6. Sights around Bangalore

Bangalore Palace

One of the top ten places to visit when you get to Bangalore.  Built in 1887 at a cost of Rs 199,000 (19.900 GBP) and designed to look similar to Windsor Palace it is an amazing piece of architecture. with wonderful gardens.

Vidana Soudha

Another immensely grand building made out of granite and porphyry it has  three hundred rooms which  accommodate twenty two departments of the state government.

Shopping Malls

 

There's no shortage of opportunities to shop in Bangalore.  From modern and sprawling shopping Malls, liked Garuda mall pictured above to the crammed streets of the city with humbler stores.  Deals for the shopper and not just the tourist.

 

 

  Whatever you are looking for you will find in Bangalore - it is a complex tangle of lanes with branded showrooms,  street stalls, emporiums, factory outlets, easy on the wallet and offering affordable retail therapy.   Bring empty suitcases to India and take them home full.

Vineyards?- Yes!

The weather and fertile soil of Bangalore has been a bonus to the wine trade. Wineries are mushrooming around the city and there are lots of tours.  We have tasted several Indian wines and have been impressed with Big Banyan Sauvignon Blanc by Grover Vineyards.


Time spent in Bangalore : 13 days

5. No road rage here.....





This is the road outside our apartment - a solid jam every morning and evening.   It's deafening as everyone uses the car horn.   The talk in Bangalore is all about traffic - there's too much and commercial life is badly affected.   The city is building an underground metro but that's years away.

 All Aboard

There are thousands of motorbikes ridden by women as well as men.    Ladies in full saris drive around like pros and whole families clamber aboard.    Helmets are not mandatory.

  The Rolls Royce of Tuc-tuc 

Rakesh is our regular driver for trips around town in his wonderful LPG powered motorized rickshaw with a Rolls Royce sticker on the back.

Rackesh doesn't like using the meter because a 15 minute ride will clock-up only 50 rupees (about   50 pence) so we have to haggle over the fare.

When we moved out of the apartment, Rakesh  organized a second Tuc-Tuc to take the suitcases and we drove across the city in convoy. Frances thought we would never see the bags again but everything worked to order.


4. Pollution




 

 A mist of pollution hangs over the city.   You can smell it and you can see it. People wear facemasks around town.   This morning's paper reports that there's 20% more toxins in the air than Delhi had 10 years ago.    It's a growing problem.