There is so much to take in and wrap my head around here. So that I can understand it and make sense of it all, I am going to deal with the things we experience one at a time by topic. Security seems to be a pretty good place to start.
India is a country with more security than I have ever experienced anywhere. The reasons for such tight security are numerous and vary from state to state. Although Southern India experiences less terrorism than the north, in Andhra Pradesh (the state where Hyderabad is located) one of the terrorist groups here is a Maoist organization known as the Naxalites. Two recent news stories here talk about Naxalites killed in an encounter with government officials in the jungle as well as another group that was suspected of blowing up railroad tracks. The following are some examples of security measures we have experienced in this region:
1) I saw several soldiers at the airport after arriving Wednesday night which did not surprise me. What did surprise me was the soldiers we saw all along the highway going into the city. Although it was only 5:00 in the morning and there were not that many people out, we saw one stationed about every 5 miles. Harshvardhan or Harsh, one of Jon's Indian co-workers and friend, thought it might be because a politician would be coming into town soon.
2) Our hotel is in a gated area. When we enter in a vehicle there are men at the gate and they usually inspect the trunk. When we enter the hotel we need to pass through a metal detector. Interestingly, last night they did an additional check on Jon, Harsh and the men who entered behind them. There was not a woman present so they let me pass through.
3) Last Thursday we ventured into the city with thirteen of Jon's Indian co-workers to see the Spiderman movie. We went into a mall area with a few to have lunch. Upon entering the garage the trunk was inspected. Before entering the building we all had to go through a metal detector with an additional body scan. There were soldiers or security guards, I am not sure which, stationed throughout the mall.
4) Once we arrived at the movie theater the trunk was checked again, but the security in the theater was the most scrutinizing so far. We passed through a metal detector and I had to go into a curtained area for ladies. She probably scanned me as much as they do at airports, but she really looked through my purse. I am glad I did not smuggle in any snacks.
5) Finally, Google has a building here which has netting around it to protect it from rioters. We have seen a few buildings with this type of netting as well.
It will be interesting to compare the security measures here with what we experience in Northern India.
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