Adventures in India

I have heard tales of the fabled "market". Q: Hey where did you get that? A: The market. So today I asked my driver, where is "The Market"? He replied "which market?" and I thought, "Great, I'll never understand this town." However, after a few more moments of broken conversation he decided that I meant the "City Market". It probably took us 30 mins of driving to get there from HSR Layout, but I saw a lot of the city on the way. However, when we arrived I was less than impressed. We pulled into what looks like a standard BDA Complex style mall and pretty small at that. I asked the driver, "Is this it?". He replied, "No, there is no parking at the City Market" and that we had to go the last little bit on foot. So you walk down very normal looking streets lined with normal looking shops and then you turn onto a seemingly nondescript street.

Wow! I have never seen anything like this in real life before. I have seen pictures and video and really populated markets and streets, but never imagined it would feel so overwhelming. I assume that if I stayed longer and was more comfortable with this environment it would be fine, but I was definitely the crazy tourist, just trying to look around as much as possible and take in everything I could. I did not have a camera with me to take pictures, but even if I did I don't think it would describe the scene. Tiny little shops, bursting onto the street outside. Hundreds of people trying hurriedly to get where they are going, or standing waiting on the service of the shop they are at. Cars, bikes, tempos, scooters all try to push there way through the mass of people in narrow streets. Blocks and blocks of electronics stores, all right next to each other. A block of stores for your favorite category. If you can't find it here, it may not exist in Bangalore.

I felt sure that my wallet would be gone by the time I made it out, but it didn't seem like anyone paid me any mind. I bought what I needed and got out, but for a country boy this experience was quite an adventure!