Last Day in India

Last Day in India

Saturday, Dec. 2, 2006--Bangalore (Cont.)

I ate at a nearby restaurant in the evening. They specialize in chicken and had lots of choices on their menu. I ordered Punjabi chicken with gravy and got steamed rice to go with it. The chicken was boneless and in a rich golden sauce which was spicy with both green and dried red chile peppers. I gulped it down.

Sunday, Dec. 3, 2006--Bangalore

I got a haircut this morning. I have been needing one. The last one I got was in Vietnam about 10 weeks ago or more. But when I had asked in other cities, I had been quoted a high price as a foreigner. I knew that a haircut should be 20-25 rupees from my time at the school last year and from asking people on the streets. Today, the guy asked for 25 rupees, so I sat down quickly. As usual with any haircut I get, I had to clean it up some when I got back to my room, but it was essentially a good haircut for about 60 cents.

I walked to the Botanical Gardens from the barber shop. I looked for a restaurant along the way but never saw anywhere that appealed to me. I hoped there would be one inside the gardens once I arrived there, but there wasn't. I was happy, however, to see that the admission price was the same for everyone. I bought my 7 rupee ticket and entered. It's a very nice, large garden area that is very popular as a Sunday destination. Like everyone else, I spent part of my time wandering the gardens and part of my time sitting in the shade. There is a big lake, a Japanese garden, a glass house (only a glass roof, since the weather here is so nice that a hothouse isn't needed for plants), etc. There are fountains, statues, formal gardens, open fields, etc. It was a pleasant place to wander. But it was also a nice place to relax. I took my book I'm reading with me and sat on a bench that allowed me to read while also glancing up occasionally to watch the parade of people wandering through the park.

On the way back to my hotel, I passed the summer palace of Sultan Tippu (with a foreigner's entrance 20 times that of the local's), Bangalore Fort (closed), and the City Market (a hive of activity spilling out into narrow streets for several blocks going away from it). I didn't eat until I got back into my neighborhood at 4:30, so it became my only meal of the day. I returned to the chicken place where I ate the night before. Almost everyone there was having the chicken biriyani, so I had it, too.

The cyber cafe was closed, so I couldn't get on the Internet. Instead, I returned to my hotel at 5:15 and stayed in for the rest of the day.

Monday, Dec. 4, 2006--Bangalore

I had to use earplugs for most of the night due to loud talking and a TV playing in a nearby room. Normally, I can put my earplugs in to go to sleep and take them out an hour or so later when the hotel is quiet. I'm sure the noise last night continued until 2:30 or 3:00 in the morning! I took the plugs out at least 3 times only to find there was still noise.

I went to Cubbon Park this morning to read. On the way, I went by the Queen's Palace--the parliament building for the Karnataka. They have built a new building beside it in the same style, so i got a photo showing the two. I also went by the High Court building, a colonial red-brick building across the street and on the edge of the park. The park is halfway between my hotel and downtown. So after relaxing and reading for a while, I walked to town and ate lunch at KFC. I had their spicy chicken sandwich with fries and a Coke. It was good--better than either of the chicken sandwiches at McDonald's here. I was still a little hungry, so I went to an ice cream place nearby and had a hot fudge sundae. It was good, too.

I tried to buy gifts to take to Denmark as dinner party house gifts, but I ran into trouble. I had already decided what I wanted--specialty products from a particular shop. But when I went to the shop, they didn't have enough of my first item on the list. I prepared a list of everything I wanted and asked if they could have it all tomorrow. He told me that he could do it. I hope so, or I will have to leave the country without what I intended to take with me. Anyway, I am to check there again tomorrow at 6:00 o'clock and pick up the items (IF he has been able to get them for me).

Ate an early dinner at a fast-food place. Had a spicy fried rice with vegetables done in a Chinese style.

Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2006--Bangalore

Today is my last day in India. My flight to Franfurt where I will connect to a flight to Copenhagen leaves tonight early tomorrow morning (late tonight). I paid for my hotel room for the night and will stay there until about 11:00 p.m., I guess. Then I will head to the airport via an autorickshaw.

Last night, I washed my pants, underwear, and socks I had worn. All my other pants, underwear, and socks were clean. The shirt I had worn yesterday and two others I have worn recently are getting old and are rather faded, so I plan to just leave them in the room. The boys who do the hotel cleaning will be happy to have them, I think.

I have packed everything except my toothbrush and the gift items I hope to pick up tonight. I have no plans for the day, however. I will eat lunch and then spend the afternoon at the hotel, I think. I hope I can take a nap. It would help with the fact that I will sleep little tonight. I'm looking forward to being in Copenhagen tomorrow and seeing everyone there.