Bangalore

November 2007

Bangalore is a bustling city of LOTS of people (ok 6.5 million) and as many motorized vehicles. I am here for work, staying at the Taj Residency, which is a very nice hotel on MG Road.

I flew in from Tokyo via Singapore, and landed around 10pm. FYI you need a visa for India. After waiting around the one baggage terminal and getting my suitcase, I walked out of the exit where a number of hotel representatives were greeting passengers. I asked around for the Taj guy, and he said he would bring me to my driver. (When I was booking my tickets, I asked about transport from airport to hotel -- do not take a cab, either pre-arrange with your hotel or go to the pre-paid ride station).

I walked around in the morning on MG Road. To be honest, my first time out I ended up taking a 20 minute walk around the block, with four right turns, because I couldn't figure out how to cross the street. I talked to the concierge and armed with a map (useless because there are no signs) ventured back out and tagged along with other pedestrians to make it across a few streets. I stoppen in at a shop on MG Road (Naina Sarees). A saleswoman was by my side the moment I walked in, they gave me a welcome drink (papaya juice I think) and upsold like crazy. An hour later I ended up with a few bracelets, a shirt and a scarf for my mom.

I had lunch with some co-workers at the hotel restaurant. Dosas are these enormous thin pancakes (literally a 12 inch side equilateral triangle) with potatoes inside. You pour sauce on and eat the pancake with dipping sauces (definitely did not eat all of the pancake). Good Kingfisher beer too.

After lunch, one co-worker Gary and I walked back down MG Road. We realized we'd have to cab it to see any sites. We caught one (for 40r) to Vidhana Soudha, a beautiful government building, which unfortunately we were not allowed into. We did however, explore the Karnataka High Court across the street, which was pretty cool. It is a functional state court house, with lawyers in their robes milling about, and live court proceedings that we peeked into from the open air hallway.

We caught another cab to Bangalore Palace. We had a chatty cabbie, and he came in with us. The Palace costs 200r for admission, and another 500r per camera! (I actually did not take pictures at this place...) It is the old palace that belongs to the Maharaja of Mysore, and apparently the Wodeyars were kings until six years ago. The palace is interesting -- it is not the most well kept place, and it's kind of weird because you are definitely looking at someone old house. Family pictures, used furniture, and random collections. Elephant bust and the stools that were made of elephant feet and bison legs were definitely the most eclectic (too bad no pictures huh). The gardens are nice and the interior open air plazas were beautiful. One of the palace employees walked us around, and asked us for a tip at the end.

I was recommended Mysore and after looking at all of the pictures of the king's palace there, I would go there if you have time for the 160km trip. Looks amazing.

On the last day, we took another auto-rikshaw ride out to Lal Bagh Gardens, a 240 acre park on the southern side of Bangalore. It was a really long ride out there, I think I lose a lung from all of the road gases, but we drove through some new areas which was really interesting. 70 rupees for a 30+ minute ride... It was really nice to see so much green in the middle of Bangalore, and this was the first place I saw a lot of families out together. We saw the weird clock with dwarfs, the glass house, watch tower, and rose garden. There is a lake on the north end with pelicans and carp, and the path around the lake has monkeys.

I met up with Chaitra, one of my classmates, on the last day, and she took me to a mall where we hung out and got some Indian fast food snacks (chat). So yummy, I think the yogurt one was my favorite, though the puff pastry you poke a hole in and fill with grains and masala was quite good too. Then we got "American Corn", sweet corn with spices, butter and lime.

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