A week in Bombay

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So work sent me to Mumbai (although everybody still seems to call it Bombay) for a week. Big tradeshow, training up the local distributors, etc...
Unfortunately I came down with a really shitty cold on the flight over, so the first four days or so were a real trial, and of course the schedule was pretty gruelling. Got one day off at the beginning of my stay (because of the seemingly inevitable delay in the delivery of the console) where I struck a deal with a taxi driver to 'show me the sights'. So most of my impressions of the place were from the back seat of a taxi cab, or various other cabs during the week, going to and fro through the city.

And, I'm guesing, this is not the way to 'sink into' india. I have to confess I didn't enjoy this trip at all. Grinding poverty, Relentless and brutal heat, and the massive inequity of peoples lives there. Horrible.

I still find it hard to fathom that we as humans can exist, and happily play along with a global system, where people have no option to lives as grim as this.

Ugh.

But interesting I guess. And the people were amazing. Really warm, even factoring in an extra large dose of 'be nice to the rich western tourist' syndrome.

And even though I played it ultra-conservative and ate almost always at the hotel (except for the last day) - the food was a revelation.

Just... so... good!

Checkit.

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Dawn in Bombay. The view from my hotel window.		So having a terrible cold, and feeling like death - for the first few days I didn't go out. This was dinner from room service on my first night. Set menu 1. And my god! Probably one of the best things I have ever eaten! Flavours to swoon over!

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Looking across Bach Bay from near Colaba Point.		Of predictable novelty only to some-one from the west I suspect, but - people carrying stuff on their heads! Cool!

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Akhbar, the taxi driver I struck a deal with to drive me around town and show me the sights for four hours. Lovely guy. We haggled (coz I thought it important we do) and in the end settled on something like AUS$16! End of the ride - paid him double.		Yes the obligatory take a photo with the monkey!

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This was an important stop for me. Ghandi's house for about 15 years when he lived in Bombay. Now a library and kind of 'resource centre'.

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And yes.		Thankyou bapu.

And his room. And his spinning wheel.
Moving.

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