Pharmaceutical and Animal Testing Facility Visit

Today we toured a pharmaceutical company called Sharon Bio Medicine, this company supplies products needed to make various medications. The tour was very informative and the director and his staff were very gracious. We then went to an animal testing facility and the director explained the various testing and sampling that they perform on mice and guinea pigs. He also explained that the next step in animal testing would be done on dogs and monkeys. He further explained the facilities plans for expansion. 

Bangalore Buddhist Temple

We went to a Buddhist temple in the city. When we arrived there was a car blessing ceremony that was taking place in the entry. It was interesting to see this part of the Buddhist/Hindu culture. We spent some time at the various stands outside the temple which had toys and trinkets for sale. We then went into the temple which housed a large statue of a bull adorned with many garlands of yellow and orange. We moved from the temple to the gardens nearby. This was a diverse area with large banyan trees and a bonsai garden. There was also a large granite rock that we climbed to reach a small Buddhist shrine at the top. 

Myesore Palace Visit

Today we drove to Myesore, to visit a palace, one of the largest palaces in the country. The grounds and building were in meticulous condition. The palace is set on a sprawling estate with many smaller buildings and temples. I was most impressed with the intricate wood work within the palace.  Just outside the palace is a shopping area and I was surprised at how aggressive the vendors were. The area was very congested and reminded me of Times Square in New York City...minus the cold weather! We then drove to the second campus of Infosys and we were treated to a wonderful buffet lunch. This was the first time on our visit to India that we had pasta and potato, it was a nice treat. 

Bangalore Ashram Visit

Today we visited the Ashram of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. I was immediately impressed with the people and the atmosphere of the Ashram. Everyone was very pleasant and peaceful. We met the secretariat of the Ashram and heard his story of how he came to the Ashram many years ago and was so taken with the work Sri Sri was doing that he abandoned his career plans and stayed at the ashram. We toured the meditation and yoga center that Sri Sri built in honor of his mother. It was a round building decorated in marble and pink lotus designs throughout. It was an extremely peaceful building and we took some time to meditate and reflect. We also toured the Ayurvetic hospital on the compound. Working the the medical field it is always interesting to me to see different forms of care. Ayurvetic is non surgical healing medical and dental treatment. I was so impressed with the ashram that I am planning a visit to the Boone, North Carolina site.

Bangalore Visit to Infosys

Bangalore was very different from the two previous cities we visited. It is much more of an industrial area. We toured the campus of Infosys, a global consulting and technology firm. It is a sprawling campus that reminded me of the American company Google. The campus has many facilities for its employees from food courts, sport centers to an on site movie theater. We also toured the campus in Myesore, which is much larger but the concept remains the same. We learned how Infosys started off as a small company with three owners to how they are now a multi million dollar player in the IT Industry. 

Goa Spice Farm

We drove to a spice farm in the southern part of Goa today. As always the people were very friendly and did a great job explaining the various spices to us. I was particularly impressed with the tree climber who made the tall climb to the top for coconuts look effortless. A few members of the group tried the climb and demonstrated just how hard it actually was. We were then taken on elephant rides through the farm. The elephants were massive and appeared to be well cared for. A few members of the group fed and bathed the elephants, it was truly a once in a lifetime experience. Afterwards, we were treated to an Indian buffet for lunch accompanied by cashews and cashew feni- the local drink. Then it was back to the beach! All in all what a fabulous day!

Churches of Goa

Today we learned about the history of Goa and how the Portuguese settled in the area and brought Christianity with them. We toured the St. Francis of Assisi church as well as the largest church in Europe. I particularly enjoyed this as I was raised catholic and the church brought back many memories of Sunday mass learning about scripture. St. Francis was my mother's favorite patron saint and it was a great honor to be in his resting place. The largest church had a cross that is said to have been found from the time of Jesus, they had to cover up the original cross due to people taking pieces of the wood but there is still a small area in the back where you can touch the original cross, this was a great experience for me.  We then spent the afternoon touring the old Portuguese town.