Mysore and Orange County and Nearly Nephalents

Hi there - partners in crime Jock and Zeke here. (Crime?) 's a manner of speaking eejit, we're honest really. (Ah, that's alright then. I didn't want to have to hide you from the Indian Police.) Na, don't worry. Anyway we piled into the car and went to noisy, noisy, Mysore.  A pleasant enough is slightly scary journey. We occasionally did have to clap our paws over our eyes, but Mr Shijo our driver is very careful.

We got all tocited when we got to our hotel.  Here were some nephalents and near our room too.  First we got to ride a great big nephie, but that was quite high up so then we found Jock and Zeke sized ones and they were really cool, 'cos we didn't worry about falling off.

After our ride on the nephies we went out for the day. First we went to a temple, but we just looked at it from the safety of the car 'cos there were naughty monkeys and Alan and Ann were worried that we would get bear napped and never be seen again. So we waited until we came down the hill a bit and foot our photie taken in front of the city.  Then we had to rush back to the hotel

Remember my bad joke about Mysore?  Well, Alan was sore and we had to leave him in the hotel for rest of the day while we went out with Ann. We saw a special palace, and Ann bought some silk. Then we had lunch in a nice restaurant with our lovely lady guide.  After going round a (yawn) art gallery we headed back to the hotel where Alan was finally feeling ok, and he has been ever since. 

Next morning before we left for our next place, we decided that it was important that we have another practice riding on nephalents, 'cos you never know when it's going to be necessary to bring all our experience into play. So, we had a go on another matched pair.

Then we spied a friendly tigger and got our photie taken with him.  I think he has a nice smile, what about you?

He was such a friendly tigger (tiger, bear, tiger) tigger, tiger, who cares, he let us ride on his back.  He was just the right size for both of us!

Well, next day all was well and we went to a lovely place called Orange County in a lovely place called Coorg.  First things first. After we were shown to our cottage we saw a lovely plate of sweeties and all for us! There was a bit of scrapping over who ate what, but all in all we enjoyed our choccies.

Now for a tour of our ickle back yard. Do you like the lily pond and the bear sized pool. Apparently it was an definitiy pool. (Infinity.) Well it definitely had a good view so my name's best.  We could sit in the shade and watch the birds in the coffee and pepper plantation.  It was all great fun and the birds were beautiful.

When we got fed up with our lickle pool there were two other big pools.  This is the one by the restaurant, where his nibs was able to write episode 1.

Alan says it was the bestest hotel he's EVER stayed in with lovely people to help, excellent food and lots of things to-day. We will defertootly be going back. Alan and Ann met a lovely man called Ganesh and another called Murti.  Ganesh organised events like a walk in the plantation and a bird-watching walk both of which were led by Murti who knew all the birds and told us all about coffee.  By the way have you ever smelt coffee flowers. Can you guess what the smell like? No? I'll tell you at the end.

One day we went back to the room to find that the housekeeping staff and left some lovely peacocks made from towels and flowers.

In the evening there are cultural events, and on the first day we went there were a group of men who were singing and playing cymbal things while dancing and then making tumin pyramids. Colourful weren't we.

On the last day (boo-hoo) we went back to find that we had a monkey to play with. Again the lovely housekeeping staff made him.  Isn't he fun.

Well that's about it for this time, but I aspose you want to know what coffee smells like?  First this is what it looks like.

It smells like Jasmine only much nicer. Really heady. So now you know.
Till next time.
Hugs,

Hot and sticky Jock and Zeke.

Hooray, we are in Injar

Yawn, yawn, "Is it ever going to happen?" I asked Zeke.  A little beady eye opened, "Nope, I cain't say that I think it will Jock.  I jess think they're pulling our legs." "I think you're right, but I tell you what my littler friend, I'm not taking my eye off these cases for ANYTHING."

And then then suddenly we were on a tuge, TUGE, big nairyplane up in the sky. 

Here we are a reading of the me and you.  You see which ever side of it we sat it was that page is for me and that page is for you, 'cos the one that got "you" hadn't a clue 'cos it was written in funny squiggles (Arabic bear. arabic). Whatever, we couldn't make head or tail of it even trying to read it right to left!  Well, that would have been the correct way to read it, but I doubt if you'd have made sense of it anyway.

Well, maybe not, but once we'd got ourselves outside that wine, it all seemed so much easier to read.

We arrived in Bangalore in time to get to our hotel so that the tired out humans could get a zizz. Silly peeps - Zeke and I were ready to rock and roll. (I'm not surprised after the consumption of that wine. Not so much knockout drops, as knockout glugs!)

Here we are on our balcony, watiently paiting for the staff to get their act together, 'cos it was overdue time for a snackeral. 

So we sat down and I thought we'd have to eat that pretty flower, but then some ickle crips and spicy peanuts arrived.  Well, they were nice, but I thought, "Is that it then?  The famous Injun cuisine?"  (Bear,  I have told you it's India and Indian.) Oh, have I been getting it wrong? Yep. WHATEVER.  (No, sorry you have to get it right!) Oh, alright then Mr TEECHUR. 

Then, just as we wus despairing, in comes a couple of delicious plates of tandoori delicacies. We left the boring veggies to the humans and tucked into the koftas and the chicken.  Yum, though here was a bit of a scrap over that third kofta. His nibs had to get involved. He solved the debate, 'cos HE ATE IT. Can you imagine!?

After we'd had our fill a nice man called Joe came and took us to a big garding called the Lalbagh, and we got to ride on a heffalent.

Then, this morning we found another one in the hotel and we got to ride it too.  This was just before we left to travel to Mysore - No I'm not, nor is Zeke!  Ha, ha, ha - get it M y sore?  (Don't give up the day job.)

Well we travelled a lot and saw birds and things and paintings of heffalents, but none to ride on, so when we got to Mysore we had to have a little something (As you do.). Indeed we do. So this was some Mango Lassie (Lassi) Well, you know what I mean, a mango yoghurt thingy and some mango cheesecake. Yummy.






Termorrer we're off in search of more heffalents. We'll be back soon.

Hugs,

Jock and Zeke

NEARLY, NEARLY NEARLY time to be going

Hi,  I bet you've missed us - Zeke and me I mean.

Well, things are getting very tociting in our hug at the monument. Piles of clothes every which way and camera bags and shoes and suitcases - cor flip when will we be going?  (next weekend my little friend).  WHAT? A whole week! S'not fair we say.  (Be patient it will be worth it.) Better be, is all I can say.

We've been waiting absolutely AGES to go.  Good grief it was all booked last August. Since the beginning of the year it's been a slow build up.  First four, yep that's right, four trips to Manchester to get the visas sorted, then the tickets arrived, then the clothes and stuff started to come out, and so, when the suitcases came down from the loft, Zeke and I decided to make sure we weren't forgotten, so here we are sitting patiently (that'll be a first!), yes, patiently waiting on top of the biggest suitcase just to make sure.

You can see all the chassis behind us and there's no fear we'll be going over there - a bear or even two bears could get buried in all that stuff. Anyway, we're good and ready, all we need is for our humins to get their act together.  (Sorry bear, we have another week of work and I'll be in London. I'm leaving you behind just so there's no confusion when next weekend comes.) Tohind, TOHIND, well it's only boring London, so I' rather make sure I get to Injar, so that's alright then.

Keep a lookout and maybe we'll get to feature while we're still away.  He says it's all to do with broadband access, whatever that means, something technicalical and I 'spect he'll be too busy looking at his photies and seeing things to write about us, but you never know.

Hugs until we write from foreign parts.

Jock

Happy New year, and that sort of thing

Hello all, sorry I've been away - his fault you know (All true. I admit it.) Coo, that's a first.

A bit of pre-history is needed.  I need to tell you about Chrifniss 'n stuff. We went up to Glasgow for the holiday and we had a great time.

Chrifniss Day (Christmas bear!) Stop interferating, it's Chrifness to me. (Ah, ok). Ahem, Chrifniss Day was special.  I had a great big secrut, secrit secret to keep from Ann. Can you see me in the background sitting on a box?  I think I nearly gave the game away, by jumping up and down and shouting, "Open this one Ann, open this one first! Ann, Ann, ANNNNN!"

Well, eventually she noticed, and she saw that the box had a straw sticking out the side.  I said, "Can you guess what's inside?" And she said, "I wonder? It's all a bit of a myskery, but maybe you can help me to open the box." So, of course, I did and out popped a bear! I knew that's what was inside, but it was a secret between Alan and me.  The straw was a breathing tube for when he was all shut up inside the box.  

Please welcome Zeke to our hug, here we are sitting on Alan's pressie from Katy.   

Zeke came all the way from Ginger Brame and Sebastian, and he's come to go travelling with me! Alan says it's only when Ann's going, and he'll probably go with her when she travels on her own. That will be nice for her, but not so much for me I think, as he'll be away and I'll be home.  (Sometimes the boot will be on the other foot. He'll be at home and you'll travel.) Oh, really.  If a boot's involved, does that mean Wilbur will be there too?  (No sorry, that's just a turn of phrase. Wilbur lives in Australia and won't be joining us.) Ah, that's a shame.

Well, after the 'citement of the morning it soon came to be dinner time and we all had a great meal.

Zeke and I tucked in to the parma ham and pomegranate and salad, and then our main course of sitka deer, though the photographer fell down on that one. You can't get the staff, can you? (Mm, sorry.)  I should jolly well think so too!

Pudding came and Zeke and I thought it looked nice, but..

Bears need more than an ickle bowl of Chrifniss pud, don't they? So we got fell in.

 When we'd polished that off we were a tad full, but it is amazing what a bear can tuck away - after all look at those grizzlies and the salmon.

 Next we came across another interesting thing.  Zeke saw all that whiteness and said, "Say, Jock, is that snow?"

Titter, tee hee, "No it's much better than that, IT'S MUCH BETTER THAN SNOW. IT"S CHRIFNISS CAKE! HOORAY"

 After all that 'citement we only got an ickle piece, but it was yummy. (After what you did to the Christmas pudding, there's no way I was going to allow you two free rein with the cake.) Spoilsport, but I aspose there wouldn't have been any to keep us going into the New Year.

After dinner Alan, Ann and Katy did the clearing up. But it was all too much for Nancy - Katy's Gran.

 A little while later we saw to it that it became all too much for us too.  Alan opened some Calvados.  I said "What's that made from?" and he said "Apples." So Zeke and I deemed that it must be one of our 5 a day and therefore A Good Thing.

 While I could get into the glass, I had to help Zeke.  We think it smelled lovely and tasted even better.

 When we'd done, we weren't feeling any pain.  Who needs peanut butter and honey after that before toddling off to bed?

The very next day we had even more tocitement.  We went to the theatre and saw "The Jingle Book" (No bear it was the Jungle Book, and do you remember who was in it?) Ah, yes of course it just it was Chrifniss and you get Jingle Bells, so I thought Jingle Book. (An easy mistake to make.) Yes I remember who was in it, lot's of jungle aminals, but best of all - a bear!

Here Zeke and I are getting our photos taken with the poster. Ann kindly held us up so we could be beside our hero.










Anyway, there was Mowgli, Akela, Baghera, Shere Khan (Booooo!) and very besets of them all was Baloo. How Zeke and I cheered every time Baloo came on stage.  Do you like it?  It was a very exciting show with lots of drama, but the monkeys were very silly and nearly led Mowgli straight into Shere Khan's (Booooo) jaws.  After that Mowgli learned to listen better to Baloo (Hooray, hooray, hip hip for our hero!)  That was definitely the bestest bit of Chrifniss - apart from meeting Zeke of course.



Well, all good things come to an end, and soon we had to come home, but then I got to have Zeke on my motorbike. Doesn't he look well on the back and even the font.

 Though maybe he shouldn't try to ride this way too often.

Speak to you all soon, I 'spect it will be from Indjar.

Hugs,

Jock and the hug.

O Sole Bearo

Beargiorno (sorry bear, its buongiorno.) T'isn't, 'cos I say every bear will understand beargiorno, so you're stooopid if you can't. (Well, I suppose, but then I'm not a bear.) See, told you, now let's get on with our story shall we?
Stooopid here was clearing out his jacket a couple of months ago, when hey presto he pulled out a wad of unexpected Euros. Well, I told him to expect the unexpected, but would he listen? Anyway, Ann also got an offer of a free night in a hotel, so she put Euros and free nights together and got Naples, though we did have to pay for some of our stay. So off we jolly went.

Our hotel was on the shores of the Bay of Naples and we had a fantastic view across at a big mounting called Vesuvius.  He says it's a volcano, but I see no smoke, do you? (Just wait!)









 Next morning we went to Sorrento and caught this boat and went out to Capri.

Then we went up to the top of the island and I perched on the fence to get my photo taken

He said, "Sit with you back to the view and wave, so I did.  Then I looked over the fence - Yikes, it was a long way down.










So to get my pitter pattering palpitatitatiting heart back on an even keel I went and sat on a big Roming stone. He said it was Roming, but it looked pretty static to me. (Not Roming, but Roman, bear.  The Romans put it there a very long time ago and I don't think they ever thought a bear would sit on it.)

I didn't tell you how we got up there did I? We took a bus up to Anacapri and then took a chair lift, so if you've got no head for heights, it's time to put your paws over your eyes. What's that you say? It's a bit late for that? Yeah well I aspose it is.  Can you see me on Ann's shoulder?

When we got down we found some lovely gardens in Capri town and we saw this amazing footpath and nothing would do but for his high and mightiness but that we would walk down it.  (I walked, you rode I think, and you enjoyed it.)

Well... yes I did and the views were lovely. And yes, it's those rocks again. 

Back at the harbour it was time to take a nautie pose (nautical, bear, nautical - you were a very good bear.)  Ah, yes, whatever.  Then it was back on the big boat and home in time for  bed.

Next day we went in a funny creaky wee train to Pompeii, where there were lots of ruins and painted walls and stuff. Being ruins meant that well, there wasn't much left standing, but my humings certainly found it very fascinating, and I liked it too.

We went to the circus, but I think it was a dead loss, there were no aminals, and no acrobats and definitely NO CLOWNS. How can you have a circus with no clowns?  I only went 'cos he said there'd be a circus.  It's a swizz I tell you. (Sorry bear, but Roman circuses weren't so nice.)

On Sunday we went on a cruise down the Amalfi Coast. When we got to Sorrento, we had breakfast and then clambered on the boat. Here I am cutting another nautie pose (I give up.)

Then I settled down in his camera bag to enjoy the view.  That's Ann's foot and it was a bit close for comfort at times.

When we got to Amalfi we had a nice walk around and bighead had an ice-cream, and I didn't get my picture taken with it! Still, it tasted lovely.

On our last day we went up Vesuvius, and had a nice walk up to the top.

Here I am with Ann, looking into the middle of the mounting.  It's got a GREAT BIG HOLE in the middiddle, so it has, TUGE in fact.

See? I told you

 Alan held on to me and calmed me down and then I said I'd like to sit on the rail and have my photo taken as a BIG BRAVE BEAR. So here I are.

 And, just so's you know there is smoke coming out of that there mounting, and right pongy it is too.

See you all again soon,

Hugs,

Jock