Mangalore, India
Staying at Poonja International Hotel.
I swear I’ll never take a local bus in India again. It was a long, painful, ride, stopping everywhere to pick up and drop up people. Seats were hard, and barely big enough for a child’s bottom. Roads were rough and winding; People were puking into bags and out the window in front and behind us. Drivers were speeding and stopping and swerving to avoid, or pass, other vehicles. So much for that plan of picking up where I left off with that sleep thing. The isle quickly filled up with people, and claustrophobia set in. I especially started to feel anxious after noticing the oil tanker ahead that we were tailgating. All I could do was open the window a crack, and stare off into the lush jungle covered hills around us. Luckily I wasn’t in Grant’s shoes, fighting off a stomach bug, doing everything he could to keep everything in.
Mangalore, however, was worth the trip. It was described in the LP guide book as basically just a place to refill on supplies before moving on. But they also mentioned that it was a place where people are quick to smile. That’s what sold me. It’s a university town, with dozens of campuses (many medical related), a large complex of temples, and some of India’s few modern shopping stores and malls. Women would stop and tell us about particular temples or deities, give us advice on which way to walk (always circumambulate a hindu temple in a clockwise direction), or send their children over just to say hello. Rickshaw drivers almost always, without discussion, used their meters. Touts were non existant. University boys were quick to welcome us to their university, and point us in the direction of the chapel we were trying to find. People really are quick to smile here.
From atop one of the hills, we looked back on the city and admired the landscape of trees and palms, and flower lined boulevards. From above, it looks like the buildings are all nestled into a lush forest. What a beautiful city, in so many ways.
Where I Stayed
Hotel Poonja International – K S Rao Road, Mangalore, India
