Like any good tourist, I decided to go on a sightseeing tour in Bangalore, together with Verena. Like any good tourist, I booked one at the KSTDC, the Karnataka State Tourism and Development Corporation. This is the offical tourist agency of Karnataka. We booked an all-day tour (half-day tours were not available on weekends), which was scheduled to start at 7:15 am.
So I got up at 5 am (well, I set my alarm clock at 5 am, and got up at 5:20 :)), and we set off with our driver (we figured it would be easier than getting a rickshaw this early in the morning). Well, I called it a chronicle, so:
5:00 Wake up.
5:20 Get up, shower, eat an apple as breakfast
6:00 Leave for the KSTDC headquarters (Driver, the day before: „Takes us at least an hour“)
6:20 Arrive at the KSTDC office. Find noone but the sleeping guard.
6:30 Wake up guard. Buses do not leave at here, but at the KSTDC booking counter. Had asked the day before at least 3 times, if the buses really leave at the headquarters…
6:35 Find rickshaw driver. Explain him where we want to go.
6:45 Finally found someone who knows the way. Leave for KSTDC booking counter
7:00 Arrive there. Proceed to counter. „Ooh, sorry, tour is canceled. You want to convert this ticket to half-day tour, leaving at 2 pm?“ „But we called yesterday, they said there were no half-day tours on weekends…“ „Oh, big communications gap in India.“ How true! Converted tickets to half-day tour, bought additional one for Michael. Got our change back, tickets now only 140 Rs.
7:30 Returned to the Guesthouse, had real breakfast
12:45 Left again for KSTDC booking counter. Rickshaw driver took a nice, locg detour. Took us almost an hour to get there.
14:00 Scheduled departure
14:08 Left for the Sightseeing Tour
14:15 Arrived at the „Centennial Exhibition of the Nobel Prize“. Nice displays, but an hour not nearly enough for it.
15:30 Left the exhibition.
15:55 Arrived at the Tipu Sultan’s Summer Palace. Its … well … a hall. With pillars. And … and … and ……. Decided not to pay 100 Rs (5 Rs for Indian residents) for entry.
16:15 Left from the palace.
16:40 Arrived at the shopping. Some shops along the street. Nothing else. Found something to eat and drink.
17:05 Left from the shopping.
17:20 Arrived at the Lal Bagh Botanical Gardens. Finally a reason why Bangalore is called (or rather, has been called) The City of Gardens. Just beautiful. Large lake, on which you can even boat. Had a nice walk, made nice pictures, enjoyed fresh air for a change.
18:20 Left Lal Bagh gardens. Were almost the last at the bus 🙂
18:45 Arrived at the Bull Temple. Fourth largest temple in India. It’s a temple with a bull in it. It’s even allowed to take pictures there…
19:00 Left the Bull Temple. First at the bus this time.
19:05 Arrived at the a Shiva Temple. Found out that there are even some hills in Bangalore. Temple is very interesting, gets very narrow, carved directly into the rock. Don’t miss the shoe drop-off point, like we did ;).
19:15 Left the Shiva Temple. Decided not to take the bus back, but go directly to the Guesthouse. Good decision.
19:50 Arrived at the Guesthouse. Just in time for (the other) Michael’s farewell party.
So, I finally saw all the important landmarks in Bangalore. The only advantage of the tour is the rather cheap transportation, but you just don’t have enough time. I could have stayed another hour in the Lal Bagh Park. And when you take the bus, it will even be cheaper. By the way, entry fees (15 Rs Exhibition, 100 Rs Tipu’s Palace, 10 Rs Lal Bagh) are not included in the price.Find the pictures in the Gallery!
So I can now relax and refresh after my Sunday shopping trip. I got all the important things: suit (3000 Rs), shoes (1100 Rs), gifts (price not disclosed). I hope you also had a nice weekend 🙂 Only four more weeks in Bangalore 🙁