Horn Please

I'd heard a bit about India, the busy streets, the beeping horns, the poverty and the indifferent attitude to men wandering the streets holding hands just cos they feel like it. I guess I felt pretty prepared for Mumbai..
My days there were pretty relaxed.. In a rushed not at all relaxed kind of way :)
I figured I go against the norm & settle myself in slowly so I got taxi from the airport and it was pretty good in my 'Cool Cab' with a funky yellow roof and lack of wing mirrors- why bother? They never use them!
There were a lot of shacks along the way and the streets there were ful of activity - mainly washing or eating. Brushing teeth in doorways, local kids playing as they washed together.. and cricket and football and racket sports in the street- Was all lovely to see..
After settling into my guesthouse I just did the usual sorting out bank account & went to the Modern Art Museum (not planned- I just always seem to end up there) Even that was cool to see the differences in culture, not just the indian origin of the art but also how the art is displayed etc..
Anyway, Mumbai was cool but I was glad to escape to the country. I was looking forward to walking slowly- I'd adopted a rather quick pace to avoid the necessary explanations that although yes, these goods are lovely, I don't want to buy them, thankyou.. and yes, I like to walk, I don't want a taxi thank you.. and such that one finds necssary when wandering happily at a content speed.
Mind you, I did ask a taxi driver for directions, and being told it wasnt far bt in the direction I had just walked from (for about 30mins in th heat) I felt a bit lazy & got hm to drive me there quickly.. or I thought it'd be quickly :) We drove around stopping every corner it seemed to ask for directions. Since then I've realised that this is the case for many taxi drivers here, they generally don't know the way & expect us to know the way, and when neither of us know the way it's pretty fun!
In the end the lovely, but not too good at directions, taxi driver found a postman. The postman showed us the way.. by cycling his bike there with us following in the cab!
It turned out Regent Chambers was about 20m away from wher I'd originally got in his cab, in the direction I was heading! Worry not though, we'd agreed a fare beforehand.. but I did give him a little tip for making me laugh!
Later I got in another taxi. This journey was pretty normala until we pulled up beside another cab with indian msic blaring. Clearly my taxi driver didn't want to be out done 'I have english music' and, dspite my protests that I'd like indian music, he whacked a tape into the player.
Hey Macarena.
Full Volume.
If I didn't get stared at before for being a white chick, I did now. It was so surreal I wanted to film it! India.. busy, bustling, beeping, people everywhere (where do they all go at this time of day?) the sights, the smells, and the Macarena.. the whole way through..
He didn't know the dance &I figured it was a tad dangerous to teach him whilst driving..
Despite constant beeps I reckon Indians are pretty safe drivers- they have to be! And my thoughts on crossing roads is look straigh ahead and just walk.. it's worked so far :D

So.. erm.. thr's my thoughts on Mumbai. Taxis.. Hmm.. u kno I love to ramble ;)

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