Our Bangalore Trip

On the 9th November, Lili and I started our first trip in India to Bangalore. We went by train from “Katpadi” station and traveled about 3 hours to Bangalore KSR. We had many “firsts” on this trip, such as the train ride. Sitting freezing on the train and being surprised by a delicious vegetarian breakfast was definitely worth the journey.

After this long time of being in India, we were shocked and surprised how modern and European this city is. We were used to walking around in Vellore without sidewalks and traffic lights and then being in Bangalore was a bit overwhelming at first.

Lili and I enjoyed our first cappuccino in India and it felt a bit like we were back home in Germany. The event we actually came to Bangalore for was the 2023 Cricket World Cup, New Zealand vs. Sri Lanka. We had never been to a cricket match before and didn’t even know the rules, so we felt a bit lost. Although, we didn’t understand everything, we had a great time during the game. The crowd, the music and the whole atmosphere was fantastic.

In the evening we met up with another German volunteer for dinner and we enjoyed sharing our experiences and special moments. We spent the night in a hostel where we paid about 10 euros for the two of us together.

We had a great night and in the morning, we visited the KS market in Bangalore. Tons of fruit and vegetables everywhere, which half of it I have never seen in my life. The colors and the different smells are indescribable and you just have to experience it to understand what it feels like.

You have to be careful to not get run over by a cow, a rickshaw or a car and at the same time you are so blown away by everything and just can’t stop looking around.

After this great experience, our personal highlight of the trip happened. We were walking through the streets, looking at all the beautiful Kurtis and suddenly we saw a hidden Hindu temple between some houses. We tried our luck and a really friendly women went in with us and showed us around. She did her religious rituals with us together and showed us how to behave correctly.

The temple is over 100 years old, all white and made out of marble. It was such a special experience and we were so fascinated and grateful for these moments.

After this special day, we took the train back to Katpadi. Our first trip was a full success and we are so grateful that we had the opportunity to have these experiences.