Brie Austin

Day One in Bangalore India: Lalbagh

Saturday.  I’m jet-lagged, but decided to see some sights.  I left the hotel and was immediately reminded that I was somewhere else: there were four cows roaming the street. I flagged down a rickshaw and ended up at the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens.  After an hour or so, I headed back to the neighborhood by my hotel to see what I could find.

Lalbagh Botanical Gardens

The Lalbagh Botanical Gardens (click link to view photos) covers 240 aches. It was a nice couple of hours to enjoy the nature: the sound of birds were everywhere.  Compared to the NY Botanical gardens I was used to, this was more of just a park.

I flagged another rickshaw and a few minutes later was back near the hotel.  I walked a few blocks and stumbled onto the fresh produce market. I haven’t tasted anything yet. I think I’ll wait until next week to experience that.

The locals of course spotted me a foreigner immediately, but it was my cigar that drew the most intriguing looks: one guy approached to ask me what it was, what it was called, and where I got it.

Along a few streets were wood carvers applying their craft (I’m told they come from villages outside the city). The statues range n price from R150- R300 (about US$3 – $6).

Nearby Villagers wood carving

The workmanship is great, and a few friends that saw photos of them posted on my Facebook page have already put their orders in.

Yes, I began by saying there were cows roaming the streets.

About Brie Austin

Co-author of I'd Do It Again, he is a columnist/reporter for a variety of magazines in the areas of music, lifestyle, nightlife, travel and business. He also writes business documents and creates copy for websites.