Whitefield, Bangalore in Pictures - Part 1

A water buffalo crossing the road amidst heavy traffic in Bangalore. I realized that it is not uncommon to see a cow, water buffalo or a hard of goats traveling on the roads in India. Even so, it's always fascinating to see animals in the mix of cars and people.

One of many flyovers being constructed all over Bangalore. There is construction going on everywhere you turn in Bangalore - new roads, metro stations, office buildings, hotels, malls and homes/apartments are being built at a phenomenal speed.

Once upon a time, Bangalore was known as the Garden City of India. 

Sadly, 50% of it's trees have been cut down to make way for modern development.  In the past 2-3 years, a whopping 50,000 trees have been sacrificed.

Phoenix Marketcity in Whitefield, Bangalore is a brand new mall that opened recently to cater to the emerging middle class of Bangaloreans. Indians love malls, it's a perfect place for a family outing. The only California Pizza Kitchen outside of Mumbai is located here, it is jam-packed on the weekends, 5 - 6 tables are put together to accommodate extended Indian families. We've been there now 3 times and each time the salad is fresh, pizza piping hot and delicious. The American-style wait staff have met our expectations and more. Is it that I miss California cuisine? The food here seems to hit the spot for me.

Phoenix Marketcity outdoor area

Phoenix Marketcity food court

Recycling in Bangalore

Streets of Bangalore are a feast for the eyes. 
Can you guess what they do?

No helmets, no rules, no problem. You are at your own risk.

People perched over cardboard boxes behind a truck. 

This kind of huge truck hauling 'what-have-you' is seen everywhere in Bangalore. It's not fun being stuck behind one of these trucks, I worry that something might slide off when it goes over a speed hump.

A fruit stand on the side of the road in Bangalore

This vegetable stall boasts the freshest vegetables and the best prices in town. I can surely vouch for that, a head of cauliflower is 10 cents. Nuff said.

The congestion in Bangalore affects everyone one way or the other. It affects productivity, economy and most of all, people's mood. Everyone is permanently late for appointments and engagements, for work and for school. For a distance one would expect to take 1/2 hr, with congestion it can take over 1 1/2 hrs. It drives everyone crazy. This also brings about bad behavior on the road, everyone is eager to go an inch fast than the other. Every car elbows their way just to move a foot or two and most of the time traffic is at a dead stop. Two lane traffic turns into three, sometimes four, car lanes, with lines of motorcycles weaving into the mix, and all this sitting amidst the noise of cars and buses honking their horns and water tankers blowing out their exhaust fumes. It is truly exhausting to experience Bangalore traffic.