Deepika took the day off of work and we went on a day of tourism. We drove an distance outside of the city, where the landscape slowly changed from city blocks and stores to industrial areas to mostly open spaces. The natural landscape is similar to red rock areas of the American southwest - dry, dusty flatlands with rock formations rising above the plains.
After a brief stop at a temple where we had a great view of the surrounding areas, we travelled onto Ramoji, the largest movie set in the world and a tourist destination. The 400 rps entry fee was surprisingly high for a moment, and then I realized that I usually pay more just to get into see a movie. We paid and then boarded a bus to take us to the actual attraction.
Ramoji was a combination of Universal Studios, Six Flags, and India. In many ways, it was a controlled, corporate experience with fiberglass faux-ethnic surroundings. However, budgets and standards are not the same in India as in America. Attractions included air hockey and cricket batting cages, and many of the areas were well designed, but with little to do - imagine Adventureland at a theme park, except with no rides, games, or vendors, just scenery. The rides would have been small for a church-parking lot carnival, and the shows were a little cheesy, but it had a fun atmosphere and lacked the relentless corporatism and consumerism of Disney or Six Flags.
What really stood out were the movie sets and the grounds. The grounds were beautifully landscaped, with lush gardens and large fountains, and replicas of tombs and palaces. There was a bus tour of all the sets, and there were an impressive number of buildings, alleys, and city squares. Many of the large buildings were different on each face so from one side you could shoot a hospital, and then on the other a courthouse. The backside of the mansions that lined the posh London street were a Bombay slum.
One thing that stood out was the relative lack of rampant price-gouging associated with American theme parks. Bottled water was the same price as anywhere else, and the restaurant lunch we ate was priced the same as similar meals in outside restaurants. Many products have a Maximum Retail Price (MRP) printed on them, and so are priced the same everywhere. For example, bottled water is 14-15 rps depending upon the brand, and so there is no price comparison between stores. This doesn't apply in the same way to items with clothes, where there may be a MRP, but these items are often on sale and not as interchangeable as a product like water, soda, or shampoo.
