Blogs from Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, Asia - page 87

Okay...so it's hot!!! Bit of an understatement, Bombay was swealtering...I'd walk a few feet and be dripping wet. Mumbai's a great city...however it does one of, it not the largest slums in the world...so my train arriving at 5am proved a real eye opener...this is the first time I've seen people taking a dump, they were using the side of the rail tracks...happy as you like squatting and having a shit! Still if you've gotta go! Bit of a shocker as in 4 weeks this is the first time I've seen this and on such a massive scale...all those early morning bowel movements to shift! Train dropped me off north of the main backpacker area in Bandra...dodgy rickshaw man took me all over the place to get to Bandra station, apararently there's two east and west, ... read more

Well we've finally made or way to Mumbai, the last stretch of hectic city before we head off to Goa fo rthe beaches...FINALLY!!! We left last night at 12:00am, by bus, for the city. We got here arond 9-10am, and I'm glad to say I finally was able to sleep a bit on the bus.. for the those you know me well, I can't sleep on any type of transportation and most of ours was done overnight, so you can imagine how tired I have been in teh past few weeks. I think I may have slept 3 hours or so, not bad. We were the only tourist and women on the bus which made for a lot of stares.. LOL. Or driver was a maniac, I didn't think we'd make it alive or in ... read more

Very weird to be in India and not be a rarity. About the first thing that me and Fi noticed when we came back for the test was that the place was full of white people. Apparently the Barmy Army brought about 2,000 Brits over, which in a city of 17 million or so might only be a drop in the ocean, but it still meant that you could wander the streets and see more than the occasional westerner. Despite being a tourist and not a traveller (my new catchphrase) I couldn't help being a bit put out. We were there before them. We were old hands. We knew the customs. The best places to eat. What were they all doing there? How dare they upset the equilibrium of people who had been in India so ... read more

March 16th, 2006, Day 70 of our cruise of 105 Second wonderful day in Mumbay (formely Bombay), in West India Busy day We left at 9am with the ships tour Marvels of Mumbay (granny-page 33 in the excursion book) and were blessed with an articulate and knowledgeable guide. We saw everything and were instructed the whole way by Shilpa. She brought us into the Ghandi and the Prince of Wales museums. We also visited the laudry cement cubicles that men rent for 500 ruppees a month(12$) for space and 1(yes only one tub-and lots of bleach and pink powder) tub of water a day; for a small fee they wash by beating, dry, iron and fold clothes in there and return them the next day. At the almost end of our trip, we left the tour ... read more

March 18th, 2006, Day 72 of our cruise of 105 Sea day on the Arabian Sea Slow sleepy day We had lost a total of 10 ½ hours, we are starting to regain. We have a few sea days till Salalah, Oman Added this entry just to show our purchases from the Colaba street market (and the laundry hanging from the window) Hello my children, hello granny. - please send us news Ttys, love to all ... read more