Day One from our man in India ...

Sunday 23rd November 2008

Well, I'm here.

After so many months I can't believe that I am now in a busy, bustling Bangalore. We all left on Saturday somewhat dazed and a little daunted by what was ahead of us.

We met with ourreps on arrival, two absolutely lovely guys, Vikram and Giovanni. They took the reigns from the airport and got us safely to our hotel. The journey between airport and hotel was somewhat quiet as we all stared out of the winow, a little stunned by the diverse and incredible sights.

You may have heard people talk about poverty next to riches in India. Well it's true. The journey took us past some incredible wealth and incredible opposites. I'm pleased to say that the smells I was warned about didn't come to light en route; just a faint waft of spices and diesel every now and then.

The hotel is basic but clean. After settling in we were given a presentation. I started the evening with a short speech to thank the hosts and the team. We were then fully briefed on what to expect over the coming days which I think proved a great help to the challengers (apart from the bit about rats, snakes and scorpions!!)

After a light lunch we were taken to the 'Lungs of Bangalore', a stunning 150 acre park. The groups strolled around in the warm afternoon sunshine taking in the sights. A bit of an afternoon shower prompted a swift move onto the temple which stands in the middle of a dusty, colourful market. The area was buzzing with a steady flow of people to lead us into the space.

A giant statue of a black cow stood in the centre of the building. Draped in flowers and surrounded by burnning incense and candles, it was actually quite powerful to see. The energy in the place was incredible. I wsn't quite sure what to do so I just kept walking and smiled a lot.

That evening we were taken by the hosts to a fabulous restaurant. We were driven again which has been great as this means we have been able to see so much in a short space of time. I could write for hours about all the different things that I saw during the day, but have to sign off now as I am late for another presentation that I can't miss ...