19/3/2011

Quick flight from Cape Town to Jo'burg after being sent off by Maureen and Christo. Had booked Airport Backpackers in advance so retro 'Gerard' with his pipe, long hair and long cap came and fetched us almost immediately.

Fairly expensive but we needed transfers to and from airport and some chill out time. After an action-packed last day or two we hit the hay at 8am and woke up about midday.

Hammering down with rain whilst we spent a day in a nice Irish bar at some big hotel watching Spurs fail to beat West Ham, Stormers beating the Sharks and more cricket and rugby. We got humiliated by Ireland in the rugby but at least we won the six nations, next stop world cup!

Jack the lad had some Guiness despite our states,

20/3/2011

Early rise and to the airport. Nice nine-hour flight to Mumbai with some decent food and watching Due Date (awesome!) and Hereafter accompanied by a final Amarula.

I hit the jackpot on the flight meeting an orthodox jewish South African and his mate who sold me a ticket to the cricket world cup quarter final between Australia and India! They had tickets for most of them but weren't even going to some of the games. I paid 1000rupees (about 15quid) and later learnt that two other lads had baid a seven quid and the other about 60!

Arriving in Mumbai, the airport wasn't too bad but as soon as we got outside at 1.30am, we found our guy to pick us up but the smell, humidity and mass of people epitomised what I pretty much thought of the country on the whole.

Taken to our guest house on the weirdest drive with another English lad who talked out of the side of his mouth, we went off a main road and down about several tiny paths and reached a dingy looking high-rise building. However, inside was a fairly nice place to kip. That was the most expensive accommodation in India at 12 quid.

Raj was there to welcome us and at 2.30 he was asking whether we wanted to come to a temple with him at 6, and smoke weed until 3 in the afternoon. No thanks Rajo.