BANGALORE
Exotic India is a trip for all senses. Sights, sounds, tastes and smells are quite different for travelers from the West. Emmy winning television journalist Jeremy Campbell recently traveled to India from the U.S. We welcome him to Mellow Wanderer for a Q&A about his quick four day trip to Bangalore, the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka.
MW: Why India?
JC: I’ve been asked by many if this was a “bucket list” 
destination. It was not. Although checking off Asia as a continental destination was. Of course, I’ve always been curious about India, but I never envisioned myself going there as my next big trip. An unexpected invite came from two friends who I knew to be experienced travelers. How could I say no? If nothing else it was an excuse to indulge in some colorful travel photography. Shooting the ganesh statues was my favorite.
MW: How did you put together your travel itinerary?
JC: I read two books on India, surfed the Bangalore Wikipage, Googled “Top Things in…” and then threw all that out the window! Turns out in Bangalore you can hire a personal driver at a rate of about $30.00 for five hours. Each day began by pointing to a different temple on the map, followed by neighborhood walkabouts that just happened by us shouting out to the driver “stop here!”
MW: What was your biggest challenge in India?
JC: Mostly, the challenges you’d expect. First, 24 hours on a plane to get there. It’s a long haul. Then there’s somewhat of a language barrier . You need travel vaccinations, malaria pills, and they spray the airplane with bug spray before take off so cover your mouth. I was warned that Indian customer service is optimistic to a fault. For example, when we needed an extra roll away bed at the hotel each request was answered with “Oh, someone is on their way up with that now.” Six hours and four requests later, it finally came true. Honestly? I appreciate their optimism! Oh, and the coffee doesn’t have nearly as much caffeine as Americans are accustomed. Pack Via and you’ll be fine.
MW: What other items would you have packed if only you had known?
JC: I forgot to pack sunglasses. Turns out I didn’t need them. I think, in part, because there are no emissions standards and there’s so much smog it filters the light. I had all I needed with a camera, mouthwash (because the water is iffy), and a good collection of pants. No one wears shorts in India.
MW: What surprised you most about the culture?
JC: I’ve never visited a warmer, more welcoming culture. It’s a country of gracious hosts who want you to feel a part of India. I was an obvious camera-toting tourist who stumbled upon a religious service, a wedding, a movie shoot, a press conference and a yoga class. At every single one of those special events the locals stepped out from the crowd to include me in their moment. That’s what I’ll never forget about Bangalore.
MW: If You had to plan it all over again, what would you change?
JC: I wish I’d experienced more of the city at night. On the drive to the airport to go home at 4 a.m. I saw some beautiful light displays adorning some of the older buildings. Also, I would have bought more business suits! I found a tailor who made six custom dress shirts and suits for me in 24 hours. Total cost? About $200. I was skeptical when I went in for the fitting, but the finished product was superb. Also, if I had more time I would have spent a day traveling to the Taj Mahal. So close, yet so far away!
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Traditional Wedding Scenes
Read more about Jeremy’s journey to India at jeremycampbell.tv . He even has video of his adventures.
Thanks Jeremy Campbell for joining Mellow Wanderer!
