Bangalore

The train down to Bangalore worked out okay, again it was overnight train so after the usual seat swapping session I settled in for the long haul. In the morning the scenery had changed again becoming more greener again than Pune. Bangalore is known as the Garden City due to the number of gardens both public and private that are all over the city. Unfortunately my train only took me to station on the out-skirts of the city, however a quick check at the ticket desk there got me a Rs14 (10p) ticket on the next train to Bangalore Central. Whilst waiting on the platform I noticed an ancient 'arm scale' weighing machine. It had been manufactured in 1887 by a firm in Middleton, Manchester! I'm trying to recall the name of the company; Jepson/Jameson/Johnson? I really wanted to get a photo of it however there were 2 rather likely lads hanging round near me and I couldn't work out if the were casing my bags or just doing the common staring thing that some people here think is quite normal. Eventually the train pulled in and i jumped on the first carriage that stopped next to me which turned out to be 2AC, the lads didn't follow – they went down to the scrum for General Class. As it turned out, I should have done the same with the ticket I had bought, but it was only 2 stops and 40 mins. down the line, nobody checked, so I got away with it.

On arriving at Bangalore Central I was fairly lost as to which way to go to get off the platform and out of the Station, the signage was poor, and as usual there were what seemed like thousands of people everywhere. After asking a number of people for 'the Exit' and getting complete blank looks, a young lad (called Malcolm) told me in very good English to follow him, in fact it turned out he had worked for in Leicester on one of the systems I had used in BT – small world again! As it happens he was great, along with his girlfriend who was waiting for him at the station they showed me the way over to the Bus Stand and got me onto to right bus for my hotel. I had booked into the Church Street Inn which is right in the centre of the City. One off the bus I tried to get my bearings with my map and asked a couple of people which direction I needed to walk. Unbeknown to me I had been dropped about halfway along MG Road which runs parallel to Church Street and the 2 people I asked pointed the opposite way down MG road. After walking about 2 km the wrong way I realised things were not right , the easy thing would be to jump in an auto which are parked up at every corner however they come at a price, a city tour and a visit to their favorite stores – not what I wanted (I have discovered the best deals are to be had by hailing an auto which is passing, they're less likely to take you on a wild goose chase). Eventually I hailed one and he dropped me as it happens right outside the hotel however I didn't see the entrance until I rang to hotel to confirm where they were. The guy on the phone surprised me when he said I was looking at him, it turned out the hotel entrance was through the back of a book shop! The room was good although as I later found out noisy but did have A/C, TV and free Wifi!

After a quick shower I went out to eat, had a beer and then returned to the hotel to get some sleep.