Tuesday 20th December – Bangalore Bus Station – Windsor Hotel, HAL – Electric Cats Hostel 16.11miles

​I have found a travel agent and booked a bus ticket to Chennai for the 26th – which gives me one day to pack Rowenna up for the airplane (ie, to find a box and someone with a pedal spanner).  Then I rode around the bus station (and Upattar police station) in circles, looking for wifi.  In the end, I went to an internet café and paid the guy there 60INR for access so I could download a map of where the Intercontinental Windsor Hotel was – about 5km distant, past the Bangalore Golf Club and very swish.  Eric hadn’t checked in by the time I arrived, so I settled myself in the very light and comfortable Christmassy lounge, supping real Americano – mmm.  I found a dormitory accommodation about 10km away so I was happy and all set to go off down to the farm the next day.
 
I was beginning to worry as it was gone 1pm and Eric was well overdue when I got the message that the BA crew were on their way.  Transpired that the flight had been delayed owing to severe fog (which I hadn’t seen!), they had been diverted to Hyderabad – and had been within 5minutes of their maximum duty time when they took off.  Just a few more minutes delay and we’d have missed each other!  AS it was, I got my replacement emergency bank card and SErvas Letter of Introduction from Steve, a box of M&Smince pies from Eric, and he treated me to a buffet lunch at the hotel, which was delicious.   Eric had had NO sleep and I wasn’t in much better shape after the interrupted dozing on the coach the previous night.  I managed to fall UP some stairs, then later, fell OFF my bicycle (fortunately, no injuries either time, except pride).  But we had a lovely afternoon, strolling around Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath Art Gallery – a maze of a place – before I set off to find the hostel and Eric went to his room to hit the pillow, with the expectation of being awoken at 3.30am!  (UGH).  I was very impressed with the Windsor Hotel and didn’t quite believe Eric when he told me that the places BA put the crew up at aren’t always as pleasant as this stopover. 
 
Cycled to ‘Electric Cats’ Hostel and arrived 20.30hrs – straight to bed, do not pass go, do not collect £200.