I lay awake thinking about my reaction to the beggars I'd already met until around 4am. I still can't see that I have any more right to be alive and healthy than they do. There's a mention in my diary of dogs barking at 4am but I must have got some sleep because my diary then says I woke at 8am. I met Henri who'd offered to give (the scam/appeal for cash would come later) me a tour of Mumbai. I realised I'd want more time in this city to ground myself and so booked into the hotel for 4 more nights. (It had everything I needed apart from a restaurant.)
Henry took me to a cybercafé near the Eros cinema where I wrote my first blog entry in India, then on a train to the Dhobi Ghats where thousands of people work, washing clothes in what's probably fairly manky water, then to Haji Ali's durgah. Don't go here if you can't cope with seeing beggars who have had hands or feet amputated who rock and call out to you for alms. I had a pleasant conversation with a man whose son is reading for an MPhil in genetics at Birmingham University
Henry then took me to Malabar Hill, Mumbai's equivalent of Morningside and then back to the hotel. Somewhere along the way he showed me where to buy a padlock.
I slept, washed and went out to get photocopies of the Mumbai pages of my guidebook. There are a lot of shops offering this service in most towns (many more than you'd see in a british town) and nothing says Tourist, hence victim more than wondering around with your head in a guidebook!
I wanted to see deeper into the suburbs so I took a local train to Grant Road. This suburban train was crowded and yet at each station more people jumped on, holding onto others who were holding onto the outside of the carriages. The overcrowding problems are reported here. The train tickets I've retained look a bit dodgy. One says use within an hour of issue but has no issue time on it. Another is dated 12/03/25. I'd left Mumbai by the 12th of march and haven't yet been in a year that ends in 25. Some recalibration is needed, methinks.
I walked around the Grant Road bazaar area for about 3 hours, taking in the sights, sounds and smells. The most common sounds were car and lorry horns. Drivers lean on them constantly to say
I saw 4 taxis blocking each others' paths. There was space for at least 2 to reverse out of the way but no.... However, Mumbai drivers have to be the best in the world - no-one else I've seen could squeeze through the gaps they do. Also, I don't think anyone should try to take on India in battle - everyone here is already used to the noise and confusion and to maimed and dying lying around.
© (except the blatantly ripped-off bits) Random Bozo 2006