Since I had an apartment with a kitchen and fridge, I went out shopping for food. I bought some nuts, fruit, muesli, and soya milk at a small supermarket.
At the apartment block, in the lift, I got talking to an Indian man who was travelling with his family. I told him about my experience getting a taxi back to the apartment last night. He asked which app I was using. After telling him, he said the Rapido app is much better where it was available in India.
I tested my lift person’s theory. I installed the Rapido app and booked a ride. While I was waiting I got talking to another person. I told him about Rapido. He said that the business models of Rapido and Uber were different. Uber took a commission for each ride. Rapido did not. Instead, drivers paid a fix amount to be listed on the Rapido platform. The drivers kept all the money they made for each ride. This, he said, made Rapido more attractive to drivers, especially if they had many rides.
Today, I was going to Bangalore Palace. It was a slow journey. There was lots of traffic, especially around the Palace where a temporary one-way system had been set up. The driver dropped me off at the car park. I still had to ask directions to get to the Palace itself.
The area was busy because an “Invest in Kanataka” expo was taking place. There were lots marquees hosting visitors from around the world.
The Palace itself looked good. I was given an “Indian” (discounted) ticket because I had an OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) card.
Some places in India have two prices: one for Indians, the other for foreigners. Sometimes this can be substantial in relative terms even though by western standards the higher price is still inexpensive. Occasionally, a place might have a third price for Indian tourists.
I got my OCI card just before I left. I’d had several attempted applications rejected for technical reasons. Eventually, my application was accepted and my card was sent from India. Having an OCI card meant it was easier to open an Indian bank account. This was a prerequisite for using UPI.
The Palace, built in 1878, was inspired by England’s Windsor Castle. Constructed by the Wodeyar dynasty, it originally served as a private residence for Chamaraja Wadiyar X.
The building had Tudor and Scottish Gothic influences, with wooden interiors, ornate carvings, and sprawling gardens. It’s still owned by the Wodeyar royal family but is partially open to the public.
Nowadays, it is a popular tourist attraction and hosts cultural events, concerts, and exhibitions.
You weren’t allowed to take photos inside the Palace. Normally, I’d ignore this but there were lots signs saying that you’d be fined. It would be difficult to plead ignorance!
After all the crowds and traffic around the Palace, I headed for Champaca Bookstore. I’d heard it was a peaceful place to read and have a coffee.
As I got close to the bookshop, I wondered if I was in the right area. It was residential. There were no shops around. The bookshop turned out to be on the first floor.
You could read your own book at the bookshop or read one of the books they were selling. Some people were on their laptops.
Every year, the bookshop publishes a reading challenge. Imaginatively, the list consists of themes rather than specific books. This year’s themes, one for each month, were:
- On walking
- In the form of a diary or journal
- On grief
- With flowers on the cover
- On protest or dissent
- That’s a translated mystery
- Published by Women Unlimited, Blaft, Navayana, or Daunt Books
- With a name of a person in the title
- Shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize
- About maths
- That is a debut novel
- About paintings or artists
Their website provides book suggestions for each theme. You can see past years’ themes there too.
I ordered a coffee and continued reading Klara and the Sun.
Around 6pm, the mozzies come out! The open windows invited them in. There was plenty of blood in the bookshop! After several mosquito bites, I applied my Tiger Balm and went for dinner!
The restaurant was called Native Table at Go Native. It was above the shop, which I assume was called Go Native. As I walked up the stairs, I saw a sign: “Made by people, not machines”. The shop was full of ornmaments, toys, clothes and other things that would make good presents.
The restaurant was quite busy. There were several groups of young professional women, who’d come straight from work.
The waiter showed me a seat outside but, after my mozzie experience, I sat inside. I ordered a kombucha drink. There were quite a few options for me. I opted for the tofu green curry and rice.
Halfway through my meal, the waitor, who spoke very good English, asked me if everything was all right. I replied the food was good. I added that in future, they may want to consider the ratio of the curry and rice. There needed to be more curry. He thought about this and asked if I’d like more green curry! Of course, I said “Yes!”
For the return trip, I ordered a Rapido. It came quickly, unlike yesterday, when I’d ordered from Uber. Perhaps the person was right about using Rapido instead of Uber.
