The car from Shanti Bhavan took us to the Bangalore airport where Kathy's flight to a beautiful and relaxing beach in Goa and a Yoga guru awaited her. Since my flight didn't leave for fourteen (!) more hours, I asked Raju, the driver, to take me into town, where I again was entertained by crazy traffic (lane markers are just a suggestion), brazen sounds (don't forget about the horns!), and sights (every available surface brightly painted with colorfully ornate Hindu gods and goddesses), and the manic pace of life in a country with three times as many people as the USA but one fifth the land.
Feeling like an old pro at negotiating with the street merchants in Bangalore, I shopped and shopped, finding hand-embroidered, beaded textiles, silver maharaja anklet charms, enameled brass plates and bowls, incense, hair clips, and Indian clothing. I also stopped at Matteo's, the Western style coffee shop with free wifi, and stayed for hours drinking coffee, eating lunch, working on my blog and catching up on e-mails. But it still wasn't even close to time to catch my plane.
So I braved shopping some more, learning how to cross at a crosswalk with lights for pedestrians (yes there is one in India!). Here's how NOT to do it: Wait at the corner for the little walk sign to turn green, check to make sure traffic has stopped, and then walk across the street. Here's how to do it in Bangalore at the corner of MG Road and Brigade: Whether the light is red or green makes no difference since even the crossing guard pays no attention. Waiting at the corner will never get you across. Be brave, act confident, and attach yourself to the tail of someone who looks local, being sure to dodge the autos, busses, motorcycles, rickshaws, and other pedestrians who are weaving through the honking traffic just as you are!
When I was completely shopped out I called for Raju to drive me back to the airport. By now it was only 8:45 p.m. and my flight wasn't scheduled to leave until 4:45 a.m.! The airport is open-air, meaning that everyone waits outside until time to check in for your flight, and then you can go in the doors. As I waited outside for a few hours in the pleasant evening air, a gentleman sat down next to me. He was polite, nicely dressed, and spoke English well. My guard was up anyway and after an interesting conversation I wasn't at all surprised at the request for rupees. I decided it was time to get myself inside the building.
Inside, I had another interesting conversation about the differences between schools in India and the US. This was with a businessman who travels frequently between the two countries. I learned a lot, it provided context for my experiences, and was a great way to pass the time. After I finally was able to check in for my flight, I went up to the lounge where I discovered a dozen moderrn comfortable reclining chairs gathered around a cricket match on the Cricket channel. It didn't seem like it was the middle of the night, except when I thought about how long I'd been up and how very much longer before I'd be home.
