Mysore markets!

On the way home from our beautiful time in Coorg, we stopped in Mysore which is a small city known for its colorful powders, beautiful silks, and Indian sweet called Pak (a butter ball dipped in sugar, it's deadly). Here they all are, plus a cow on the sidewalk thrown in for kicks.  

Sidewalk of Mysore's Madison Ave. 

The powders used for everything from festivals to paint, the colors are magnificent. 

Trying on the silk, we bought my very first saree here at this shop (its not one of these but you get the idea of how beautiful they are). I can't wait to wear it!
      

Here we are at a crazy sweet shop (sweets are little delicacies unique to India essentially if you like sugar, butter and milk you'll like these), you can't see the bees in this video but this place was the queen of all honeycombs. 

The real market. Flowers anyone?

   

Here comes the monsoon!

Coorg! Coffee country

Welcome to the southern region of Coorg, located in the state of Karnataka. It is a beautiful hillside country dotted with coffee plantations. We spent a few days here between term breaks and I believe all we did is sleep, eat Pork (Coorgi Pork is a rare specialty that you can only find here, most of India does not eat pork), and drink coffee and homemade passion fruit wine. It was perfect!



Here I am at the ranch, feeling way too at home.


Tom and our hostess, Preethi, touring the plantation. Tom looking at the watermelon sized jackfruit hanging from the trees - a favorite with the elephants, and Tom!


Admiring the arabica coffee beans, a match made in heaven.