It probably wasn't a good idea to visit Chamundi Hill (1062meters) on Sundays if one desires a moment of silence. When I reach the summit, it was absolutely packed with pilgrims (they were visiting the Sri Chamundeswari Temple), stall owners and silly tourists (like me). The temple was believed to be built in the 12th century and is for the Goddess Chamundi who is believed to be the incarnation of Paravati (the consort of Lord Shiva and mother of Lord Ganesh). I guess the prayers that I made before the temple won't come true because I dropped the idea of entering the temple when there were at least 50 people in front of me in the queue.

Did the usual touristy stuff; visited the sights and took pictures. After asking a child (he conveyed directions by pointing the way and saying Nandi, Nandi) on the descend route, I started trekking via the 1000 steps "with" some teenagers (they tried to get my attention by shouting "Where are you from?" and "Konichiwas"). About 1/3 of the way down, I stopped and admired the 5m-high Nandi (Lord Shiva's bull vehicle) that was craved out from solid rock in the 17th century. There were no major highlights thereafter and my Mysore trip was effectively over when I reached the foot of the hill. Began the 3-hour bus journey back to Bangalore (Rs72 or S$2.78) and it took me to the MCTC bus stand that was located in the city outskirts. As a result, I had to take an expensive (Rs220 or S$8.46) auto back to my apartment (damn, think that the meter was rigged).

It's amazing how India changes once I shed my corporate skins for the colours of a backpacker! It may sound lame; the humble Veg Thalis tasted better, street lightings were brighter, people were friendlier and even the (good old) Kingfisher was colder. Everything simply became more vibrant.

It was good to remove this heavy load of mine (at least momentarily). But short-term relief is not my short-term goal. Argentina is very much in my radar and its probably keeping me alive just yet.