. I'm longing to go someday though...

 

[cookie1105]

Hey ksz, great pics. makes me want to go and visit India even more.

Keep them coming, but next time time could you please resize for those of us that are on a 12" screen in economy class . 800x600 should be fine. Cheers.

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

Great pics in deed. Nicely done. Can't wait for more.

 

[mikeyredk]

A word about the highways: Although you see some nice pictures of the highways, don't let it fool you into thinking that all is calm and controlled on these roads! Instead, you have to be eternally vigilant. Traffic will suddenly come at you (yes, Wrong Way traffic is everywhere); pedestrians and animals will cross the highway at any moment; motorcycles, rickshaws, scooters, and cars will enter the highway from every direction without looking for oncoming traffic; etc! It's a real safety nightmare and it took my driver 12 hours to cover 600 km.

That highway was probably completed last month. You got a really slow driver it should have taken you 6-7 hours depending if you stopped and if you traveled during the day… also thats how people are over there everyone uses the roads. Make sure you keep track how much money you give him cause he will try to rip you off and rip off his boss.

 

[ksz]

Thanks everyone!

DJMastaWes: Mickey D's was the last thing on my mind, but when I saw that sign I just had a Big Mac Attack. Alas they had no Big Mac so I settled for a chicken sandwich.

cookie1105: Ok, I will try to be more considerate of the needs of Economy Class passengers!

mikeyredk: I have a fairly aggressive driver, but he's from a very reputable company. He is cautious but aggressive nonetheless. It still took 12 hours to cover 600 km. The road from Mysore to Coorg is fraught with speed bumps, villages, people, animals, tractors, rocks, and cracks. A lot of road construction is taking place so the situation will improve.