Russian and I, throughout our adventures in India, have decided to call ourselves Stumble and Bumble. We interchange between the two, dependent on the situation, however through it all we are still going and loving every bit of India that we are seeing.
A lot of it has to do with the Indian people and how they have treated us. No matter where we have met them, they have been nothing but very helpful with a smile to boot. Willing to talk to us about our trip, Australia and of course cricket and to our surprise have wanted photos with us.
With the WPL on every night, it gives us the morning and afternoon to explore the sights, sounds and smells of this thriving metropolis.
Bengaluru has a tropical savanna climate with distinct wet and dry seasons. Due to its high elevation, the city enjoys a more moderate climate throughout the year, although occasional heat waves can make summer somewhat uncomfortable. The temperature ranges from between 19 overnight and 32 during the day.
The warm sunny days haven’t been too hot which has allowed us to walk around and explore. We feel like this is the best way to fully experience the city and not just get a happy snap out of a window as we pass by. And yes we have stumbled across many a little shop or animal that we wouldn’t have seen if we were in a car.
So where have we visited:
Cubbon Park – is a 135 hectare park laid out in 1864. Named in honour of the then Chief Commissioner of the state of Mysore Sir Mark Cubbon with Vidhana Soudra the seat of the Secretariat and State Legislature nearby. In amongst the hustle and bustle of central Bengaluru, it is an oasis for locals & visitors alike.
Four kilometres around, the space offers different area’s for quite reflection or sitting with friends & family. Majestic old trees provide shade & a home for squirrels & birds. The park seems to be frequented by young lovers, friends out dancing or sitting around talking & families.
Russian got a dance lesson from two very nice young ladies that were only to happy to try to teach the dance that had been practicing. Head to our Instagram or Facebook page to see the video.
K R Markets – sprawled out over a very large area surrounding the large Sri Krishnara Jendra Market building. Hundreds of stalls set out on the ground with no space between them, yet it was so very neat and organised. Selling very fresh produce from tomatoes to durian and flowers.
With some of the flowers meticulously made into beautiful strands similar to necklaces & fresh herbs carefully bunched up into small neat little parcels. Inside the building although it was dark & dilapidated the stalls were permanent & sold more homewares, spices etc.
The market catered for everything you could possibly want from getting clothing mended or made, knives made & sharpened or getting a fresh squeezed juice while you waited. The array of produce, the kaleidoscope of colour, sounds of bartering, honking horns & the aromatic smells especially around all the spices was to me the essence of India.
It was packed with people doing their everyday shopping in this place. It was also packed with carts, motor bikes, Autos (Tuk tuks) & meandering cows. The colour of the market was duplicated in some of the traditional clothing that people were wearing & in the flowers braided into their hair.
I loved it & could have spent many more hours there exploring around. Again, as I have said before, everyday whether in Vadodara, or here in Bengaluru, I have in no way felt haggled or uncomfortable.
On the several kilometre walk back (to a great coffee shop the Ajji Subko) Russian stumbled upon some kids having a hit of cricket in a lane way amongst the traffic. I got to have a hit, but will not trouble any of the WPL players for their position in any of the Teams 🙃
Stay tuned for the Part 2 of us exploring Bengaluru.
Rina & Russian
