Some people travel to India in search of spirituality. Others aim to discover an exotic culture. There are also those who come on business. And the latter, most lands here in the «Silicon Valley» of the country.

Visit Bangalore is an experience that affects all five senses. And no one comes out of it unscathed. Because the images of the city bear some sadness and destitution sitting in any corner between deafening noise of horns day and night, while working tirelessly progress. Because sometimes nauseating smell mixed with a cloud of combustion. Because what may seem to an alien unusual in India is the everyday: if cars do not respect pedestrians, just a cow stepped on the pavement so that everything stops.

It is essential to be attentive. Not because it is a dangerous place, but because its streets have few traffic lights, many vendors, beggars lying in a nearly invisible paths, destroyed or occupied by a narrow food stall. And we must always be alert, watching for the cute monkeys running wild through the city and could easily take the camera from a tourist.

A typical visit can begin at the Bangalore Palace. You have to enter through a park to get to this building in 1887. The Tudor style of architecture was inspired by Windsor castle and its rooms are open from 2005 to those who want to visit. The value of entry ($ 12) is complemented with photographs surcharge ($ 30), although there is always the option of not paying the bonus and keep the camera in the bag …

It is not uncommon sights in charge a permit to use the camera and in the case of Bangalore Palace, who still has not entered and want to photograph the facade certainly hear the complaint of one of his guards asked to pay first entry.

Another site to visit is the Bull Temple, one of the oldest and most famous of the city. The colors and details of its construction gladden the landscape. There you can admire the statue of the sacred bull Nandi, made in a single piece of granite and measuring 4.5 meters high and just over 6 long. They say that touching it brings good luck.

In the way you can pass in front of Vidhana Soudha, the seat of the Legislature to take a picture of this monumental building. And another missed: the palace of Tipu Sultan, built in 1791 entirely of wood and surrounded by lush vegetation.

When you finish this basic distance, there is still time to stroll through the large number of parks was famous as the Garden City Bangalore. Among them, the two most important note: Cubbon Park, a sort of Indian Central Park and Lal Bagh, the botanical garden in the city.

A group of people running and screaming hyper street near a mall. Their smiling faces and their clothes are dyed colors. Participants of the festival of Holi, celebrated every year when spring arrives to ward off bad energy and the positive color. The celebration begins with the first full moon of March, when people go out into the streets to throw colored powder, of which not saved almost anyone who passes by.

The visual spectacle is impressive. One may become paralyzed observing everything around him. Beyond holidays like Holi, the color worn by the women is infinite. Among men, some dressed in Doti (white cloth knotted at the hip) and it’s hard not to get distracted watching the carts drawn by tuk tuk (mini transport), which populate the streets, especially between the scenery of the huge advertisements of multinational companies.

The good news is that all notices and road signs are written in English and subtitled in Hindi, or vice versa. There are no problems to follow and understand. Most of the population speaks English, which along with the Hindi are the official languages of the country. It is said that in India many languages are handled, some classified as regional or minority languages, and over 2,000 dialects. A veritable Tower of Babel, but the country’s Constitution only recognizes 22 languages, including Sanskrit.

Come back… Bangalore: Travel Tips – Part II