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BANGALURU - BANGALORE
Pop 5.7 million.
We had a fantastic journey most of the way on our deluxe coach. We relaxed and took in the sights passing through villages and towns and climbing high into the hills around a mountain and back down again. We finally got to watch a Tamil film, well actually two, one with English subtitles, one without they were both great!! We stopped for lunch at a locals restaurant and bakery and filled up on Veg and cheese pasties and coconut macaroons! It took us eight hours to get into Bangalore which wasn't a bad run but then we had to sit in traffic for another 2 hours as we crawled across town to the Central Bus station.
The city was lit up with the familiar blinding neon and fairy lights and was a hive of activity with the walkways as grid locked as the roads. We eventually arrived at the bus station and were thrown into the lions den as the bus became surrounded by the usual rabble of touts trying to convince us they have the best hotel, the one you have chosen is full or rubbish and adamant they can get you there for the cheapest price. So as always we stepped back, got ourselves together, waited a few minutes until the madness subsided then began to negotiate between a rick driver and a taxi. The taxi won this time which is unusual and we were soon making our way around the ring road into another chaotic area, down a few back streets and into the pre booked hotel "The U G Royal" sounds impressive ... really wasn't!
The Guy grunted, I mean greeted us at the front desk and as we explained we had reserved a room he demanded our passports with attitude and was disgruntled we were checking in as it meant he had to get off his backside and do something. Now we have encountered these customer service skills on numerous occasions in India it is just the way they are and we have accepted this for the most part but this man got under Steph's skin and uncharacteristically she was as abrupt and argumentative as him which seemed to get results. After the boy had returned from the local coffee shop with our passports we were checked into a fair size basic, clean room with an actual double bed (not two singles pushed together) and a small but functioning bathroom again with the promise of hot water that wasn't delivered although it was luke warm which is a step up from freezing!
Although worn out we were hungry and made our way back to a locals restaurant "Sri Krisna sagar" and polished off a huge plate of Gobi masala, veg rice and butter naan which was gorgeous and made our day. At last out of Tamil Nadu and back to amazing curries!!!
We woke the next morning feeling really unwell and full of cold. We think the constant moving around and cold showers had finally caught up with us not really helped by inhaling constant smog and dust but hey ho! we had a city to explore so we pulled ourselves together and headed into the urban jungle.
The streets surrounding our hotel were crammed full of traffic as we were on a one way street that was part of a ring road, the jam was not moving and every single vehicle was honking a horn of some description even the push bikes have horns and bells. This had a knock on effect to the human traffic jam trying to maneuver along the non existent pavements weaving in and out, pushing and shoving their way down to the wider main road ... Not the best start to a day when your feeling delicate.
We made our way through and headed to the train station to confirm our tickets and get the platform number as we've found this the easiest way of doing things, instead of just turning up heavily laden with bags, fighting our way through crowds getting agitated and trying to find which direction to head. It's never an easy platform either our train is always platform 8 or 9 which involves climbing up and going back down at least 30 steps.
We noticed immediately the difference in how clean the city was compared to others. There were the obvious billows of black fumes and thick smog but were very few mounds of rubbish piled high lining the streets. There were Tibetan market stalls lining the street instead and the woolly jumpers and knitted hats attracted our attention but sense prevailed and we resided ourselves to the fact that we would get them in Nepal and with all the will in the world we wouldn't fit a woolly sock let alone a jumper into our already chockablock packs.
We confirmed our train details and found the correct platform for the following day after hop scotching the families that make the train station their home along with the hundreds of people waiting to commute to work or different markets. The train stations are always bouncing with life and a source of entertainment. From the Chai wallah's (tea men) to the women sweeping the tracks, to the ticket inspectors and special police everyone has a role in keeping the railway running. The exit was packed with a scrum of touts and we elbowed our way through and headed across town to where we had alighted the bus the previous night.
This area is Ghandhi Nagar but is known locally as Majestic. It was pandemonium but in a good way, kind of an organised chaos. The whole area teeming with daily life and an abundance of colour. This was the area of the city trying to keep a traditional spin on a changing place and managing as far as the usual stalls, shops, street food and markets, cows, crows, dogs and men urinating in the street at every corner were concerned. This area also had grand cinemas decorated with flower garlands, lights and streamers there were giant size cut outs of the actors mounted on the walls or posts outside which were also adorned with garlands and locals, Indian tourists and travellers alike queued up to have their photo taken beside them. Again film is big business and they adore their movie stars.
We had been walking for what felt like hours but was in fact only an hour. India gets you like that, it is hard work traversing through the streets, your senses in overdrive and your mind constantly alert not to mention maneuvering your body to avoid people, poo, traffic and other inanimate objects that litter your path. It's an uphill battle but an exciting one. We walked for another mile making our way through different area's and noting the small changes as we went.
Bangalore is fast becoming a cosmopolitan city. It is the hub of India's booming IT industry and has been for some time but has experienced a surge of urban development of late. There is, like everywhere, constant construction and expansion and additions of skyscrapers and you really can't see where all this is going to fit but unlike other cities Bangalore had tried to keep and maintain some green areas and colonial heritage in the crazy, polluted congestion.
We didn't have time in Bangalore to visit the sights such as the Palaces which are said to be stunning and the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens 96 acres of landscaped terrain which we were sorry to miss out on. We did however wander through Cubbon Park (named after the British commissioner Sir Mark Cubbon) which provides a lush green respite from the stress of the city and houses the gothic style central library, a few museums and the colossal neo-Dravidian Vidhana Soudha and neoclassical Attara Kacheri that houses the high court both of which are unfortunately closed to the public but well worth a look.
After walking for another two miles still not feeling too well we decided to catch a bus to the main shopping area of M.G Road as we were told this was the place to see. After getting directions from the locals in sign language, pointing, nodding and smiling we found the bus stand and were lucky that a bus stopped because of the insightful conductor who saw us looking bewildered at the roadside and told the driver to stop for us.
We had made the right decision as MG Road was another mile and half away and it was great to view the city from the comfort of padded seats and air conditioning, this was the best bus we had travelled on by far. We relaxed as we observed the university complexes (well known in Bangalore) and sports stadium and the change in architecture as the deeper we went the more the high rises, glass fronted shopping centers and branded designer stores became apparent. We got off at the far end of MG Road and were drawn to a glitzy shopping arcade like moth's to a flame. We were tired and hungry so found the food court and Cafe coffee Day "A lot can happen over coffee" which is India's version of "Costa" or "Starbucks" and treated ourselves to a Grande Cappuccino and a Strawberry blush (Crushed ice blended with fresh strawberry juice) Naughty but so nice and much needed when complemented with a spicy chicken sandwich and veg burger. After blowing the day's budget and abusing the free WiFi for an hour and half we were ready to shop for essentials and continue the walking tour.
Essentials actually became a whole new outfit for Steph that was a lovely treat but needed as the traveller vibe was not cutting it in the big cities and just attracted more stares and negative attention. It also made me feel a whole lot better as I was feeling more poorly by the minute, that's how we justified it anyway
We walked back along the full length of MG road and were surprised with what we found after the hype that surrounded it. It was a main road full of pollution and congestion laden with nice new shops and malls but all selling the same range of clothes, jewellery and household luxuries. The streets housed the familiar stalls with the cheaper goods and poor quality tourist souvenirs but nothing new. Instead of walking back through the park in the dark we decided to detour through the city streets and hope for the best with regards to direction, this is where we found more examples of the cosmopolitan vibe with a "Hard rock cafe" and various wine bars and fine dining restaurants alongside pristine office complexes. what amused us the most was the writing on the wall "Please do not urinate here" at least they are trying.
We found our way back onto the main road (thanks to Rod,Rod) and squeezed ourselves on a locals bus heading back towards Majestic. It would of been quicker to walk the last two miles as the traffic wasn't moving but it is always a good way of people watching and observing life going on around you. We disembarked into the craziness and ambled our way through like it was a stroll in the park. It is funny how we start the day leaving the comfort of the hotel stepping into chaotic, mad,noisy, hot, dusty, polluted day but having spent the day amongst it all you become oblivious to the noise and the traffic and the people and adjust your speed to suit and let it wash over you (well mostly).
We found ourselves outside the locals place from the previous night, they spotted us lingering and welcomed us in and found us a table. We love these kind of restaurants they are basic as you like but clean, full of locals and the food is always amazing. We tucked into Malai Kofta, rice and Garlic Naan with a litre of water all of which cost us 1.60 and filled us both to burst. We only had to walk to the bottom of the street for our hotel but with the amount of activity crammed into such a small space it took some effort to get through. We finally made it and got an early night ready for our train the next day.
We only had a limited time in Bangalore and would only be returning for a short overnight stay so we didn't get to experience the city to it's full potential. It is an upcoming place, an established business and IT hub and an important city in the economical growth of India but we feel it still has to come to terms with the multiple identities and the expansion and growth that has been forced upon it. We would like to return some time take in the sights and see what change brings about.
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