This post is different because it’s about a business trip. Normally, I wouldn’t be writing about business travel, but this was my first trip to India, I decided to make an exception.

I went to India in October 2022 to visit our team in Bangalore so I could meet people, who I had been working with for over a year. With the pandemic easing up, my company asked all our employees in India to return back to the office, and I timed my trip with this major event so I can meet as many people as possible face to face.

I was well prepared for my trip as I talked to several colleagues, doctors, and friends about staying safe and healthy there. My primary concern was about getting sick from food and water, so in addition to learning about all the precautions. I also packed some medications, just in case. I had a very busy schedule (non-stop meetings during the day followed by business dinners), so getting sick would be very disruptive.

I flew on Delta via Paris with 2 hours layover. The meal on the plane was very good, and the flight didn’t feel too long.

At Charles De Gaulle Airport, I found the rest area, which has comfortable chairs / beds. Yes, I cleaned my chair before laying down.

Masks on the flight to Bangalore were mandatory, which I liked. I don’t feel comfortable sitting inches from someone in a small confined place for almost 10 hours.

We landed in Bangalore after midnight. I heard horror stories about long lines at customs, but our flight was one of the last of the day, and passport control took no time. Nobody looked at all the vacination papers, which I printed at home.

I was booked in Leela Palace hotel, and they were nice enough to send a car to pick me up. The hotel driver gave me a short history of the city. He was very talkative, and I learned that he’s been working for this hotel for 17 years. In passing, he mentioned driving several celeberties, who has stayed at Leela (apperently, this is one of the best hotels in the city), but he was also quick to say that I am as important to him as any of these princes or famous tennis players 🙂 People in India are very hospitable and treat their guests as Gods (his words, not mine).

When I arrived at the hotel, they took me straight to the room and did the whole check in there. “You had a long flight,” said the desk clerk, “so we don’t want you to wait any longer”. Like I said, very hospitable.

The driver convinced me to go on a city tour, which I booked for the afternoon… of the same day since I went to sleep around 2am. This was my only opportunity to see anything other than the hotel and the office, so I was looking forward to it.

I woke up at 11am, just in time for brunch at Citrus, a restaurant at the hotel. The hotel was a beautiful place, real palace. I went for a quick walk around the gardens. The brunch was a buffet style with huge viraety of food, but I was being very careful (still not careful enough as it turned out).

Going on a city tour after the first real meal in India was a bad idea. It was the shortest city tour in history. This is all I am going to say about that 🙂

In the evening, I walked around the hotel grounds some more to see the garden and the pool illuminated. I also met my team for dinner and did some planning for the upcomign week.

On the second day, I successfully crossed the road from the hotel to the office. This was a big event given crazy traffic. Luckly, there is a pedestrian bridge across the main road, but you have to cross a few side roads, which is exciting enough. People in the office tought us a hand signal to use if a car is about to run you over (since the traffic signals are optional and you never know when they decide to move, even if it is a Green light for you).

Compared to crossing the road, presenting to a room full of my collegues was less nerverracking. The presentation went well, and it was followed by the non-stop meetings until late in the evening.

Aside from the traffic lights being treated as the guidelines, another surprise is the low hanging power lines. You can just extend a hand and touch them. Probably not a good idea.

During the shortest ever city tour on Sunday, we saw some cows crossing this busy road in the middle of the day. Apperently, this happens often. For the rest of the week, I was trying to find one to take the picture, but no luck, unfortunately.

I couldn’t get enough of Bangalore traffic and crazy drivers. Of course, it was nice to observe and not have to spend hours commuting every day. The public transportation in Balgalore is not very developed, at least not to the level to support the city’s population. The roads are also in a pretty bad shape, so when it rains, they become impassable for the motocycles and the moto-rikshas.

On our last day in Bangalore, one of our teams had a costume contest. They bought a traditional Indian dress for me as well.

I will have to go back to Bangalore to visit the team again, and hopefully Tanya would be able to come with me. There are so many things to see in the city and around it, so next time, we are staying over the for a few more days after.