Bangalore

Unfortunately my four days in Bangalore did not qualify me to write about the place. I spent three days cooped in the hotel, which for some reason did not even give a view of Bangalore sun. I ventured out on my fourth day, taking an auto rickshaw to Garruda Mall, a recommendation at the hotel reception. I would have gone to Mysore, but wasn't able to plan properly. Garruda turns out to be a modern mall, small by Philippine standards.

I decided to just visit a bookstore. It did not have an impressive collection though, unlike some bookstores in Delhi. Still I found myself Amartya Sen's latest book - The Idea of Justice.

I walked around the nearby streets. The weather was cool. However I did not find any place of particular interest. By 2 pm I decided to head back to the hotel getting another rickshaw.

This driver coming back happened to be one of the sort that gives a place a bad reputation. He asked for 200 rupees after I boarded. He reduced it to 120 after I asked to go down, although I know it was still overpriced (but I was not about to engage in extended haggling). It turns out he wasn't even familiar with the place I was coming back to, and I ended up having to call the hotel for directions. When I went down at the hotel, he was insisting to increase the fare again to 200 for the extended time spent looking for the hotel. I wouldn't haved minded, knowing the high cost of gas, but he was trying to sound threatening: "That's the last for you, sir!" Just the thing to set a batangueno off: "Are you threatening me?"

Coming back to the hotel I was prepared to just use up my remaining time doing internet and work at the lobby (I already checked out earlier, any my flight is midnight.) But the hotel offered to give me a room! That sure more than made up for the rickshaw incident.

The lesson as always: plan ahead on outside travel. Pity I was on such rush coming to Bangalore I didn't have time for that. Hope I can come back here some other time.