A Trip to Bangalore for the Weekend
- Josie Hohenrieder
- Jul 21, 2025
- 2 min read
On the weekends, volunteers often head into Bangalore to explore the city and take a break from their busy teaching schedules on campus. I joined the group and had so much fun being in a completely new environment. It was fascinating to see the city and notice how different it was from the quiet life at Shanti Bhavan. From the moment we stepped off the metro and into the bustle of city life, the noise and pace changed completely. Another volunteer and I took a tuk-tuk to our hotel, which I loved - we were crammed in the back with our luggage for 40 minutes as the driver wove through traffic.
We spent most of the weekend walking around the streets, shopping, and trying new restaurants and cafes. Indiranagar is known for its pastry shops, so we sampled a variety of those, along with plenty of Chinese and Mediterranean food - which was a nice break from the vegetarian curry and rice that make up the meals at Shanti Bhavan.
There were several aspects that really surprised me. The first was how inexpensive everything was. For example, a Gatorade cost 50 cents, ice cream was $1.30, and every Uber ride was under $3, even a 40 minute drive. I was also surprised by the chaos on the roads. Drivers squeezed between cars whenever they could, paying little attention to the rules or the signs/lines on the road, instead honking their way through. It was an organized chaos, though, and made traveling by tuk tuk efficient since they could weave through all the traffic. There were several moments when I was sure an accident was about to happen, but we always made it through, even if there was only an inch between us and the other cars.
I had so much fun exploring Bangalore and experiencing India in a completely new setting. However, by the end of the weekend, it was nice to return to the quiet, peaceful campus of Shanti Bhavan.
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