Ebifulumiziddwa: 21.01.2017
Don Curry always strives to make good use of his time. Waste of time is abhorrent to him. That's why he doesn't like waiting in waiting rooms, for public transportation, or in long lines at ATMs or the Taj Mahal. But in his struggle for self-determination, sometimes time wins and forces him to humbly pause.
Today's day demanded a lot of that. The alarm clock rang at 4:15 am, there was still a shortage of hot water in the shower, as the corresponding water heaters would only activate during the usual shower times. Instead of breakfast, the hotel provided large cardboard boxes with small contents: double sandwich, mini croissant, and tangerine. Don Curry only took the sandwiches and devoured them in the bus after departure at 5:15 am.
After 40 minutes of driving, Delhi airport was already reached. After checking in, there was a very friendly security check and at 7:55 am a flight of the Indian budget airline SpiceJet departed for Bangalore. In the plane, Don Curry treated himself to a Masala tea and got a big cookie as well - a small consolation in the midst of being cramped due to extremely narrow rows of seats.
Three and a half hours later, Bangalore was reached, and now the bus ride to Mysore began, where the visit to the Maharaja Palace was on the agenda. But instead of the announced 3 hours of travel time, it stretched to 4 1/2 hours, far too late for the palace. Don Curry and the group had been on the road for over 12 hours without reaching any destination. Not only Don Curry was grumbling.
The guide finally suggested swapping the program items: the palace will be visited tomorrow morning, and the scheduled visit to the flower market will take place this evening. The group reluctantly agreed: what would still be visible at the market in the evening?
But the residents of Mysore seem to prefer to shop in the evening: the guide led us right into an exotic and colorful hustle and bustle. In addition to the usual fruit and vegetable stands, the many small shops delighted, where fresh flowers were skillfully combined into artistic garlands - daily decoration for the home altar and therefore absolutely necessary. Don Curry and many other photographers reveled in fantastic motifs...
In the end, everyone agreed: just because of this authentic Indian experience, the 12 torturous hours of travel were worth it. A typically rich dinner buffet at the hotel finally dispelled the last internal grumblings, and Don Curry realized: sometimes a long wait can definitely pay off...