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Published: December 5th 2009
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So far I have had lots of adventures in Mumbai. All very pleasant and wonderful. It all started at the airport in Heathrow where the lovely lady from the travelex told me not to get any currency as it is restricted and the rate was very poor. What I should do was buy a cash passport - put some money onto that and then draw it at the airport from an ATM at 80R to the pound as opposed to 60 in London.... what a bargain I thought... Fantastic idea! Except when you get to Mumbai at 3am and the ATM isn't working it just doesn't seem like such a good idea! Its 30 degrees in the dark and you don't have a penny to your name - you are sweating not only because you are not exactly sure what to do next but because you realise that you have already packed to much and your back is breaking.
So I head straight for the Travelex to explain to them what is happening.... the very nice man suggests he will pay for me to get a cab to an ATM, he will accompany me on his motorbike and I will then
give him the money back and continue on my journey.... Still sweating my bits off!
So I guess the potential for all this to have been so much worse - like having to wait in the airport for Dom to arrive in 2 days, or calling the nice friend form Brighton at 3am to give me some money - the possibilities were endless. But as it happens an angel was watching over me and my new best friend sorted me right out.
Safe in bed that night I could only giggle to myself at the stupidity of the situation.... so may this be a lesson - never go to India empty handed - no matter what anyone says!
First day I spent on foot in a city filled with cars, crumbling buildings, horns and very friendly people. Wondering around with my mouth open and taking in the magic that is Mumbai! next day my friend arrived and we did more of the same enjoying some rather lavish dinners in beautiful places at a smattering of the price... not even a Pret sandwich price!
Jet lag is taking ages to recover from so not much sleep either.... Then
the longest and most surreal day happened. We hired a taxi all day to take us around the city to all the sights.... hills, beaches, museums, washing areas etc. All totally overwhelming and stimulating in many ways. The most interesting and inspiring bit was the Ghandi museum which moved me to tears at one point! A really amazing man with so much power delivered in such a fantastically gentle way!
By 5pm i am knackered and a bit grumpy and sweaty - time to retire to the hotel for a shower and a lie down! then by 7pm we are back out the door for some dinner! Whilst walking through the tourist market - we are approached by a nice man who is looking for extras for his shoot tonight for a film called "NO PROBLEM" Staring non other than Anil Kapoor - the question master from Slum Dog. Us and 40 other foreigners are needed as the token westerners for the scene in the film ... ironically set in South Africa. 12 hour shift working as an extra for 500R it was a fantastic experience! Met lots and lots of cool people and found some wicked little tips for
places to go. Great stuff.
We staggered in at 7am.... so this jet lag thing is really not going very well at all!
After a 10 hour train journey to goa - another restful night as you can imagine I am somewhere between a zombie and a vegetable - but either way I have a big fat smile on my face! So going to spend the next few days in Goa chilling and then having holidays. I think it might be just what the doctor ordered. It hasn't really hit home yet that I am away for as long as i want - it kind of still feels like it might be a holiday and I have to go back to Brighton in a few weeks!
Ha ha... not me!
I got a mobile number too locally now but left the number in my little beach hut! Its right on the beach and 300R per night - between 2 of us,,, you couldn't even buy half a lager at home for that never mind a little piece of paradise with the sound of the waves in the back ground!
So all in all its rubbish and
I wish I was at home in England with the rain beating down on the window!!
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