My impressions of India and walking around Bangalore
Thank you Dana for letting me contribute a post on your blog of our trip to India. You have been a great travel companion on this adventure.
They say that India is a feast for the senses. And it is more than true. For every deliciously exotic scent or sight I experienced, there was often an alternating equally nauseating smell or scene to feel only a moment later. When walking around the giant city of Bangalore you can’t help but see the juxtaposition between old and new…of filth and beauty…of poverty and wealth. It is so vivid it feels like the images smack you in the face. The repetition of these polar extremes happens over and over, block after block in the hot and dirty, densely crowded, and highly polluted…beautiful…streets.
I had talked to many people about India before my journey and all of these stark contrasts I had heard about before coming here. And while hearing and reading about them was no comparison to the first-hand experience, in some way I had been expecting them.
What struck me most poignantly was how my feelings seem to change after being here a few days. The waste and refuse overflowing in many places somehow became less obtrusive. Even the human hardship of the wretchedly poor less jarring. The beauty of the city with its bright flowers and stunning architecture was starting to outshine the ugliness somehow.
At first, I thought this may be a sign that I was starting to become use to the unpleasant side. That seeing the disagreeable features over and over was numbing my mind to them in some way. And as a result, I was starting to accept them as OK. I started to get angry with myself. How could I ignore those that were suffering while only seeing the city’s splendor?
After some time and reflection I have come to a new understanding for my feelings. It isn’t that I was becoming desensitized or unsympathetic to the problems that exist in Bangalore and in other parts of India. I was recognizing the magnificence of the many amazing things the culture has to offer. What I was seeing that was outshining the darker side was the positive changes that are taking place all over the city. Images of hope and optimism for the future, for all residents of Bangalore.
I greatly enjoyed my time India and feel fortunate to have been able to experience all it has to offer, the bad and the good. I hope to visit again in the future and continue my exploration of this wondrous country.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
From Jason: Impressions
Monday, March 11, 2013
Kabini River Lodge
So on Sunday, March 10th, Jason and I drove past Mysore to the Kabini River Lodge. They had warned us that the last 10 Kilometers (convert that to miles, kids) was a bit slow going. They told the truth. It was very bumpy no a hard dry rocky surface. The total trip took us 5 hours to go 220 Kilometers. That's an average of about 27 mph. One of the strange things about the arrangements for our stay is that the reservations were taken by, and paid to a kind-of travel agency, but the lodge is run by the governent and all the employees, from what I could tell, were government employees.
We arrived around noon, settled into our cabin, and went to dinner at 1:30. Before we left for our first safari ride, they told us about something amazing that had happened the day before that their rangers who had been there for 25 years had never seen. They saw a tiger kill a Ghar right in front of the tour jeep, about 50 feet away. Needless to say, we were pumped.
On our first safari, we started out by seeing some spotted deer, a ghar, and monkeys and some interesting birds (I'm going to have to get the names later). Then the jeep brought us to the sight the Ghar killing from the previous day and the Ghar was still laying on the ground but had not been eaten (at least the parts we could see). Then the tour guides claimed they saw a tiger and kept point to a place about 1 kilometer away. I could not see anything, but after about 5 minutes of searching with binoculars, I saw something that might have been a tiger. I thought, "is this what the safari is like? seeing things from a half mile away?" - My doubts would be answered a little while later. We did, however, see a hawk eagle land on the dead ghar as if it were going to eat some but it was so nervous, it just kept looking around.
The tour guides kept in touch by cell phone (yes, great cell service all over) and we heard about a leopard sighting. We drove to that area and saw a female leopard walking down the trail and we followed it (at a safe distance) and took pictures until it disappeared in the woods. Later we came back to that same spot and a we saw a male leopard (see pic below with blurry lump in the middle of the path). We stopped to take pictures and not disturb it but then the female leopard came out of the woods and tried her hardest to encourage the male to mate with her. Unfortunately, or fortunately, the male showed no interest. They said this is very rare to so. Then one of the jeeps in our group started their engine and then the male started chasing the female into the woods but it did not look like an amorous chase so the female sprinted about 50 feet up a tree in about 1 second (as if she were sprinting across the ground) and sat on a branch trying to figure out what to do. She seemed scared. The male remained at the bottom of the tree until we left for dinner. What an amazing experience!!!
Monday morning, we were woken up at 5:45 and were on a jeep around 6. That day we saw lots of the usual animals from the previous day but we did see 3 elephants, wild boar, a hawk eagle up from up close, and then we saw a tiger jogging into the woods. It was so cool to see all these animals in the wild. There are no fences in this wildlife preserve. After breakfast, we drove the 5 hours back to Bangalore and will leave first thing Tuesday morning for home.
I hope that everyone has enjoyed this blog so far. I will be enhancing it and posting pictures as soon as I can.
Cheers from India...
We arrived around noon, settled into our cabin, and went to dinner at 1:30. Before we left for our first safari ride, they told us about something amazing that had happened the day before that their rangers who had been there for 25 years had never seen. They saw a tiger kill a Ghar right in front of the tour jeep, about 50 feet away. Needless to say, we were pumped.
On our first safari, we started out by seeing some spotted deer, a ghar, and monkeys and some interesting birds (I'm going to have to get the names later). Then the jeep brought us to the sight the Ghar killing from the previous day and the Ghar was still laying on the ground but had not been eaten (at least the parts we could see). Then the tour guides claimed they saw a tiger and kept point to a place about 1 kilometer away. I could not see anything, but after about 5 minutes of searching with binoculars, I saw something that might have been a tiger. I thought, "is this what the safari is like? seeing things from a half mile away?" - My doubts would be answered a little while later. We did, however, see a hawk eagle land on the dead ghar as if it were going to eat some but it was so nervous, it just kept looking around.
The tour guides kept in touch by cell phone (yes, great cell service all over) and we heard about a leopard sighting. We drove to that area and saw a female leopard walking down the trail and we followed it (at a safe distance) and took pictures until it disappeared in the woods. Later we came back to that same spot and a we saw a male leopard (see pic below with blurry lump in the middle of the path). We stopped to take pictures and not disturb it but then the female leopard came out of the woods and tried her hardest to encourage the male to mate with her. Unfortunately, or fortunately, the male showed no interest. They said this is very rare to so. Then one of the jeeps in our group started their engine and then the male started chasing the female into the woods but it did not look like an amorous chase so the female sprinted about 50 feet up a tree in about 1 second (as if she were sprinting across the ground) and sat on a branch trying to figure out what to do. She seemed scared. The male remained at the bottom of the tree until we left for dinner. What an amazing experience!!!
Monday morning, we were woken up at 5:45 and were on a jeep around 6. That day we saw lots of the usual animals from the previous day but we did see 3 elephants, wild boar, a hawk eagle up from up close, and then we saw a tiger jogging into the woods. It was so cool to see all these animals in the wild. There are no fences in this wildlife preserve. After breakfast, we drove the 5 hours back to Bangalore and will leave first thing Tuesday morning for home.
I hope that everyone has enjoyed this blog so far. I will be enhancing it and posting pictures as soon as I can.
Cheers from India...
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Friday, March 8, 2013
Parting is...
Well, we have wrapped up our week in the offices and said goodbye's to our kind friends and business partners. Before we left, the team presented Jason and I with gifts that were far too generous and thoughtful. We will cherish them as momentos of our adventure. We also took some pictures that we will post when we can. We are so grateful for the opportunity to meet everyone face-to-face and get to know each other better. I truly believe that this experience will enhance our communications in the future. We bid adue to:
Prathima
Shweta
Rashmi
Pankaj
Sunil
Vijeesh
Amit
Bramhendra
Vimal
Josin
and of course, Kiran and his merry band of pongers
and all the others who helped us with the journey.
With that said...
We prepare for our next adventure before we return to the US.
Today we rest and charge the batteries to our cameras. Tomorrow morning (Sunday) our driver Vinay, will drive us to the Kabini River Lodge for 2 days of safari experiences. Jason found out that a gentleman, Ram, who works in our Bangalore office, is also a nature photographer who frequents the Kabini. He was able to give Jason some pointers about our trip. Here is a link to some of his photos.
We return to Bangalore on Monday and fly home on Tuesday. We are looking forward to our own beds, our own time zone, and returning to our families and friends to tell more stories about our adventures.
I will post when I can. Cheers!
Prathima
Shweta
Rashmi
Pankaj
Sunil
Vijeesh
Amit
Bramhendra
Vimal
Josin
and of course, Kiran and his merry band of pongers
and all the others who helped us with the journey.
With that said...
We prepare for our next adventure before we return to the US.
Today we rest and charge the batteries to our cameras. Tomorrow morning (Sunday) our driver Vinay, will drive us to the Kabini River Lodge for 2 days of safari experiences. Jason found out that a gentleman, Ram, who works in our Bangalore office, is also a nature photographer who frequents the Kabini. He was able to give Jason some pointers about our trip. Here is a link to some of his photos.
We return to Bangalore on Monday and fly home on Tuesday. We are looking forward to our own beds, our own time zone, and returning to our families and friends to tell more stories about our adventures.
I will post when I can. Cheers!
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Cricket for the first time
So Jason found a way to talk some of the people from the office into playing a game of cricket with us. So Kiran, Amit, Josin, and Vimal brought us to a field to play. Kiran plays for the Fidelity team. We even got our cab driver, Vinay to join us. We learned the basics and began. I did not realize that, essentially, everyone on the team is a bowler (Pitcher). They rotate around the entire team in the field after each throws a certain number of pitches. The batsman (batter) has a lot of rules regarding what parts of the body, the ball can hit. I'm glad we used a tennis ball because the real ball will leave big bruises.
One of the big mysteries for me was the position the batsman holds the bat during the pitch. In baseball, we are taught to hold the bat up high before we swing. I've seen some footage of cricket matches where the batsman is typically holding the bat down low during the time of the pitch. I now understand that this is to maximize the protection of the wicket.
Thanks to one of my high school English teachers, Mr. Spencer, I know what a "sticky wicket" is and we did not have one for our experience. Do you know what it means?
Needless to say, Jason and I had a lot of fun and took some pictures. I will post some here when we get them off of Jason's camera.
When we went into the offices later that day, Kiran had presented us with a Cricket bat and ball. That was SO kind.
Many thanks to the team for taking so much time out of their day to show us Cricket.
One of the big mysteries for me was the position the batsman holds the bat during the pitch. In baseball, we are taught to hold the bat up high before we swing. I've seen some footage of cricket matches where the batsman is typically holding the bat down low during the time of the pitch. I now understand that this is to maximize the protection of the wicket.
Thanks to one of my high school English teachers, Mr. Spencer, I know what a "sticky wicket" is and we did not have one for our experience. Do you know what it means?
Needless to say, Jason and I had a lot of fun and took some pictures. I will post some here when we get them off of Jason's camera.
When we went into the offices later that day, Kiran had presented us with a Cricket bat and ball. That was SO kind.
Many thanks to the team for taking so much time out of their day to show us Cricket.
Some things I have learned
One of the main things I have learned while here in India is how people conserve resources whenever possible. There is not a lot of waste. Fuel efficient motorcycles or scooters are used not only to save money and gas, but it provides them with more flexibility to get around more quickly during heavy traffic times. When your commute is typically 1-2 hours each way, that can make a big difference.
Just because something on the menu seems inexpensive, does not mean it will be small. Jason and I both learned our first day at the food court at the office. We saw items on the menu for 65 Rupees. This corresponds to about $1.20 in the US. we thought that would be like a small appetizer so we ordered 2 or 3 items from the menu. Well, we walked away with a total of 5 trays of food (see pic) and were embarrassed, but got to sample several fine dishes even though we did not finish the food.
We have discussed so many things about the foods and handicrafts from all parts of India. Everyone has been very helpful with providing information and guidance regarding where we should go or what we can do.
I will post more things as we proceed through the weekend.
There is a small town outside of Bangalore called Ramnigar that has a roadside restaurant that is famous for it's food. Even though it may take an hour or two to get to, it seems like everyone knows about this and some people eat there quite often. This is where we had our first breakfast in India and it was incredible.
Just because something on the menu seems inexpensive, does not mean it will be small. Jason and I both learned our first day at the food court at the office. We saw items on the menu for 65 Rupees. This corresponds to about $1.20 in the US. we thought that would be like a small appetizer so we ordered 2 or 3 items from the menu. Well, we walked away with a total of 5 trays of food (see pic) and were embarrassed, but got to sample several fine dishes even though we did not finish the food.
We have discussed so many things about the foods and handicrafts from all parts of India. Everyone has been very helpful with providing information and guidance regarding where we should go or what we can do.
I will post more things as we proceed through the weekend.
There is a small town outside of Bangalore called Ramnigar that has a roadside restaurant that is famous for it's food. Even though it may take an hour or two to get to, it seems like everyone knows about this and some people eat there quite often. This is where we had our first breakfast in India and it was incredible.
More about our offices
For our first day in the office, our cab driver Vinay, met us at the hotel and drove us to the office. Wating at the entrance to the office was Vijeesh with a smile. He worked hard to make arrangements for us to be as comfortable as possible given the limited guest space in the building. He introduced us to the team and we got to meet Rashmy, Prathima, Shweta, Amit, Bramhendra, Vimal and Josin. We even met Bala, from the Mac Studio side. We had an impromptu meeting in the hallway just introducing ourselves and began our work work meeting with the teams as a group and individually. We have been discussing process and policy questions, billing questions, career and interests, and the culture. Everyone has been very kind, helpful and I feel strongly that they understand how important open communication is for us to continue to improve efficiency and quality. This trip was worth the cost and effort many times over and I hope that we get to do this again at some point in the future.
We have been able to spend some time with Vijeesh, Sunil, and Pankaj, and they have all been so gracious and engaging. We have discussed several big-picture ideas for helping with training and process improvements. I feel that spending time with each of these leaders has been an honor for me.
With a smile, everyone has endured our incessant questions about the culture, the people, the food, the way of life here. We have learned so much in such a short period of time. A few notes about that in my next entry.
We have been able to spend some time with Vijeesh, Sunil, and Pankaj, and they have all been so gracious and engaging. We have discussed several big-picture ideas for helping with training and process improvements. I feel that spending time with each of these leaders has been an honor for me.
With a smile, everyone has endured our incessant questions about the culture, the people, the food, the way of life here. We have learned so much in such a short period of time. A few notes about that in my next entry.
Extreme Service in India
I just wanted to point out that one of the things that really strikes me about my experience in India is the extreme level of service everywhere we go. Of course, it should not be a surprise at the nice hotel we are staying at, The Leela Palace, but there seems to be so much extreme kindness and respect throughout the culture. The people in the office treat us with so much respect, it makes us feel very important. Our cab drivers, the people in restaurants, and of course, the shopkeepers. But I have never been offered coffee or tea while shopping at Macy's.
I'd like to extend my thanks to the people of India for treating us so well.
I'd like to extend my thanks to the people of India for treating us so well.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
In the office this week
We finally got to visit the office and meet the teams. We were received very warmly and appreciate the kindness everyone has extended to us. We are meeting with everyone on the team in groups and individually to see how things are going and identify opportunities for improvement. I am very excited about the success of the training we have done so far and we've been able to answer some outstanding questions the team has had.
We have some very smart people on our teams and everyone is eager to learn more. I'm also impressed that people are asking good questions and learning how to help me figure out better ways to do things. This will be an extremely successful trip and I look forward to an ongoing thriving and productive experience moving forward.
Many thanks to those who have enabled this adventure and helped make it a success.
More later. Have to go now.
Cheers!
We have some very smart people on our teams and everyone is eager to learn more. I'm also impressed that people are asking good questions and learning how to help me figure out better ways to do things. This will be an extremely successful trip and I look forward to an ongoing thriving and productive experience moving forward.
Many thanks to those who have enabled this adventure and helped make it a success.
More later. Have to go now.
Cheers!
The food, the food, the food
We have tried many many dishes that we have never eaten before and it has been wonderful. From the breads, appetizers, sauces, breakfasts, and main dishes, we have learned so much. I can really appreciate how much work goes into some of these foods. I am so grateful to have this opportunity to experience the authentic Indian foods.
Last night we had dinner with Pankaj, Sunile and Vijeesh at the Copper Kettle (I think) and I saw someone in the kitchen throwing and spinning, what looked like a very thin pizza dough. It turned out to be one of their roti breads, that they affectionately call "Hanky roti" because it is so thin.
Here are some pictures that I have taken of my breakfast plates this week. I have also included a picture of a roti covered pot of rice that was very good called "dum" which means "force" or "strength" in Hindi. I'll have to get the name of it, but Pankaj shared a story about why the rice was cooked in the pot. I'll insert that here later.
Last night we had dinner with Pankaj, Sunile and Vijeesh at the Copper Kettle (I think) and I saw someone in the kitchen throwing and spinning, what looked like a very thin pizza dough. It turned out to be one of their roti breads, that they affectionately call "Hanky roti" because it is so thin.
Here are some pictures that I have taken of my breakfast plates this week. I have also included a picture of a roti covered pot of rice that was very good called "dum" which means "force" or "strength" in Hindi. I'll have to get the name of it, but Pankaj shared a story about why the rice was cooked in the pot. I'll insert that here later.
Traffic - It is what it is... but it takes a while to adapt.
Travel around Bangalore has been one of the biggest surprises for us. I can only describe it as a "White knuckle Ballet". The skill of the drivers amazes me every minute. Driving so close to other vehicles on all sides. Here is what I have surmised, as inaccurate as it may be:
1) The most important part of your vehicle that MUST be working is your horn. Taxi's are typically using it every 15 seconds. It may mean, "Move out of my way", "I'm turning now", "I'm cutting you off now", "Pedestrian.. Don't walk in front of me now", Yes, go ahead in front of me", "Move to the left", "Move to the right", "I'm happy", "I'm sad", "It's just been too long since I honked the horn"
2) The lane lines must have been placed there by mistake. It is not uncommon to be driving 4 vehicles across on a two lane road
3) Red light is more like a general guideline, but you don't really have to stop
4) They call "Speed Bumps", "Speed Breaks" here and they are everywhere. On all the streets, city or highway. They also use these yellow barriers on wheels to make traffic merge briefly before opening up again.
5) If my bumper is 3 inches in front of yours, I now have the right to start to merge into your lane and make you slow down and cut you off
6) We are continuously amazed that there are not many more accidents. It really does feel like a coordinated ballet that was rehearsed with a rhythm and unwritten contract of trust and expectations between drivers
7) Do not try to estimate how long it will take you to get anywhere. You will be wrong.
8) Motorcycle helmets are for carrying on your elbow, not wearing on your head.
One day, I will try to post a video of one of our experiences through traffic. It is amazing. I am thoroughly impressed with the skill of the drivers and utterly mortified for those just getting started with driving.
1) The most important part of your vehicle that MUST be working is your horn. Taxi's are typically using it every 15 seconds. It may mean, "Move out of my way", "I'm turning now", "I'm cutting you off now", "Pedestrian.. Don't walk in front of me now", Yes, go ahead in front of me", "Move to the left", "Move to the right", "I'm happy", "I'm sad", "It's just been too long since I honked the horn"
2) The lane lines must have been placed there by mistake. It is not uncommon to be driving 4 vehicles across on a two lane road
3) Red light is more like a general guideline, but you don't really have to stop
4) They call "Speed Bumps", "Speed Breaks" here and they are everywhere. On all the streets, city or highway. They also use these yellow barriers on wheels to make traffic merge briefly before opening up again.
5) If my bumper is 3 inches in front of yours, I now have the right to start to merge into your lane and make you slow down and cut you off
6) We are continuously amazed that there are not many more accidents. It really does feel like a coordinated ballet that was rehearsed with a rhythm and unwritten contract of trust and expectations between drivers
7) Do not try to estimate how long it will take you to get anywhere. You will be wrong.
8) Motorcycle helmets are for carrying on your elbow, not wearing on your head.
One day, I will try to post a video of one of our experiences through traffic. It is amazing. I am thoroughly impressed with the skill of the drivers and utterly mortified for those just getting started with driving.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Sunday in Mysore
I have to start by sending a HUGE thanks to Madhukar and Puneet for arranging such a wonderful day for us. They made our trip to Mysore so much more than it would have been if we went by ourselves.
The day started with an early wakeup call at 6:00 a.m. IST (India Standard Time) - By the way, did you know that the entire country is on the same time zone and does not do daylight savings time. We took our taxi to Puneet's home and met his wife and daughter and they showed us their home and the view of the city from their balcony. I will post pictures another time. Then we took the taxi to pick Madhukar up and we were off to Mysore. It is about 150 Kilometers (a little less than 100 miles) to Mysore from Bangalore.
On the way, we stopped at a wonderful roadside restaurant in Ramanagara and had an amazing breakfast that consisted of about 10 different foods. There was Dosa, Paratha, a small donut shaped Vada, sweet Jalabi, idli wrapped in banana leaves, Kesari bath that had a pineapple taste, rice pongle (dahl with cashews), Coconut chutney that was very spicy, Banana pakoda that was sweet and a very spicy Sambhar dipping sauce. This was a wonderful experience for me and I loved all of it, although the rice pongle was not my favorite. I was so happy to have experienced that.
Then we continued on through Toy City where the vendors primarily sold toys on the roadside. I noticed on our drive home that there were several motorcycles driving towards Bangalore, where the passenger was carrying a wooden rocking horse (or giraffe) that was obviously from Toy City.
We probably reached the Mysore Palace a little after 11 a.m. This is a palace where 4 generations of Mysore kings lived. They ruled the southern half of the state of Karnataka. We visited a shrine and , of course, had to remove our shoes to enter. Then we took a tour of the Mysore palace itself. No cameras allowed. Madhukar and Puneet arranged for a personal guide for us that was very helpful. This was a very lavish place and the architecture, artwork, and stories were wonderful. Afterwards, we passed on the elephant and camel rides though.
Next we went to a state-run handicraft store and did a little shopping. We saw some amazing craftsmenship and admired many things that were too big to fit in our luggage. Then we had lunch. I had a spicy thai vegetable soup and we shared more traditional Indian foods. Rice with vegetables and Dal. It was so tasty.
Then we met Kiran (a friend of Madhukar) who went with us to the top of Chamundi hill. We saw the Chamundi temple, we saw monkeys hanging around looking for food and we took some pictures of Mysore and neighboring towns far below us. I will post pictures later.
Then, after driving through, what I would describe as narrow dirt paths (not even roads), we made it to the summer home of the Mysore king (maybe 10 miles from the main palace) called the Lalit Palace. This palace is used as a hotel now and is the site of many movie shoots. When we arrived, the security guard at the gate insisted on charging us an entry fee since we were not guests. We went inside, took some pictures and had chai (tea) - then we went outside and got a horse drawn carriage ride around the parking lot.
Then we dropped Kiran off and started our trek back to Bangalore. Everyone was extremely tired when we left, so you can imagine how we felt after about 4 hours of driving. We passed some kind of auto accident that had about 100 motorcycles and cars pulled over to see what was going on. We also got slowed down while a small herd of goats were ushered across the highway. Then we dropped Madhukar, then Puneet off and headed back to our hotel. When we got to the hotel, we were essentially walking zombies. Thank goodness for a comfortable bed.
It is Monday now and we'll go into work shortly. I hope everyone is enjoying the cold winter weather. 90 degrees and clear is the forecast for Bangalore this week.
The day started with an early wakeup call at 6:00 a.m. IST (India Standard Time) - By the way, did you know that the entire country is on the same time zone and does not do daylight savings time. We took our taxi to Puneet's home and met his wife and daughter and they showed us their home and the view of the city from their balcony. I will post pictures another time. Then we took the taxi to pick Madhukar up and we were off to Mysore. It is about 150 Kilometers (a little less than 100 miles) to Mysore from Bangalore.
On the way, we stopped at a wonderful roadside restaurant in Ramanagara and had an amazing breakfast that consisted of about 10 different foods. There was Dosa, Paratha, a small donut shaped Vada, sweet Jalabi, idli wrapped in banana leaves, Kesari bath that had a pineapple taste, rice pongle (dahl with cashews), Coconut chutney that was very spicy, Banana pakoda that was sweet and a very spicy Sambhar dipping sauce. This was a wonderful experience for me and I loved all of it, although the rice pongle was not my favorite. I was so happy to have experienced that.
Then we continued on through Toy City where the vendors primarily sold toys on the roadside. I noticed on our drive home that there were several motorcycles driving towards Bangalore, where the passenger was carrying a wooden rocking horse (or giraffe) that was obviously from Toy City.
We probably reached the Mysore Palace a little after 11 a.m. This is a palace where 4 generations of Mysore kings lived. They ruled the southern half of the state of Karnataka. We visited a shrine and , of course, had to remove our shoes to enter. Then we took a tour of the Mysore palace itself. No cameras allowed. Madhukar and Puneet arranged for a personal guide for us that was very helpful. This was a very lavish place and the architecture, artwork, and stories were wonderful. Afterwards, we passed on the elephant and camel rides though.
Next we went to a state-run handicraft store and did a little shopping. We saw some amazing craftsmenship and admired many things that were too big to fit in our luggage. Then we had lunch. I had a spicy thai vegetable soup and we shared more traditional Indian foods. Rice with vegetables and Dal. It was so tasty.
Then we met Kiran (a friend of Madhukar) who went with us to the top of Chamundi hill. We saw the Chamundi temple, we saw monkeys hanging around looking for food and we took some pictures of Mysore and neighboring towns far below us. I will post pictures later.
Then, after driving through, what I would describe as narrow dirt paths (not even roads), we made it to the summer home of the Mysore king (maybe 10 miles from the main palace) called the Lalit Palace. This palace is used as a hotel now and is the site of many movie shoots. When we arrived, the security guard at the gate insisted on charging us an entry fee since we were not guests. We went inside, took some pictures and had chai (tea) - then we went outside and got a horse drawn carriage ride around the parking lot.
Then we dropped Kiran off and started our trek back to Bangalore. Everyone was extremely tired when we left, so you can imagine how we felt after about 4 hours of driving. We passed some kind of auto accident that had about 100 motorcycles and cars pulled over to see what was going on. We also got slowed down while a small herd of goats were ushered across the highway. Then we dropped Madhukar, then Puneet off and headed back to our hotel. When we got to the hotel, we were essentially walking zombies. Thank goodness for a comfortable bed.
It is Monday now and we'll go into work shortly. I hope everyone is enjoying the cold winter weather. 90 degrees and clear is the forecast for Bangalore this week.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
First Night in Bangalore
Before leaving for dinner I walked around the hotel a bit. Here is a photo of the hotel lobby. Then Puneet (a previous Fidelity colleague) picked us up and took us to a restaurant that he had made reservations at. Well it turns out, his reservations we're at TGI Fridays. I thought it was so kind of him to think that Jason and I needed to "ease into the Indian cuizine". Madhukar (another previous Fidelity colleague) met us there. Besides their typial Friday's "American" menu, they had some locally influences foods, so we shared, what I called, Mutter Paneer fajitas. The food was very good although conversation was difficult because they were playing really loud, pounding, dance club music.
On the way home, Puneet who was driving, was chosen at random for an "on the spot breathalizer test" at a police road block - He passed and we moved on.
On the way home, Puneet who was driving, was chosen at random for an "on the spot breathalizer test" at a police road block - He passed and we moved on.
Up early to go to Mysore. That will be exciting.
More later. Time to sleep.
My First Impressions of Bangalore
After a 9 hour flight from London to Bangalore, and about 4 hours of sleep in a 48 hour span, I was READY to see India. We landed at about 6:a.m. Bangalore time on Saturday, which was 7:30 p.m. Friday Boston time. We went through security, got our bags and got through "customs", picked up a few Rupees. ($1 US will get you about 54 Rupees).
As we approached the "cabbie line" there were probably about 100 people behind a fenced in area holding up signs with names on them for pickup. Then we found our cabbie, Vinay who will be dedicated to our needs until we leave next Saturday. He speaks English very well. Thus began our first experience driving in India. The first mile of roadway leaving the airport was lined with lush gardens of greenery. We had heard about what to expect but I'm not sure that we were totally prepared for this.
This was my first experience driving on the left side of the road. Not bad. There are lane lines painted on some roads but I believe they are ignored intentionally. No matter how fast we were driving, and how congested the traffic, it was not uncommon to have another vehicle less than 3 inches from our cab. I remember someone telling me that the cabbies honk almost non-stop. It seems like they honk every 15 seconds. The rest of the experience can be summarized as, "No Rules". We saw people walking against traffic along the median as cars and trucks wizzed by at 40 MPH, swerving just inches from them at the very last second. We saw packs of dogs fighting for scraps of food and patrolling their territories. We saw a family of 4 packed onto a motorcycle. We saw homes topped with many ornate carved characters.
We also saw a lot of road construction. The Airport is about 45 Km from Downtown Bangalore so they are building a non-stop highway to make the trip easier. Many buildings along the road were missing the front cinderblock walls as if they had been the victims of traffic accidents. We saw lots of government buildings, colleges and military properties. At times it felt like we were going in circles. In the end, we made it to the Leela Palace hotel in Bangalore. I will send pictures later but, it is a very lavish place. After we made it past the xRay machine and metal detectors to enter the hotel, we checked in and were escorted to our amazing rooms.
After getting settled into the hotel room, I tried to sleep but after a few hours, woke to the sound of a hammer drill or jackhammer in the building close to my room, so no more sleep for me until later. The hotel room has a doorbell, so when the hotel staff stop by to ask if they should refresh the fruit plate, they ring the bell. Shortly, we will be going to dinner with Madhukar and Puneet at a restaurant they have chosen for us. I can't wait to see more and share more.
Look for lots of pictures. Cheers!
As we approached the "cabbie line" there were probably about 100 people behind a fenced in area holding up signs with names on them for pickup. Then we found our cabbie, Vinay who will be dedicated to our needs until we leave next Saturday. He speaks English very well. Thus began our first experience driving in India. The first mile of roadway leaving the airport was lined with lush gardens of greenery. We had heard about what to expect but I'm not sure that we were totally prepared for this.
This was my first experience driving on the left side of the road. Not bad. There are lane lines painted on some roads but I believe they are ignored intentionally. No matter how fast we were driving, and how congested the traffic, it was not uncommon to have another vehicle less than 3 inches from our cab. I remember someone telling me that the cabbies honk almost non-stop. It seems like they honk every 15 seconds. The rest of the experience can be summarized as, "No Rules". We saw people walking against traffic along the median as cars and trucks wizzed by at 40 MPH, swerving just inches from them at the very last second. We saw packs of dogs fighting for scraps of food and patrolling their territories. We saw a family of 4 packed onto a motorcycle. We saw homes topped with many ornate carved characters.
We also saw a lot of road construction. The Airport is about 45 Km from Downtown Bangalore so they are building a non-stop highway to make the trip easier. Many buildings along the road were missing the front cinderblock walls as if they had been the victims of traffic accidents. We saw lots of government buildings, colleges and military properties. At times it felt like we were going in circles. In the end, we made it to the Leela Palace hotel in Bangalore. I will send pictures later but, it is a very lavish place. After we made it past the xRay machine and metal detectors to enter the hotel, we checked in and were escorted to our amazing rooms.
After getting settled into the hotel room, I tried to sleep but after a few hours, woke to the sound of a hammer drill or jackhammer in the building close to my room, so no more sleep for me until later. The hotel room has a doorbell, so when the hotel staff stop by to ask if they should refresh the fruit plate, they ring the bell. Shortly, we will be going to dinner with Madhukar and Puneet at a restaurant they have chosen for us. I can't wait to see more and share more.
Look for lots of pictures. Cheers!
Friday, March 1, 2013
Made it to London Heathrow
I could really get used to this business class experience. Shorter lines, nice seats (see pic) and comfortable lounges.
The flight from Boston was smooth. Only slept a half hour though. Got into London about 4 a.m. Boston time. Felt badly for a guy who was opening every overhead bin looking for his luggage. Another 2 hours until we take off for Bangalore. That gives me time to shop at Harrods and Prada... ;)
More later...or tomorrow. .depending on where you live.
Cheers for now.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)