Bangalore Movies And Stuff

Bangalore 12_12: Worked 10.5 hours a day so not much time to see anything. Also got a cold with sinus headache and tired so I stayed home from work Friday. Today is Saturday and I may venture into work for a few hours to catch up.
The movies only cover one of the restaurants here (the other is Chinese) and my Disneyland taxi ride home from Goodrich Thursday night. Getting home has been an adventure because I don’t know where to meet the driver or if the company or hotel has set up the ride. One night I was waiting in the wrong place but he found me. Thursday night I waited in both spots and after a bit I was feeling way to tired to wait any longer. I could not get the right dialing prefix on the cell to get the hotel to make sure a taxi was sent. Then a 3 wheel taxi came by, slowed down looking at me (I kind of stand out here for some reason). So I waved him down and asked if was going my way. The drivers, from what I hear, have to be in the mood to go where you want to. So he said sure, even though it is only about a 5-10 minute drive.
I started taking pictures after the stop and go traffic let up near the corner. Notice when we turn the corner the car goes past us then there is a cement small “barrier” in the road separating the two directions of traffic. This is of course only a suggestion it appears like so many of the traffic signs. Because as soon as the car goes by us a motorcycle proceeds down “our” side. There doesn’t seem to be many lane marks either so if the road is wide traffic pulses like waves with one direction of traffic expanding to the other side until there is no place for the other direction to go and then it shrinks back. Sort of keeps the whole road filled, and stop signs? Well they do stop for cows and stop lights. Oh yes, throw people crossing the road into all this at a “Y” intersection……….better than an E ticket ride at Disneyland like I said.

Bangalore December 13: Do I have a sign on my back that says “Free Money? The hustle is always on here, even though I try to blend in. It is difficult to separate my perception that I am in Mexico somewhere since I associate the looks of the city with how Mexico is. If not for the women draped in the traditional dress and the occasional India look of architecture I would be speaking Spanish……or at least they would. Guys dress the same in both countries, dogs and cows look the same too.
Botanical Garden is nice and very spacious. I went there for my first walk in two days so that was my objective. The guide said this granite mound I was standing on was the highest point in Bangalore, good city view. Seems like the driver and guide were working a tag team, only a bit thru the thing did I realize I didn’t have to have a guide!! What the heck, $20 here $60 there…….tis the season.
Many more cows in the road but like UFO’s difficult to photograph due to the pace of traffic. Some were sleeping in the medium others grazing on the side.
Went out to TGI Fridays this evening with Dave who is retired from Delta and working at another company. Got a 6 pack of batteries for the camera for $2.50 (100 Rupees). Driving is hard to describe when you head into traffic the wrong way….and everyone seems to expect it. The only rule is to not hit each other I guess.
3 working days left here and I will probably not get out much more……we’ll see.
Feeling better though for having rested the past two days.

Central Area Leading To The Glass House

I guess these are all self explanatory

India In December

Find the Cow 1887 Bangalore Palace
Lord Shiva Statue Elephant Statue
Family out on the road, India Style
High Court Building
Legislative Building
Bangalore Dec. 6:
First day in Bangalore was spent riding around with the hotel driver (can’t spell his name) Senth? We saw Legislative Assembly Building, Lord Shiva Statue, Bangalore Palace, High Court Building, equivalent to the Ruben H Space Fleet Center Science Center, and some spontaneous shopping (carpet and misc. stuff).
But the most impressive was the cows in the street. I only saw 4 of the animals and it was difficult to get pictures of them. We were driving and they were here then gone to quick for me. The only one I got a picture of was one that walked in front of us and we had to slow down. Got the camera fired up but he was past us, so I only got his head.
The Fortune Hotel is very nice with a scented candle and statue posing the standard greeting at the door.
The driving/riding is an experience, with horns always beeping and I do not know how the driver escaped dinging up the car or hitting a person(s) or a dog (many running around). It truly is an organized ciaos that you would need to be from India to appreciate.
So off to work 11 hrs a day for the next 6 days I suppose and will only have next Sunday off to pick some more things to see.So till then…….I stop for Cows.