My adventure in India continues! On to Chennai, which is a port city 300 km away from Bangalore. We choose to take the 40 minute flight, but other Mitsui folks decided to drive to check the road conditions. It took them over 6 hours. YIKES!! That's what a 40km speed limit among other things will do to you!
Here is the open-air airport in Bangalore. The 2nd nicest airport in India I'm told (partly because it's only a few years old). The killer part for me was the birds (mostly sparrows) flying every where. They were on restaurant tables eating leftovers, roaming around the seats at the gate. No one seemed to mind, except me of course!! Shopping was awesome. They have such cool foreign things, and it's all dirt cheap. I only bought one thing, but maybe I will find some luggage space when I fly out for good on Friday!
Here's a back-side pic of all of the hired drivers waiting for their passengers with signs. No one is allowed in the baggage claim area, which makes it relatively safe. In general, only the affluent can afford to fly. A little girl (probably 7) in the airport restroom came up to me and asked "Where do you come from?" I told her America. She repeated it and giggled. Then all of the other women giggled. I have no one idea if they were laughing at her or me. Regardless, they don't see a lot of Americans here, and certainly fewer females. I really get stared at non-stop.
Welcome to Chennai! Were the weather is mid-80's, super humid, and rainy!! This is also the part where the hoodlums come out. When walking to the car with our driver, some man tried to "help" me with my luggage. I told him no, and he kept saying "same company". Sure thing, buddy! Then after our luggage was loaded (and I watched) the same man helped me into the car. He wanted a tip. Uhhh.... get lost!
Traffic jam. You can see all of the water lying around. Not surprisingly their drainage system sucks here, but then again that would happen in every city if they had downpours like Chennai, too. Funny to see 100's of motorcycles abandoned on the road though, as their owners huddled under trees, awnings, whatever they could find.
I think there are some people living under the highway overpass. But they have a couple cars!! Chennai looks about 10 times poorer than Bangalore. Shocking to say the least!
Here's our ride all week. It's a Toyota Innova made in India. It's a 7-seater car. Nothing like my Clifford (the big red Buick Enclave), but still pretty spacious in these parts.
Cows are not just sacred... they are useful to haul things around in the city!
Motorcyclists waiting in traffic. (This is after the rain.)
Another pic of the poor conditions. Nice cow lying about and water every where. Here's the traumatizing part: Even through tinted windows, I was busted by the locals for taking a pic. This woman came up to the car window and started tapping incessantly. She was begging for 5 rupees and had her newborn baby with her. It was horrifying and depressing all at the same time! After I ignored her, she moved around to other doors, tapping and asking for money. This went on for a good 3 minutes since we were at a dead stop in traffic. Probably the longest 3 minutes of my life. Thank goodness her baby was sleeping. If it had been crying or otherwise looking miserable, I probably would have lost it! This was a rude awakening for me. I realize these people are just trying to survive, and yet I find it so darn picture-worthy. Needless to say, I didn't take any more pictures of the locals or their surroundings today.
My hotel room in Chennai. It's a suite, and bigger than my entire apartment in Japan.
Sitting room with a huge touch screen remote for all of the gadgets in the room.
Generally, I'd be impressed and loving this room, but given the day I've had, I wonder if it's a bit over the top. And perhaps they should take a look outside, and see the disparity between the social classes here in India.
Hallway into the bathroom.
Next stop: Soak in the tub, then off to bed. Another full day ahead. Tomorrow we go to the Port to see overseas containers being loaded/unloaded, and then catch a plane to the capital city of New Delhi.
One more nugget before I sign off: when we enter a hotel, they check the undercarriage of the vehicle for bombs, pop the truck and scan the bags, and then we have to go through a metal detector before we enter. I'm told there's been some bombing issues in Mumbai, and now people aren't messing around.
Here is the open-air airport in Bangalore. The 2nd nicest airport in India I'm told (partly because it's only a few years old). The killer part for me was the birds (mostly sparrows) flying every where. They were on restaurant tables eating leftovers, roaming around the seats at the gate. No one seemed to mind, except me of course!! Shopping was awesome. They have such cool foreign things, and it's all dirt cheap. I only bought one thing, but maybe I will find some luggage space when I fly out for good on Friday!
Here's a back-side pic of all of the hired drivers waiting for their passengers with signs. No one is allowed in the baggage claim area, which makes it relatively safe. In general, only the affluent can afford to fly. A little girl (probably 7) in the airport restroom came up to me and asked "Where do you come from?" I told her America. She repeated it and giggled. Then all of the other women giggled. I have no one idea if they were laughing at her or me. Regardless, they don't see a lot of Americans here, and certainly fewer females. I really get stared at non-stop. 
Welcome to Chennai! Were the weather is mid-80's, super humid, and rainy!! This is also the part where the hoodlums come out. When walking to the car with our driver, some man tried to "help" me with my luggage. I told him no, and he kept saying "same company". Sure thing, buddy! Then after our luggage was loaded (and I watched) the same man helped me into the car. He wanted a tip. Uhhh.... get lost!
Traffic jam. You can see all of the water lying around. Not surprisingly their drainage system sucks here, but then again that would happen in every city if they had downpours like Chennai, too. Funny to see 100's of motorcycles abandoned on the road though, as their owners huddled under trees, awnings, whatever they could find.
I think there are some people living under the highway overpass. But they have a couple cars!! Chennai looks about 10 times poorer than Bangalore. Shocking to say the least!
Here's our ride all week. It's a Toyota Innova made in India. It's a 7-seater car. Nothing like my Clifford (the big red Buick Enclave), but still pretty spacious in these parts.
Cows are not just sacred... they are useful to haul things around in the city!
Motorcyclists waiting in traffic. (This is after the rain.)
Another pic of the poor conditions. Nice cow lying about and water every where. Here's the traumatizing part: Even through tinted windows, I was busted by the locals for taking a pic. This woman came up to the car window and started tapping incessantly. She was begging for 5 rupees and had her newborn baby with her. It was horrifying and depressing all at the same time! After I ignored her, she moved around to other doors, tapping and asking for money. This went on for a good 3 minutes since we were at a dead stop in traffic. Probably the longest 3 minutes of my life. Thank goodness her baby was sleeping. If it had been crying or otherwise looking miserable, I probably would have lost it! This was a rude awakening for me. I realize these people are just trying to survive, and yet I find it so darn picture-worthy. Needless to say, I didn't take any more pictures of the locals or their surroundings today.
My hotel room in Chennai. It's a suite, and bigger than my entire apartment in Japan.
Sitting room with a huge touch screen remote for all of the gadgets in the room.
Generally, I'd be impressed and loving this room, but given the day I've had, I wonder if it's a bit over the top. And perhaps they should take a look outside, and see the disparity between the social classes here in India.
Hallway into the bathroom.
Next stop: Soak in the tub, then off to bed. Another full day ahead. Tomorrow we go to the Port to see overseas containers being loaded/unloaded, and then catch a plane to the capital city of New Delhi.
One more nugget before I sign off: when we enter a hotel, they check the undercarriage of the vehicle for bombs, pop the truck and scan the bags, and then we have to go through a metal detector before we enter. I'm told there's been some bombing issues in Mumbai, and now people aren't messing around.
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