Sunrise over Bylakuppe

Inside the Golden Temple

Electricity?  Check.  Internet access?  Check.  Luke warm water for a shower? Check.  My accomodations at the Paljor Dhargeyling Guest House have just about everything you need.  There are certainly some sounds that prevent a good night’s rest:  barking dogs, loud birds, and a bit of construction.

I started the day off with a brisk walk around the Golden Temple.  The walkway is lined with hundreds of Tibetan prayer wheels.  Many people were spinning each and every wheel as they passed by.

Sorting Milestones in the History of Neuroscience

This morning was the first day of class.  I talked with the monks about my work at the University of Washington and the Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering.  We also started our discussion of the history of neuroscience.  I split the monastics into two teams.  Each team got a deck of cards with an event in the history of neuroscience.  The game was to place the events in the correct chronological order.  There was much excitement and debate as the monks argued about where an event should be placed.

On the Road to Bylakuppe

The ride from Bangalore to Bylakuppe did not disappoint with thrills and chills around every corner.  Tengay, my driver, met me at the hotel at 11 am and off we went through the city and then out into the country.

After nearly 4.5 hours through various traffic jams, over speed bumps and around people, bicycles, horses, tractors, motorcycles, trucks, buses, cars, cows, dogs and goats, we arrived at the Tibetan Settlement in Bylakuppe.  I saw the aftermaths of only two accidents. One accident involved a woman lying in the middle of the road surrounded by about 30 people:  she may have been unlucky in timing her crossing through traffic.    

Actual sign on the road!

There are plenty of interesting road signs and slogans; among my favorites are:

“Barricade ahead.  Go slow."

“Look every way, every day.”

“Fast drive could be last drive.”

“Humps ahead.”

“Accident area.  Drive slowly.”

Ripped from the Headlines

It is always interesting to read through the local newspaper when you are in a new country.  This morning I had time to read “The Times of India.”  Here are some of the headlines from today's paper:

“SIT names Riyaz 1st accused, Ashwin 3rd in Lokayukta case” – report about an extortion racket case

“Debris to be sent to quarries” – artificial tanks will be used for dumping waste

“A Metro station to match the grandeur of Soudhas” – Bangalore Metro Rail station will be built to match adjacent heritage structures

“Govt decides to stamp out Gandhis” – controversy about a decision to discontinue postage stamps with the images of Indira and Rajiv Gandhi.

“Vinay leads Panthers to superb victory” – news about a cricket match (which I could not make sense of because I do not understand cricket)

And my favorite headline from today’s newspaper:

“Raj hospital to use cow urine as disinfectant” – yes, you read that correctly!

Arrived in Bangalore (Bengaluru)

Sunrise over Bangalore (Bengaluru)

Traveling on the roads of India, whether you are in the city or in the country, are always an adventure.  Last   night, a driver was waiting for me at the Bengaluru (Bangalore) to take me to my hotel.  The drive to the “My Fortune” hotel in the middle of the city was accompanied by car horns blasting and close calls with other cars several times each mile.  The beeping of a car horn is not used in anger; instead people use their horns to say, “Watch out!  Here I am.”   

Although there are stripes on the road indicating lanes, these lines appear to be mere suggestions because no one actually keeps in a lane.  Roads meant for two cars side-by-side quickly get three to five cars across.  Bumpers come within inches of each other, but there were no accidents.   

Words Not Necessary

United Arab Emirates Flag

My flight into Dubai, the largest city in the United Arab Emirates, was uneventful, but 14.5 hours is a long time to sit in one place!  I was a little disappointed that I could not see the high rises or the artificial islands of Dubai from the air.   The area surrounding the airport seems very desolate and hot. 

Few people were at the airport and it looked like there were more shopkeepers at the airport stores than passengers.  It was easy to navigate my way to the departure gate for my next flight to Bangalore (Bengaluru).

As I was waiting for the flight, an older gentleman approached me and said something to me in Arabic.  Although I do not speak a word of Arabic, I could tell from his gestures that he wanted me to watch his bags when he went to the restroom.  So, I nodded, “Yes,”   When he returned, he again spoke to me in Arabic, and I think he was asking me if I wanted him to watch my bags.    I politely shook my head “No.”   Words are often not necessary for meaning to get across.

A Beginning

"Brain-Fu"

My trip to India got off to an early start with a 9:30 am flight on Air Emirates to Dubai.  My window seat had a nice view of Puget Sound on the way up into the overcast sky. I had a little extra room because the middle seat next to me was empty.  Air Emirates boasts that they have 2,000 channels of inflight entertainment:  movies, TV shows, music, games. It's all necessary to keep passengers busy on the 14 hour flight.  Of course, I had to check out the game of called "Brain-Fu” (see photo on right).

New Route to India

There are many airlines and routes to get from Seattle to India, but there are no direct flights.  On past trips I have changed planes in Amsterdam, Paris and Tokyo.  This year I will travel from Seattle to Dubai.  From Dubai, after a three hour layover, I will catch a flight to the city of Bengaluru (Bangalore).  The Seattle to Dubai will be the longest flight I have ever been on:  14.25 hours!