Mysore To Trivandrum Bus adventure 24th December 2011

Arrive at the bus station at the crack of dawn. Next Bus 19h.Ayee. 2 buses possible. Go for bus to Calicut 120 rupees. It’s a fast bus. 6 hours later we arrive! On the bus, feel like i'm on one of those funfair rides you pay 5 euros to be scared out of your wits for 5 minutes. Only this journey is much cheaper and much longer! The bus drivers seems to be blind to the fast oncoming  buses as he overtakes and beeps the horn- they drive head on(footloose style) until the very last minutes, when someone , usually the smaller party gives way to the other vehicle.

I have a comfortable seat beside 2 indian ladies.Oh the road to Calicut. 200km. Later on, there are 5 of us in this seat for three. The people look beautiful. Happy. At the bus stop, the bus driver, very macho?  indicates where I can eat.I'm thrown up a spicy sardine with a chapatti. I attempt to eat it but its so bloody hot, I can’t- the indians watch me and laugh. I try to save the chapatti from the red curry so that I can eat it later with some melted chocolate! Chapati and chocolate. The road is long and winding. Monkeys watch the passing trucks. We come to a stop every 5 minutes, engine off – due to traffic jams on the hairpin bends. The bus almost goes over the cliff- every corner anxious , curious heads pop their head out the window. Later on, a young Christian couple with 2 children are beside me. They celebrate christmas and midnight mass. I am surprised. Apparently there’s a very high number of Christians in Kerala. Later on in the night I see beautiful stars(the ornamental kind) everywhere. The bus breaks down so looks like im going to be on this bus for Christmas eve. Baked banana and mango juice for dinner.