**I'm making our trip to Mysore a two part series because there is so much to say and show to you. For this post, I'll concentrate on the drive to Mysore and the stops we made along the way. 
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Our Saturday began early and without power. Without power there is no way to heat our water, so I took a crisp shower before getting ready in the dark. (Yes, there was some grumbling!) We hired the same cab/driver we have been using since arriving in Bangalore, as he's about our age, a good driver (sometimes a little too speedy!), and we took a liking to him. He doesn't speak much English, but he can speak Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada among others, so I can only communicate with him through my friend as interpreter.
The Travel
The drive to Mysore is about 3 hours. Because we stopped for breakfast and saw sights along the way, the trip instead took 6! On our way out of our development, I saw a young man kick a dog. So for the first few minutes I sat seething in my seat. A little further down the road, there was a man dressed as a woman in complete sari and jewelry and everyone at the stop signal was giving him money. Even our driver did the same. The man wasn't begging but more like expecting to be handed the money. So I asked our driver, "why did you give him money"? And our driver's response was that if he didn't, the person would cast a curse on him, therefore most people give money to be safe rather than sorry. I then asked, did you know that was a man? And he answered, "it's neither one or the other". With those broad shoulders, square jaw, and muscular arms, I'd say he was definitely all man. But hey, what do I know?
The rest of the trip went off without a hitch. I really enjoyed having my eyes glued to the window and trying my best to take everything in although there is NO possible way you can take in everything here in India. There is just too much going on and most of it we as foreigners cannot understand. It's true though, you can never possibly get bored looking out a car window in India. Whether it's a family of four on a scooter, bullock carts passing by, men peeing on the side of the road, passengers hanging on for their dear lives outside and on top of speeding trucks; there is always something to see that you may have never seen before. Seriously, I didn't even want to take my eyes off the road for two seconds in fear I may miss something new, especially since this was my first time seeing the countryside.
Sites Along the Way
We stopped about an hour into our trip to have breakfast. It seemed to be a very popular roadside stop by how busy the place was. We decided on the buffet and had a truly delicious breakfast for only Rs.80 ($1.50) -all while watching monkey's goof around!
Our breakfast buffet spot.
The monkeys were literally four feet in front of us as we ate!
Ranganathaswamy Temple
A couple hours later we came to our first sightseeing spot as suggested by our driver: Ranganathaswamy Temple. This became my first experience being bombarded by street peddlers. As soon as I exited the car they were there shoving things in my face. One guy even pleaded with me to get on his horse and let him take me the 100 steps to the temple. When you say "no, thank you" to an item a peddler is shoving towards you, he simply exchanges the item for another he his holding and you suddenly find yourself being followed saying "no, thank you, no, thank you," over and over again.
Along with the peddlers are the beggars. On our way back to the car, a small, very dirty girl came running up to me with a blanket wrapped around her and her hand outstretched yelling "madam! madam! madam!" continuously. She followed me until I reached into my purse and handed her a few coins. It's such a hard sight to see. And although I feel incredibly sorry for the beggars, especially the children, I soon discovered it is them plus the peddlers that make sightseeing a mentally and emotionally exhausting experience!
Ranganathaswamy Temple
Colonel Bailey's Dungeon
Very near to the temple is Colonel Bailey's Dungeon. We exited the car, tried our best to avoid the peddlers, and once making it into the dungeon, an older man jumps up and immediately starts giving us a tour in broken English. He follows us around explaining this and that (all the while not knowing how much of it is true or not!) and at the end of this "tour" he asks for payment. Of course we didn't request him to give us such a tour but, what can you do? We handed him money and walked away. I was told this is a usual occurrence at such tourist spots. A local will hang out and give "tours" for money - without of course, asking whether you even wanted one or not! My friend always says to such things: "this is how a billion people survive in India".
Colonel Bailey's Dungeon
Gumbaz
Next up was Gumbaz, the mausoleum of Tipu Sultan and his mother and father. Again we were given a "tour". Also, here we had to take our shoes off and pay for them to be kept while we roamed around.
Gumbaz
The Sangam River
Our last attraction before getting to Mysore was the Sangam River, where two rivers meet and is considered to be a holy spot. We were feeling thirsty, so we ordered what has become one of my favorite drinks here, freshly squeezed cane juice. They serve it to you in glass or plastic cups. You stand and drink, and return the cup.
Sangam River
Sweet cane juice squeezed right before your eyes!
Because we didn't know the places our driver would take us, (I actually didn't even know we were making stops along the way - surprise!) we didn't have the chance to first learn about their history. I made it a project for myself that as soon as there is time, to read up on everything we saw on the trip. If you are also looking for more information, the links I included should lead to some, the rest is up to you!
We got to Mysore tired and a little overwhelmed but once rested and refreshed, headed out to take in even more sights. Those will come later! If you are traveling to Mysore, I highly recommend you make a stop at these places plus more. Here's a map that should help:
