Byatangajwe: 06.06.2019
On the way to my volunteer project in Andhra Pradesh, I landed in Bangalore. Of course, since I've been there, I had to use the opportunity right away to get to know the city in two days.
So as I arrived at the airport, a taxi took me directly to my hotel. As soon as we arrived in Bangalore I unexpectedly got quite a culture shock. Although Bangalore is a very modern city, influenced by Western influences.
However, my patience and nerves in the middle of the loud city were very strained.
You hear constantly shrilling, penetrating noises in all possible variations. I often asked myself, 'Why ?!' they have to honk here permanently.
Quickly I decided to visit two parks on the two days to escape this hectic, energy-consuming hustle and bustle. On my plan was the Chubbon Park, 1.5 km from my hotel. It is considered the 'Central Park of Bengalore'.
There I could really come down and process these many stimuli. The park is really huge and you can stay there for a long time if you love nature, like me:) π³π΄
The next day I visited the Lal Bagh, a botanical garden in the town center. π±πΉI also liked this one very much. There were so many different trees and plants, including jackfruit trees. I also discovered some adorable monkeys. πππ
Of course, I wanted to gather more impressions and took a Riksha to the Shivonam Shiva Temple, where a huge Shiva and Ganesha statue was built.
With the purchased ticket I could participate in several small 'temple ceremonies'. It was totally interesting to experience this in another part of India π
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So far, I have always enjoyed rickshaws and there was never any problem with the drivers, except for a few discrepancies in the price bargaining. Here, however, I have experienced several times that riksha drivers have dropped me off in some shops without my consent ('just looking, wait there ..), before they targeted my actual goal.
Not amused, I entered the store and bought after obtrusive babbling a small wooden anesha.
The same thing happened to me the next day. I told the rickshaw driver my goal and not 10 minutes later I landed where? Exactly in the same souvenir shop from the day before. Really outrageous. ππ
I was really angry about this brazen behavior and the lost time. But that's their trick. When tourists buy something in the shops, the drivers get something out of it. π Well. To enrich another experience π
Incidentally, the Riksha driver also mentioned a street market nearby as a tip. So I let myself be driven there and could not believe my eyes.
The street was crowded with people. Traders, fruits and other goods as far as the eye can see !!!! It was a jumble. The Oktoberfest in Munich at peak time is nothing compared to it.π
(In the picture in the gallery there is nothing to suspect of it π)
I was just pushed along with the flow, whether I wanted it or not. If you did not pay attention, your foot would have been run over by one of the many motorcycles or rikshas.
There is no safety distance there. π«
It was nonetheless an interesting experience to see the real town lifeππ€£. I heard from an Indian woman that there was such a commotion, as the preparations for the 3-day sugar festival of the Muslims were in full swing.
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In the evening I ended my evenings at the Rooftop Bar. From there I had a great view over Bangalore.
On the last day I dabbled in the morning in the hotel pool on the 16th floor and then I enjoyed the Indian-Western breakfast buffet.
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I could definitely take interesting and beautiful impressions from here. Most of the time, however, the city, especially those loud noises and bad smells, have been a huge challenge for me.
Once again, I would definitely not plan a stopover here anymore. π ββοΈ
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On the way to my volunteer project in Andhra Pradesh, I landed in Bangalore. Since I have been there before, I took the opportunity to get to know the city in two days.
As soon as I arrived at the airport, a taxi took me directly to my hotel. Unfortunately, when I arrived in Bangalore, I experienced a significant culture shock as the city is extremely loud. Bangalore is a very modern city with a Western influence.
However, I found it difficult to cope with the noise and chaos of the city. The constant honking of horns in all different variations became very annoying. I often wondered why they felt the need to honk all the time.
To escape from the hectic and draining atmosphere, I decided to visit two parks during my two days in Bangalore. One of the parks on my itinerary was Chubbon Park, which is located 1.5 km away from my hotel. It is known as the 'Central Park of Bangalore'.
Chubbon Park provided a peaceful and serene environment where I could relax and enjoy nature. The park is huge and perfect for nature lovers like me π³π΄.
The next day, I visited Lal Bagh, a botanical garden located in the city center. π±πΉ I was impressed by the variety of trees and plants, including jackfruit trees. I also had the chance to see some monkeys playing around πππ.
I also wanted to experience more of Bangalore, so I took a rickshaw to visit the Shivonam Shiva Temple, which houses a massive statue of Shiva and Ganesh.
With the ticket I purchased, I was able to participate in several temple ceremonies. It was a fascinating experience to witness the rituals and traditions of a different part of India π.
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Until now, I have always enjoyed rickshaw rides and never had any issues with the drivers, except for some disagreements over the price. However, in Bangalore, I encountered a few dishonest drivers who would drop me off at shops without my consent before taking me to my actual destination.
I was not happy with this behavior and wasted both time and money. But I learned that this is a common tactic used by rickshaw drivers to earn commission from the shops. π Well, it was another learning experience π.
One of the rickshaw drivers also recommended a street market nearby, so I decided to visit it. When I arrived, I was amazed by the bustling atmosphere and the variety of goods for sale.
The street was crowded with vendors selling fruits and other items. It was a lively and vibrant scene, much more hectic than the Oktoberfest in Munich π.
(The picture in the gallery doesn't do justice to the liveliness of the market π)
I was swept along with the crowd, and at times, it felt chaotic and unsafe, with motorcycles and rickshaws passing by closely. There were no safety distances maintained. π«
Nevertheless, it was an interesting experience to witness the hustle and bustle of a street market in India ππ€£. I learned from a local woman that the commotion was due to the preparations for a 3-day sugar festival celebrated by the Muslim community.
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In the evening, I enjoyed the view of Bangalore from a rooftop bar, which offered a stunning panoramic view of the city.
On my last day, I started the morning by relaxing in the hotel pool on the 16th floor, followed by a delicious Indian-Western breakfast buffet.
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I have definitely had interesting and beautiful experiences here. However, the city, especially the loud noises and unpleasant smells, can become overwhelming.
Based on my experience, I would not recommend planning a stopover in Bangalore π ββοΈ.
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