DAY 1 MUMBAI

I opened the curtains to our 8th floor hotel room and was met by a view of eagles swirling the Indian rooftops, lime green parrots and the less exotic pigeons amongst them. Both james and I are full of cold so hopefully the curries that we will be trying over the next few days will sort us out.

We actually arrived yesterday afternoon and my first impression of Mumbai was how there seems to be no health and safety. All vehicles drive dangerously close to each other, honking their horns repeatedly. I later found out that cars in india do not have to have working seat belts or lights even but it must have a horn to let your fellow drivers know, you are about to over take. Nice.

After my first full day in Mumbai my impression of the Indian people is this. There are groups of men everywhere just standing on the streets not particular doing anything and spitting seems to be the local past time. I have even some of the women sporting a range of spit. Locals here still call Mumbai Bombay and i dont suppose they will ever get used to the name change. People here are well spoken and friendly but everyone expects a tip which sometimes can be a little confusing, especially as it sometimes takes a few people to do one job. For example, it took 3 men to show James and i to our hotel room.

James's eye modelling could really take off here as, as we stood under the gateway to India chatting to a local guide about various trips on offer, people were swarming around us asking for photographs or just taking them on their mobiles. At first i thought it may have been cause we are tubby westerners but as i looked around there were many over-sized locals hanging about.

So do you pose for every photo or graciously decline?

we just stood there sweating.