Bangalore - A City Under Construction

Written Jan 5, 2012 at 2am
We arrived in Frankfurt with a 2 hour lay over. We attempted to change currency but the lady didn't exactly know what she was doing. So instead, we walked around and looked at the shops which were a little over our budget. And of course, when in Germany, do as the Germans do - drink beer!!!! It was light beer and cost $7 - I enjoyed it!

The flight to India seemed never ending and we all decided we would never fly to the opposite side of the world again! haha.  We met several interesting people on our way that gave us all sorts of advice and stories. One lady was an MIT grad working in India for the year. She helped us a lot - don't stare into a man's eyes, make the rickshaw use their meters, and don't eat at extremely fancy places. She also told us of her love story with her Indian boyfriend, which we found fascinating. In the end, we all got to India safely with our luggage - WHOOP!
India has been full of surprises so far. The men at the airport dress like guards. The air here is humid and smells almost of citrus.
My best description is: Bangalore - A City Under Construction. Everywhere you look there are construction trucks, metal shacks, half demolished buildings, stray dogs, bumpy roads, trucks with wood, grass, and covered in burlap. There's no organization to traffic - cars beep and push around our bus. As far as I can tell India has no lanes. As I sit in the bus bumping up and down, I wonder - How could this place ever pass the US economically? Where is the hope? As we drive down the empty silent streets I can't picture a bright future. I see a place that needs a bulldozer and a dumpster. I see depression, filth, and poverty. Maye the light of day will change my perspective, but I can't see how. I find myself wishing we had military escorts.