Blogs from Aksa Beach, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, Asia

Somehow, I always end up flagging down the slowest rickshaw in Bombay. I’m usually never in a rush to get anywhere; more than happy to arrive whenever I arrive, I leisurely sit back in my sedate transport and bathe in the fumes of all the other autos whizzing past me. But, sometimes, on my way to go dancing, when every minute spent putt-putting down the road could be a minute spent on the dance floor, I’ll wish that my chariot had a little more horsepower. We’ve all heard the warning before – be careful what you wish for, you just might get it! It was a Sunday afternoon when my wish finally made it through all the red tape, landed on the desk of the wish granter, and got signed into action. I was going home ... read more

After a long, hot and arduous 11 hour drive we arrived in Mumbai. We stopped enroute at the only fully fledged western style motorway service station we would stop at in all India. Normally none of us or anyone in their right mind would be excited about stopping at a motorway service station, however ub this instance the Indian services gave the group their first opportunity (and last for a long time after Mumbai) to eat McDonalds. Predictably (myself included) we all ate at the golden arches, some going back for seconds. I ate a fiery chicken burger, fries and coke. I was disappointed, although not surprised, to see that beef wasn’t served here, strictly chicken and paneer only. My meal was like all McDonalds meals, shit. However, I did enjoy the build up throughout the ... read more

So the days are numbered now..... We've just arrived in Mumbai and it was probably one of the worst experiences of the trip. We planned to take an overnight train but couldn't get a ticket for the date/times we wanted. So we opted for an overnight sleeper bus which took a little longer and suited our plans. The website advertised the bus as brand new. This could probably have been the first warning sign..... and you could also say this is where we had the first difference of opinion. In fairness the bus wasn't new but it was reasonably modern - just not all that clean and maybe a little warworn. I think everything needs to be easy to clean. All of the cushions were this vinly, the curtains were brown (presumably not to show the ... read more