Blogs from Karnataka, India, Asia - page 16

Currently I am sitting at the airport waiting for a flight to Goa... I got here extremely early so I thought it was time for an update. There hasn't been much adventuring for me over the past few weeks so I thought I might make a list of things I have learned that may be of use to someone wanting to travel to Bangalore. Please understand I must only say Bangalore because people from other places tell me they are totally different to here and different things apply but I guess some general things will be consistent. So must begin by saying that one month is as long as it takes to feel adjusted. I have found myself a routine and some coping mechanisms for spending a lot of time on my own - a healthy ... read more

This was to be one of the hardest weeks of my life - I just didn't know it yet! It is not until I leave the airport that the gravity of my decision hits me, It's 1am Sunday Morning, my escort leads me straight on to the road where we are walking amongst the taxi traffic, which is hectic by the way, there is absolutely no system on the roads here, people just do whatever they want, horns honking. After finally getting ushered to the cab rank and getting in the cab we are off in to the extremeness of the traffic. It truly has to be seen for one to even grasp how crazy it is on the road (there is 'no traffic' right now either because it's so early, oh my!), I thought I ... read more

Bangalore Palace Bangalore, India is the Silicon Valley of the East. Mild weather, easy to use public transportations, friendly locals, with a touch of modernization shapes Bangalore's charm. Bangalore has a reputation for being the fastest developing city in India. It is also the I.T. capital of world, I think...Unfortunately, I was in a rush to get to Kerala and only spent one night there. That was enough to convince me of how livable it is for a foreigner such as myself. Edit: I didn't get a chance to fully explore Bangalore. I missed a chance to meet up with a local friend of mine who attended University out there. He would have been abl... read more

We last minute decided to go to Hampi, we weren't going to bother as its a pain to get to but we re routed ourselves and could get from Hampi to Bangalore and from here we could continue south to Kerala, we also looked at lots of pictures on the internet and decided we had to go if we were near it. Hampi itself is a small village built as close as possible to the sights and literally there to cater for the tourists, all the locals live up the road In Hospet near the train station. Hampu itself is a UNESCO heritage site as the ruins within it are from the Vijayanagara Empire. The historical sights can be dated back to 1343 - so VERY old. There are many Hindu temples, military buildings (including an ... read more

The night passed without incident....a pre-ordered breakfast of Indian stuff arrived 20 minutes late, we part consumed, then set off. Stopped to visit a couple of tombs on the outskirts of town then on to Gulbarga. In 1991 a man called Michael Kent wrote a detailed description of the Deccan sights, an interesting book though one which will detain no-one unless they David's interest in these matters. He mentioned that in Gulbarga, a foul and unpleaceable odour emanated from the fetid green moat. The moat has long since dried up but we can report that same odour now seems to engulf you wherever you go in the town.......more 14th century battlements, mosques etc, but we had to flee because of the stink. The day however gets better because unbeknownst to us or our driver, Narendra Modi, ... read more