One of the many things that we love about our neighborhood is that almost everything we need for our day-to-day living is walking distance. And for the few things that we can't walk to, we have Ramesh. This means that we haven't yet had the need to delve into the world of auto-rickshaws. On a number of levels, this really isn't a problem: we have heard so many horror stories about auto's and surly auto drivers that neither of us has had a strong desire to use them. But given their ubiquity throughout not only Bangalore but India in general, we really can't claim to live in Bangalore without experiencing autos. So yesterday, one of our ex-pat friends with more experience in these things than I took me on a brief auto tour of the city.
And it wasn't that bad, or at least not as bad as I was led to believe it would be. The first three drivers we flagged down just stared at us blankly before driving away - we couldn't figure out if we were saying 'Lal Bagh,' our destination, wrong, or if they just didn't want to go to that far. The next two drivers were willing to go to Lal Bagh, but were going to charge a hefty stupid American tax. Finally, we found a driver who knew where we wanted to go, would go there, and would use the meter.
Apparently all the driving around Bangalore has numbed my fear sensors. I really should have been scared out of my mind on the trip: with all the weaving in and out of traffic and taking turns way too fast for a top-heavy three-wheeler, while clipping too many cars, other autos, and motorcycles to count, all in an open-sided rickshaw with a little puttputt engine that had to be pull started at every light I should have been in straight panic mode. But in a way that is really quite disturbing, all that seems pretty normal now. (Hi St. Paul! Have you missed me and my bad driving? Oh, just wait...) So after a first auto ride, my only complaint is that I don't think my back can handle too many trips; Cadillac smooth ride it isn't. I tried to take a video, but it ended up just being a big, shaky blur; hopefully next time I can figure out some stabilizing techniques to get video proof of the adventure.
Our destination for this day out was Lal Bagh Park. Lal Bagh is a massive (240 acre) botanical garden in the heart of Bangalore. It was first commissioned in the late 1700's by Hyder Ali, and completed by his son, Tipu Sultan. The most famous feature of the park is the Glass House, which is modeled on London's Crystal Palace; unfortunately, the Glass House is not only famous but hidden; or at least hidden from us; although we might have seen it and not known what we were seeing.Unfortunately Bangalore is so aspirational we have come to distrust most landmark descriptions. Anyway, we hear it's really impressive and we will have found it before you come to visit. Even without making it to the Glass House, the park is really quite nice: a number of huge rose beds, lots of trees and well laid out walking paths, a good collection of fountains and statue gardens, and all dotted by a host of smaller manicured areas. It is, much like Cubbon but on a grander scale; a nice respite from the hectic city.
And it wasn't that bad, or at least not as bad as I was led to believe it would be. The first three drivers we flagged down just stared at us blankly before driving away - we couldn't figure out if we were saying 'Lal Bagh,' our destination, wrong, or if they just didn't want to go to that far. The next two drivers were willing to go to Lal Bagh, but were going to charge a hefty stupid American tax. Finally, we found a driver who knew where we wanted to go, would go there, and would use the meter.
Apparently all the driving around Bangalore has numbed my fear sensors. I really should have been scared out of my mind on the trip: with all the weaving in and out of traffic and taking turns way too fast for a top-heavy three-wheeler, while clipping too many cars, other autos, and motorcycles to count, all in an open-sided rickshaw with a little puttputt engine that had to be pull started at every light I should have been in straight panic mode. But in a way that is really quite disturbing, all that seems pretty normal now. (Hi St. Paul! Have you missed me and my bad driving? Oh, just wait...) So after a first auto ride, my only complaint is that I don't think my back can handle too many trips; Cadillac smooth ride it isn't. I tried to take a video, but it ended up just being a big, shaky blur; hopefully next time I can figure out some stabilizing techniques to get video proof of the adventure.
Our destination for this day out was Lal Bagh Park. Lal Bagh is a massive (240 acre) botanical garden in the heart of Bangalore. It was first commissioned in the late 1700's by Hyder Ali, and completed by his son, Tipu Sultan. The most famous feature of the park is the Glass House, which is modeled on London's Crystal Palace; unfortunately, the Glass House is not only famous but hidden; or at least hidden from us; although we might have seen it and not known what we were seeing.Unfortunately Bangalore is so aspirational we have come to distrust most landmark descriptions. Anyway, we hear it's really impressive and we will have found it before you come to visit. Even without making it to the Glass House, the park is really quite nice: a number of huge rose beds, lots of trees and well laid out walking paths, a good collection of fountains and statue gardens, and all dotted by a host of smaller manicured areas. It is, much like Cubbon but on a grander scale; a nice respite from the hectic city.
One of the main entrance gates into Lal Bagh
In a very crowded city, a great place for a stroll
Sri Chamaraja Wodeyar, 23rd Maharaja of Mysore
We couldn't figure out why the Seven Dwarfs have their own garden, but they do
The best in show from a half-hearted topiary garden
Lal Bagh lake
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