Mumbai is not cheap, and it is not beautiful and amazing. It is challenging, and it is full to the extreme - both highly desirable qualities. Correction - the views of the Arabian sea are pretty spectacular, more so as the sun slowly melts into the rippling horizon. But this is an extremely polluted city, riddled with poverty, and the local street vendors and beggars are morbidly persistent. I did some shoppin today, collecting some sunglasses for about $7AU, some pants for $3, and some Ayurvedic medication for my mouth ulcers at about $18. I was dubious about this last one, but figure its worth a shot. The hotel here is expensive by any one's standards, and the 'deluxe' tag seems to apply to the availability of useless crap like a television. The view of street holds mild novelty value, as people watching dissolves into the afternoon fog of imagination.
Yesterday we went up to the hanging gardens, which provide a great view of the Bombay harbour amidst lush green surrounds. Indeed, one cannot help but feel a little strange from up there. The sky scrapers and neon signs seem worlds away from the many families sleeping on the streets, or under bridges. The hanging gardens crown a steeply contoured suburb that thinly veils the equivalent Toorak of Bombay - there is great wealth here.
We have done a great deal of walking the past couple of day, which is really great. I do enjoy just sauntering about the bazaars, gazing down those strange darkened lanes and feeling quicks darts of anxiety in the stares of every local. We took the train again today, and the dude sitting by us was very impressed. So was i actually.
But i am terrified. if i am honest. I am terrified. I guess i will just keep writing about the stuff that happens for a while, so as to be able to see it on the page. After a while, i hope to find the words with which to describe it better, to express some feeling other than shock and glee at train rides. Such inane matter. I started to feel a little more confident this morning - but today i got ripped off a little by some clown who insisted on cleaning my ears for me. It worked, mind you. He pulled gunk outta there i couldn't believe, and my residual cold symptoms were alleviated immediately - but it cost a lot more than i wanted to pay. Still not savvy with the bargaining stuff. Then again, have only been here a couple of days.
Perhaps in the name of familiarity, one sticks to whaere one has been and been comfortable. We keep going back to the same restaurants and cafes. We did check out Leopold's today, made famous by the Shantaram book. Not much chop, in my eyes. Not what i'd expected. Kind of like a cheesey hole on Lygon Street, and serving western style chow. The coffee was arse. Tonight we jump on a bus and head south to Goa. No idea where we're gonna stay, or how long for, or what next. Hope you're all well, and don't mind me sounding like a deer in headlights. Which i kinda, sorta are.
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