Our ride to Bangalore revealed a familiar rural scene; a plethora of rice fields, interspersed with some sugar cane fields. People were busy working in the fields, some by hand, a few using a few tractors, and others utilizing cattle. Women sifted grain by hand. Men loaded straw onto already overflowing wagons. We passed by brightly painted bullock carts moving along the side of the road. On one, a man slept on top of a large mound of hay being hauled by two cows. Sleepy men dozed in an open truck full of produce. Large truckloads of thin branches passed us. Other trucks served as public transportation vehicles. The wider road took us through plenty of small towns, providing us brief glimpses of village life.
Bangalore greeted us with its many trees, gardens, and parks of various sizes. It had a decidedly more urban and westernized feel, with its larger sidewalks and collection of Western stores. With a population of around 6 million, Bangalore has grown over 35% in the last decade. It has been transformed from “The Garden City” to India’s Silicon Valley. A majority of call center calls make its way through this city once noted for its pleasant climate and parks. Construction of additional modern-looking IT and communications complexes continues on a massive scale.
Our ride to Bangalore revealed a familiar rural scene; a plethora of rice fields, interspersed with some sugar cane fields. People were busy working in the fields, some by hand, a few using a few tractors, and others utilizing cattle. Women sifted grain by hand. Men loaded straw onto already overflowing wagons. We passed by brightly painted bullock carts moving along the side of the road. On one, a man slept on top of a large mound of hay being hauled by two cows. Sleepy men dozed in an open truck full of produce. Large truckloads of thin branches passed us. Other trucks served as public transportation vehicles. The wider road took us through plenty of small towns, providing us brief glimpses of village life.
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