Going out for a job in Auckland is as easy as wandering down to the car dock and driving away (after a thorough consultation with Google Maps, of course).
In Bangalore, it's a little more tricky.
With the newsroom located in the middle of the city, a lot of news can be found on foot, but covering stories beyond walking distance is always an adventure.
My very first trip outside of the confines of central Bangalore was for a speech on the state of democracy in India. A breakdown in communication saw the auto driver take me to two shops before my destination, which left me with some nice souvenirs but late for the talk.
Thankfully, that mishap has been a one-off and the tuk-tuk remains my preferred choice of transport.
My latest venture, though, was too far for a tuk-tuk, but ended up being as effectual as it was enjoyable.
I was tasked with attending a meeting for a youth leadership group - a perilous prospect considering the venue was half an hour from the central city. But with the aid of the group's media man - easily the most helpful PR person I have ever encountered - a train, bus and motorcycle got me to and from the venue in style.
Catching the train, which runs above the city, was easy enough. I would like to think even I, someone who has had serious issues navigating public transport in New Zealand, could have managed that on my own.
The bus, however, remains a mystery to me. We walked for a while before my guide, almost as an afterthought, instructed me to jump on one we were passing. It immediately pulled away and dutifully dropped us near the meeting.
From there, we
At the meeting, I was reassured my hesitance about going solo on public transport was common. An Australian, who had been in Bangalore for three months, proudly told me of his recent successful confrontation with the bus system.
For these buses are rather dissimilar to the buses to which I've become accustomed in Auckland. Finding seating seems to be as difficult as buying a Quarter Pounder from a local McDonald's, while there doesn't appear to be set stops along the route so much as places the bus slows enough for passengers to jump for their lives.
I was pleased to find the return trip more straightforward. With bus and train travel jettisoned, I had plenty of time to ponder the terms of my insurance policy as the motorbike sped through the streets of Bangalore and back into the city's centre.
The voyage as a whole doubled as a diverse way to experience the city and, once I cleaned the grit from my face, I was left to reflect on a successful trip.
I didn't even need Google Maps.
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