Today begins my blog about everything I experience during my work-related travels. I'm hoping that my blog entries serve two purposes: to record my experiences in a central location to view over and over again, and to share my experiences so that my fellow clinical research colleagues can have a reference in case they find themselves in the same places I have gone. Here goes nothing...
I am in India for the second time this year. The first time was in July. If you can avoid it, do NOT go to India in July unless you like sweating buckets. The humidity is stiffling. (And I thought Houston was bad during the summer.) Back then I went to New Delhi, Nagpur and Bangalore. If you want to know more about New Delhi or Nagpur, feel free to contact me. Luckily I had time to see the Taj Mahal on that trip, so there's a lot to say about that. Right now I'll focus on the current trip. I'm in Bangalore again and actually staying at the same hotel and auditing the same site. Purely coincidental except for the hotel which I picked out of comfort.
The hotel is The Gateway Hotel on Residency Road. A modern, comfortable hotel in a popular shopping district. Reasonably priced too. When you drive up to the hotel, a gate is opened for you and uniformed security guards appear that they are there to greet you, however they are there to inspect your car. That seems to be the norm for all 4- and 5- start hotels in India though. There are also metal detectors at the entrances. It makes you wonder who is trying to blow up all the hotels. The hotel staff is very hospitable and ready to fulfill any wish. There are 2 restaurants and a bar with just about every cuisine covered, not to mention the little case of cakes and chocolates right next to the front entrance. Other amenities include a fitness center, spa, and a pool.
Bangalore is a very large city. It's bustling with life. I get nervous everytime I get into a cab though. Driving down the road feels like you're thrown into a game of Paperboy (the old 80s Nintendo game). There are cows, dogs and tons of people to dodge on these narrow roads. Yes I said cows. From what I was told, they are owned by families, but they're allowed to run loose in the streets during the day and at night they go back home. Very strange! There are no marked lanes and hardly any street lights, so it's a huge mess trying to get anywhere. I just avoid looking straight ahead otherwise my heart rate goes up. People roam the streets to visit the many shops and restaurants everywhere.
My dinner has arrived, so I'll wrap it up. More to come...