Blogs from Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, Asia - page 89

LAST OF THE WEDDING: I failed to mention in the last email that there was a portion of the celebration that was simply magical. An event that none who were present will ever forget. A kid, around 11 years old, named Haresh but I think pronounced Harsh began to dance. The kid was good. It was like a scene out of Grease as everyone left the dance floor and started to clap as Haresh flailed around to this rocking Hindi song. I have been known to be a tad sarcastic in my emails, but I’m being 100% serious when I say that this kid was good. I wish I could describe his dance moves, but if I did, it wouldn’t do “Harsh” justice. He did this one move that was a kind of sprinkler/cabbage patch hybrid ... read more

2006: Gotta get used to '06. I wonder if in the year of 1 A.D. if they also screwed up on their checks and wrote 0 by mistake. Some interesting things about the New Years Eve/birthday at the Grand Hyatt. They checked under each car arriving at the hotel with mirrors to check for bombs. Yes, while rich westerners were partying the night away, they were worried about terrorist attacks. Gotta love the state of the world in 2006. It was a bad year for the world in 2005 with the natural disasters Katrina, the tsunami in Asia, Earthquake in pakistan, and of course Bush. AND NOW... ELEPHANTA ISLAND Since Danielle and I were templed out on our trip to Asia, this was the main attraction that I wanted to see in India. Yes, it's a ... read more

First impressions on landing in India were probably the same as most people report... hot, humid, chaotic, dusty and dirty, a bit scary - and a little bit mad. Going into a little more detail, however... The hardest thing about that arrival, though, is that the route from the airport to South Mumbai takes in the worst slum areas of the city and therefore the country. It's pretty confronting. Lean-to shack things line all the streets - highways and main roads included and people clearly are living, sleeping, eating, washing, working, having babies, caring for families and going about their everyday lives... in what appears to be less than a half a square metre each. And as we drive along - thankful for our pre-booked airconditioned car - it seems like it will never end, with ... read more

My India Adventure ended February 26, 2006. The Welcome to Canada sign at immigration was a pleasure to read. Since December 26,2005, when I left cottage in the woods in Northern Ontario till today is a long time to be away from Canada. Am now doing a slow re-entry while staying with a friend in Toronto. Since I have been such a busy tourist I deserve rest, relaxation and a good read. Started with "Memoirs of a Geisha". Will be in my own house by Saturday, March 10. The final day in India was spent having a luxurious breakfast at the Taj Hotel. The old part of this hotel had originally been a Gentlemen's Club built by Mr. Tata becuase he and his friends were not admitted to the British Gentlemen's Club. Now the old ... read more

There was no hot water this morning, which made no sense as I hadn't touched the set-up at all since having a shower yesterday, but it turned out the cleaning man had unilaterally decided to turn off the inlet pipe. With that resolved, I headed off to Victoria Terminus, subsequently renamed to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus but commonly known as VT, a highpoint in Raj-era architecture in Mumbai. It was certainly impressive and encompassed a variety of different styles. The exterior was covered with numerous sculptures of assorted flora and fauna, including mythical creatures such as griffins. Oh - and about 2 million people pass through it every day, boarding or disembarking from 1,000 trains. While searching for a lunch place, I passed Churchgate Station, itself no mean bit of architecture, and spotted a number of members ... read more