Today is a day of travelling. To start off we're getting the train from Mysore to Bangalore. It starts from Mysore and the train is in the station when we arrive. Our party's in car C2, an air-conditioned chair car, and we're all facing backwards to the direction of travel. There's time to spare so the train spotters go off to find steam cranes and odd-looking diesel locos, while the womenfolk sit worrying that they might not get on before the train goes. The train spotters know that for the first 20 seconds after the train has pulled away it's possible to climb in without difficulty, and make a habit of it. In fact climbing aboard a moving train is one of the fun things about travelling by train in India 'cos you can't do it back home. The train crew don't actually wait for everyone to get on before starting the train anyway.

At Bangalore there's quite a walk to the bus which is going to take us on a city tour. We get a porter, who walks the full quarter-mile with our two large rucksacks on his head. He fully deserves the Rs100 we pay him for the service, and will probably need it for neck surgery later in life.

We've got a 5pm deadline to get to Bangalore airport for a flight to Mumbai. The train got in a little late so there's less time than planned for the Bangalore city tour. We're whisked off first to see the Parliament building, a very grand affair built in 1935 on the front of which are the words GOVERNMENT WORK IS GOD'S WORK. There are many who will no doubt take issue with that! Alongside is a brand new extension, not completed in fact, built in the same grand style.

This is all well and good, and the local tour guide is obviously keen to take us to see the usual sights. However most of us aren't too fussed about seeing more buildings. In the original itinerary there was mention of seeing "...an enormous 100-year old Banyan tree" in the botanical gardens, and a good proportion of the party would like to see this at least. This seems to throw a small spanner in the works of the tour guide's itinerary. "Is there time to see the Banyan tree?" asks Fuzz of the tour guide. "Most certainly" is the reply.

So we set off to the botanical gardens which it seems has multiple entrances. The traffic is heavy and progress is slow. We get to a gate and there is much discussion. Our guide gets off, then gets on again "No parking here. Different gate" he says, and we grind our way round to another entrance. Here we climb out and are told "Bus will wait here", and we set off into the botanical gardens behind the tour guide.

The gardens themselves are quite impressive. They cover a very large area and it's clear that there's plenty to see. It's also clear, after a fairly short time, that our tour guide doesn't actually know where the Banyan tree is. He asks somone, and there's bit of pointing, but none of us finds it convincing. The tour guide is now on the phone. "Bus meet us at different gate," and he strides off with all of us trailing behind. By this time Fuzz is getting quite concerned that we won't meet our airport deadline.

We walk by some fairly impressive large old trees (not Banyan) and up to a fairly ordinary-looking fig tree. It's now clear that not only does our guide not know where the Banyan tree is, but he also doesn't know what a Banyan tree is. "This Banyan tree," says the guide proudly, pointing at the fig tree. We all point out his error, but it's all in vain because Fuzz has now made the executive decision that there's to be no more hunting for the Banyan tree, and we're to make for the bus immediately, which we do. After more hanging around waiting for the bus to arrive, and a frustratingly slow journey through the Bangalore traffic, we finally get to the airport exactly at 5pm, allowing the minimum time necessary for the checking in procedures. We can see Fuzz become visibly more relaxed!

After a very good flight to Mumbai on Jet Airways we arrive at our hotel a little before 9pm. Basically we're knackered by this time and ready for a beer and bed. Oh no, another "dry" day! This time it's the anniversary of the assassination of Mahatma Ghandi, so the bar is closed. Never mind, bed on its own will do.