I ate, slept, and read during my 20-hour economy-class journey to Bangalore.
I highly recommend The Hangover - a very funny little movie that made me laugh out loud more than once. And I'm also reading The Help - a great, great book.
I arrived in Bangalore at 4:30 a.m. Mahadeeb, one of the drivers from the hotel, was there to pick me up and off we went through the dark streets of Bangalore. Mahadeeb is in his early 50s and has lived here his whole life. He told me the city has changed so much over his lifetime.
(Mahadeeb is the guy on the far right.)A word of caution - STOP signs mean nothing here. We sailed through a four-way stop, horns blowing. I asked him who was supposed to stop. He said, "We just know." Ok. Glad you know. Next time, though, let's slow down just a little.The hotel is in a highly secure compound. As Mahadeeb pulled intro the drive, armed guards stopped the car and searched for bombs. This is good - and bad. All clear - and we inched our way to the front door. The staff here could not be nicer - so courteous and helpful. I got settled in, went to the gym, had breakfast and then asked Mahadeeb to drive me around Bangalore.Bangalore is called the garden city. I can see why. From my hotel, I can hear birds chirping - lots of them! And butterflies by the thousands just float around the city. But the city is also dusty, dirty, and smells like something is burning. Stray dogs roam the streets. Garbage is dumped in the nooks and crannies of the city, and I saw many people walking without shoes, balancing baskets on their heads.But for now, here's a look at Mahadeeb's city - one that he's very proud of.
(Hindu Temple)
(Parliament House)
I highly recommend The Hangover - a very funny little movie that made me laugh out loud more than once. And I'm also reading The Help - a great, great book.
I arrived in Bangalore at 4:30 a.m. Mahadeeb, one of the drivers from the hotel, was there to pick me up and off we went through the dark streets of Bangalore. Mahadeeb is in his early 50s and has lived here his whole life. He told me the city has changed so much over his lifetime.
(Mahadeeb is the guy on the far right.)A word of caution - STOP signs mean nothing here. We sailed through a four-way stop, horns blowing. I asked him who was supposed to stop. He said, "We just know." Ok. Glad you know. Next time, though, let's slow down just a little.The hotel is in a highly secure compound. As Mahadeeb pulled intro the drive, armed guards stopped the car and searched for bombs. This is good - and bad. All clear - and we inched our way to the front door. The staff here could not be nicer - so courteous and helpful. I got settled in, went to the gym, had breakfast and then asked Mahadeeb to drive me around Bangalore.Bangalore is called the garden city. I can see why. From my hotel, I can hear birds chirping - lots of them! And butterflies by the thousands just float around the city. But the city is also dusty, dirty, and smells like something is burning. Stray dogs roam the streets. Garbage is dumped in the nooks and crannies of the city, and I saw many people walking without shoes, balancing baskets on their heads.But for now, here's a look at Mahadeeb's city - one that he's very proud of.
(Hindu Temple)
(Parliament House)