In India: 2nd day BOMBAY

The 'iconic' Gateway of India welcomes me to Bombay!

Tuesday 4th March

Keyboard is cranky so this might take a while and there will be loads of errors. (Blame the tool!)
Right all great so far. Bombay is fucking MAD-sorry Mum. Flight was great for me but twas three flights all together so many people were angry at delays but for me I just waltzed on. 2 huge glasses of wine at the back of the plane with all the old granny Indians going home(they weren't drinking though) and 2 bags of spicy chickpeas made me their best friend...wow, you like them?! said one OAP. Best airline food I've ever had - top notch indian grub in my opinion. so full I slept for 6 hours so pretty goood start.
Got a taxi to centre. My God the traffic and people. The sights frm the airport were amazing, there is a bridge being built and families are living in the huge metal pipes that will eventualy support the structure. Any available space for a beggar or homeless person is used. I've read about this kind of poverty but nothing can prepare you for when you see it. Just so many people everywhere.

Taxis are wonderful here. Brown old things that just weave in and out. all tarted up by the owner with leopard print seats or 70s psychedelica. i'm just travelling all over the place by them and now I know how the meters work it's really good fun. It's just impossible to walk anywhere coz I can't cross the roads and I'll just fall over in the pot holes coz I'm so clumsy. first stop yesterday was the gateway of India which at the moment looks like a huge monument on a rubbish dump. Grim start. walked around yesterday getting bearings and ended up havning dinner with a German girl whos been here for 5 months and now speaks English with an Indian accent.
This morning I was up and out really early...hotel room is so much like Thailand. Bucket showers which are fantastic...better than western ones coz you can just fling water everywhere. Bed is rock solid too which doesn't bother me. acctually really good for my back. Went to VT which is the best railway station the brits ever built (supposedly)and is a UNESCO site. it's a more impressive St. Pancreas. Impossible to buy my train ticket to Goa just loads of Indians in long queues with lots of pieces of paper. Luckilyy a man, obviously on commision, took me to a back alley (oh err) and I got an e ticket from a young man and his computer. Hope it works I'm off over night 12 hour trip by sleeper train to Goa. Now I'm here I realise what a long trip down south I have.
Then off to an art gallery, pretty dull and the wonderful shop called fab india...bought clothes for neices and nephews and a few of the newbies who have/are going to arrive. also top a nd trousers for me.
Then off to Ghandi's house। Liked this place, in a posh leafy suburb . great pictures and displays of ghandi and his room he stayed in plus loads of puppets acting out his life.This really appealled to me and took loads of pictures...I'll see if I can download them here.

Ghandi's last moments as acted by wax puppets.

Crawford market pictures and my gummy guide!

THis part of Bombay is intense and full on and was going to find out where the jewellry market was but just had an overload. especially when I saw untouchables scraping around unblocking a huge sewer. Went into a jain temple to get my breath back. jains wear special masks so they can't swalllow flies (Might take it up) Loved their temple, full of black buddhas and women in masks sweeping up the insects and singing and men were painting the walls with pictures of birds and horses. Really peaceful. Went upto the Jain animal sanctury and fed a few special cows...very odd and I was strictly banned from taking photos of this most religous site.
At sunset I walked on the chowpatty beach. Over rated, dirty scumy place really but ended up eating street food froma vendor. had Bell puri...a kind of spicy rice crispy dish with lots of herbs and fried noodles...yummy but strange. Was sitting at the table chatting to a couple on holiday from delhi when the waiters all went mad taking the tables and chairs away in a flash. we had to quickly stand as our seats were whipped away. the local police were doing a drive by and they don't ahve permission to put out tables. Never have I seen so many tables and chairs vanish so quickly!

Chowpatty beach.

Taxi ride to another jain temple, decided I like them alot coz the insence smells so good and there are so many females around. Drove by the zoroastrian towers of silence, where the parsi people lay out their dead so they can be pecked by vultures...cool! nfortunatly only zoroastrains can go in. Damn.
then taxi back to Colaba district which is my home area. Toursity and full on, with people trying to sell you tat. This evening my block had a power cut they gave me a candle to get me to my room and luckily I have a torch. Bucket shower by torch and hopefully power will be restored when I get back! Quick walk around colaba causeway and I ended up eating dinner in an Iranian restaurant. Bloody amazing. Wanted to ask waiter for receipe of this amazing masala dish. Spices are on a different level here, can't explain it!! not hotter, just more layers of flavour. Then a walk to this internet cafe. Right gonna see if I can put on some photos I have a cable in my bag and email this link to you all. Hope this works. Bye for now