Mumbai

06/11/2013

Got on the bus and had a school boy, forgot my jumper so was a bit nippy. Was a big trip, and lasted around 13 hours. Found the Salvation Army; it's directly opposite one of the most famous hotels in the world, the Taj Mahal Palace (victim of the 2008 and terrorist attack). I was lucky as I arrived early in the morning so I got a room straight away. The dorms are what everyones after as they are the cheapest in Mumbai. On arrival I bumped into Will too, the kiwi from NZ, which was a nice surprise. In the same oversized purple shirt as I left him. Met so many other travellers, it was just rammed full of all travellers. Went with a guy called Lukasz from Poland, who needed to go to Victoria Terminus, the famous station here, so I accompanied him to explore Mumbai. Decided to hop on a train and check out the Dobi Ghat, India's biggest outdoor washing machine. There's a convenient bridge over the top of it so it makes for a great vantage point for a photo opportunity. When walking back whilst getting a chai a Taiwanese couple started talking to us, 50's. One of them was called Wonderful, can't remember which one. The guy was real nice and spoke good English but his wife didn't speak a word. She had a gigantic hat which covered her face, a purpose built face mask, gloves to cover her hands and a big thermal rain coat. Cosy. Given their weak currency they were real budget travellers and refuse to pay more than 250rs a night. We took them to the SA, by far the cheapest in town. But they refused to pay as it was 500rs for the two. So instead they would just sleep in the train station and wait for the morn to leave. Went to the Gate Way of India, and had scores of people all waiting to get a photo with us, 20 30 people all queuing up to get a photo. It was funny at first but after a while it was just annoying, and I felt like a hounded celebrity.

Went back and had the worst s***s known to physical man. I'm talking Niagara falls, litres upon litres of the stuff. Was going to the toilet, sit back on my bed, then go straight back again. Safe to say them pants are now in the bin put it that way. Got talking to all the travellers in my room, Brad, a genius look-a-like, wearing only white. Massive long hair and a beard down past his nipples. Some guy from Denmark who had been living out for 3 years milking the Bollywood extra scene, who had now returned as apparently the work has picked up. Mark, a sound geezer, 40s from Wigan. A shifty chap from Kashmir. And some Russian guy, shaven head, real interesting guy. I spent the afternoon with him and brad, just chatting away about all sorts. Brad was saying how Angelina Jolley's breast removal was faked in order to promote a cosmetic company and stop in from going under in return for millions. Hmmmmm, erm no. Me and the russain and his wife went to the supermarket later. Got some stuff for the diarrea, doxycicline (£3.50 for 80 pills. I paid around £150 for the same amount in England, although they were malarone) and some fruit to eat. A woman in the pharmacy advised me to eat curd. Man the Indians love their curd!!!!! Later a guy on the street asked us if we wanted to be extras, apparently they came into the hostel this morning looking for people. Its big business here, and they're always really keen to get white extras for their movies. He would pay 500rs for a full day, pick me up, and fed all day! Some other people in the hostel had done it before and I wasn't going to turn it down!! Later on we bumped into the Danish guy and the movie dude bumped into him also, they knew each other and talked away, so I knew he was genuine. Seen first rat running on the street too.

Came back and craiced on with the Russia dude in the communal area downstairs. He's repeated his name many times but I still cant remember its pronouciation. Was so interesting hearing other peoples take on the world. He used to live in the US so speaks good English, and I learnt his is a muslim, but not strict on drinking etc. He taught me how the Russians have a word which translates as yes-no, and it means definitely no, how he Russians women must wear skirts as in the olden days that's what they used to wear, and jeans are not good. And that skirts go best for a certain type of spiritual stuff and exercise and such like. Also was saying how his wife would not allow to divorce him as he would not allow it. And that to work for someone else in Russia, the word uses a prefix mean slave. Nice to know! Later on a French girl came in and can honestly say she was one of the nicest, sincerest beautifulest person I've ever met. She was telling us how she used to love her boyfriend 'the size of a rainbow' but he only used to love her a little in return. Put it this the way the guy must have been criminally insane. Also got talking to two American couple, late 40s who have been travelling for a year and have another year left. They done another big trip 12 years ago, and its taken them this long to save for tis one. They even talked about how they'll save for another 10 years to do their next one. Very keen!

Later went to the room and had a mint craic on with Mark. All people from the NW England just seem such down to earth people. No blanket was provided, but I did have two skinny mattresses, so I jumped in between them like a sandwich. Haha job was a goodun.

07/11/2013

Woke up for my big day! Got my breky which was included in the price, three slices of bread, butter, jam, a boiled egg and a banana and chai, great start to the day. But big shock, the guy was a no-show. Such a same. Pretty much everyone in the hostel had all starred in one and I hadn't. Maybe next time. So me and mark decided to go the Mumbai slum to have an explore. People do tours of it here but we'd didn't bother tracking them down. Got the train to the place and wandered around, looking for the real heart of it in the back alleys. Got some mind blowing snaps. Went down a real back alley that went on forever, so narrow their wasn't any natural light. We passed many sweat shop, jeans mostly. Some of the locals weren't keen on you getting photos and if they seen you about to take a photo they would wave their hand to say stop. Although it's a slum its actually a thriving economy in its own right, with apparent global exports worth half a billion US dollars, the place really is a bustling place of just non stop trade. These people have homes and a place to sleep. Its only the beggars in downtown Mumbai who sleep on the streets who have nothing. We went a little further and some local kids just swarmed us, so many so happy to see us. Grabbing out arms, high fives, wanting to take pictures. They told us not to go too much further as it wouldn't be safe, and we would run the risk of being mugged. We had a little gander up but then turned round and called it a day.

Mark told me some mad stories of how he'd dropped his passport in Bangladesh at a crossing point, so he went back to the bus station, to find someone spotted him dropping it and had delivered it back at the border crossing; another story about how he thought a bus was stopping for a break so he ordered a meal, only for it to be a pit stop and for it to pull away so he had chase after it in a tuk tuk (despite two germans also being on and letting it leave without him), another story of a woman bringing a load of goats onto a bus before, and another of a man bringing out an alive chicken consulting if it was ok to go ahead before he kills it for his meal.

Walked back to the hostel from the train and some of the gothic architecture is honestly stunning here. We passed many parks which are basically just endless endless cricket wickets, with everyone wearing white and having a game. Hundreds of games. Also passed a school year having their sports day, they were doing the egg and spoon race. A guy from the agency also returned my call apologising. Went back and met Morrits (not Skaugen) Mueller, German need I say, 20 years old. He had started in Germany and hitched hiked to Istanbul to catch a flight to India, and also worked on farms across Europe, done plenty of couch surfing. Honestly love meeting this folk and we had a great craic on. Went to get some food with the lad later, I introduced him to the Wada Pav, the Indian version of the burger. Taught me the German for squirrel and I found out he doesn't know what a penalty shoot out is in football. Very odd for a German.

Went back to the hostel and talked to more new people in the hostel. Donna, the America woman joked how she's had the most deepest conversions of her life with people, and not even known their names. And its true, you meet people and just talk away and don't even bother asking their name. Its an irrelevant ice breaker, and is nothing more than a formality.

Later on got some street food. A spicy veg omelette and two buns. Unreal!!! 35rs. Street is so good, its so much more intimate then sitting in a local restaurant. You see them make the food infront of you and get to craic on with the locals, and its cheaper and tastier by far, and probs a hell of a lot cleaner. Afterwards got a sugar cane drink, where they crush loads of sugar cane thru a big noisy machine and collect the liquid. One of the nicest things iv had. There was another guy having a glass, a Canadian, who had a blue harry potter lighting bolt on his forehead, very odd, and we got talking. "So where are you from, Ireland or Scotland" "England" "England….?!. As if waiting for me to eventually correct myself if I'd made a mistake. He then went on about Rajasthan patronisingly and where to go, blah blah blah as if I was an idiot but I heeded his advice.

Returned to the SA. Some of the chaps in the dorm don't integrate with the group, one lad from Bulgaria for example just sleeps and does his own thing, and there was this one Japanese computer nerd looking guy who just sat on his bunk the whole night, looking directly forward, honestly nothing between his eyes, just for hours.

Donna and Tom later explain they are doing a 2 year trip and are about to hit 12 months. Apparently they did another 2 year stint 12 years ago, and its taken them this long to save for this one, which was longer than they expected. They are even planning their next one which should take 10 years to save. Crazy! Later said bye to the Russians the Americans and Will. Tom the American had an MacDonald's backpack which a Disney land key ring on lol very American then.

08/12/2012

Had breky with the gang, Brad the ausie was giving it his usual catch phrase of 'full power'. Said bye to everyone and me and mo said we might meet up if we're in the same area. Got the train to Andheri East as that's where my bus was gonna pick me up. Had a bit of a stuggle tracking it down but found it eventually. It wasn't a bus station it was just outside their little office. Had 2 and a half hours to wait. So chilled next to a food vendor, he seen me sitting on the curb and next thing I was the guest. Gave me a paper to sit on, pulled a loaf of sweet bread from somewhere which next thing was mine accompanied with a free chai to wash it down. There's no in between with these Indians I tell ya! The bus came and departed half an hour early. The biggest bone shaker known to man, a half sleeper. Means half were compartments with sliding doors to sleep in, and at the back there were just normal seats. I jumped into a berth until I got kicked out, then went to my peasant chair. The bus was just one big box of glass and metal, and boy did it make a racket. We stopped by the road at one point to help another bus of the company, who was changing a wheel. We arrived with the bald one already in the hold. Never seen anything like it in my life. The tire was non existent, just a shred of rubber it was that bare. Later on the sun went down and the bus got real cold. Two of the windows on the bus were that wedged they didn't even shut, so it took about 3 of us to force is as much closed as we could. Later we stopped and this dog started barking, this old granddad came to the rescue out of no where and started chasing after it and throwing stones off the floor towards it. Was one of them moments where I just let out this howl of a laugh, was just so funny, even long after the moment had passed. The bus got even colder and I managed to nab a berth when someone jumped off for half an hour or so.