Yesterday was our final day in India. We started the day with a visit to Mindtree, which has beautiful facilities on the west side of the city. To get there, we drove past some interesting places like the old city center and its fruit market, around which the streets were teeming with people.
I couldn't believe the infrastructure we encountered on our way to Mindtree - or lack thereof. Bangalore is the 5th largest city in India, with about 10 million people. The city just seems to go on forever, and there is no good way to get around. We saw elevated roads to nowhere in various states of completion. We drove across dirt patches with potholes that rocked the bus. We traveled on streets paved in the middle but lined with rubble along the edges. At one point we passed workers scooping up dirt along the median and I just couldn't see the point of it. Why? And why this spot? What about the rest of the city? Finally we turned off the "main" road onto and unmarked, poorly surfaced side road in an industrial-looking area when all of a sudden we arrived at the pristine, landscaped, lush Mundtree campus, complete with working sprinkler systems and putting greens.
Our afternoon was spent on a nice city tour where we visited the Bull Temple and botanical gardens. An unexpected stop was a visit to a Sikh temple, where we got a tour and an introduction to the religion. In the evening we hung out at the hotel. Some people got henna tattoos, but I blogged and ran across the street in the rain to get a wonderful gift for Barry. Before leaving for the airport, the owner of our tour company bought dinner for Tia, Ramesh, and me.
We left for the airport at 9:30 pm, boarded the flight at 1:05 am and left India shortly thereafter. Here I sit now in the airport in Paris, just before 11 am. I think I will eat something, but I'm not sure what to do... it's already 2:30 pm India time, but it's only 5 am at home and I know we will get some sort of food on the plane. I guess I will make it a "lunch" just for fun.
Stay tuned... once I get home I will post photos and video. (Not immediately; first I will sleep!)
No comments:
Post a Comment