Bengaluru - Friendly city to start our India tour..

Peep...Peep peeep...peep...PPP(honking is part of driving along the streets of Bangalore)....it's still ringing at the back of our ears at the end of the day. Jeff's says it's organised chaos in the city..that's our impression of Bengaluru (BGL) after half a day out. Interestingly, the locals do not get frustrated with the un-orderly traffic.

Deciding to take it slow, we were back in the apartment after out for 4.5 hours cos it was just too HOT and DRY! It doesn't feel like being in a 8 million populated city as it's not that crowded as we expected it to be. The traffic condition, landscape and air quality of Bangalore is similar to other developing cities like Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh except with fewer mega shopping malls where one can escape to in this heat of the day. 

As some fren/families have been asking us, if India smells like our Little India back home, it DOESN'T!! Since boarded the plane till now, nothing unusual... so it's myth so far for this city. haha..

The locals that we have met so far in BGL have been very friendly and helpful! The service is good in restaurants, shops etc. Kind to show us the way, bring us around, helped us saved $, patiently recommend food to us etc...read the captions below for more.

Enjoy the pics below as not sure when we will have free wifi again. On to Mysore tmw...Nite..=)

Started the day with auto rickshaw city tour..

Streets of Bengaluru(aka Bangalore)

visited bull's temple..(entrance)

Biggest bull carved from a single stone in the country..

closer look of the bull from the side..

chanced upon a real Banyan tree outside the temple. Can u spot the 2 squirrels?

Next stop: Parliament House. It's HUGE and Impressive!

Stop 3: Secret shot of Bangalore Palace (the guard shoo us away, hehe).Din go in cos it costs and we R going to Mysore & the Palace wld be bigger. The current King still resides in this Palace & shuffles between this & Mysore Palace. 

Streets just outside the palace with painted walls. Quite common sights in Bangalore.

Pushy salesman who tried to hard sell me the sari....scarfs, then silk bed sheet..when we resisted all, he got desperate and tried to sell us elephants statues..haha.. quite fun!

As we are really the MINORITY along the streets, we decided to buy these to try to bland in...bought from another shop. Nice? my fav blue!

hmm think I should blend in more now :)

Saw a crowded bus stop after office hours while on our way to dinner. 

The real kachang pudek man!

Found our dinner place recommended by our accom's owner. Really cool and authentic where loads of ppl are chilling out over a cup of coffee

Recommendation of our friendly and patience waiter. Delicious food. Chilli Fish, Chicken Tikka Masala, Garlic & Butter Nan. Really doesn't help Jeff in his slimming down plan for the trip..

 After dinner, we were given this. The waiter explained that it's to freshen up our breath.We tried, it's some seed coated with sugar...taste like Mint though..

Our stomach is still strong after a day of eating..and we bravely shared a cup of milk tea from roadside stall. Tasty. Wont mind a 2nd cup..tasted like with some herb or special tea..

 Lift at our apartment..the kind we can find back home in 1970s. Reminded me of HK serials.. hehe. We din dare to take though...Have been using the stairs..