So it seems my body clock is b*****ed, I sat awake until 6:15am reading "A Portrait of India" expecting to find a charismatic first hand experience of a traveller.
In fact it turned out to be a journalistic account of the worlds largest democracy and it's politics. From how it was formed, the divisions and terrible atrocities between the religions of Sikhism, Hinduism, Islam and Jainism to name a few. Skip the next paragraph if you couldn't give a s***e....
I learnt in the early part of the 20th century India was still officially under British colonisation, although it was self ruling via 562 Indian monarchs, Britain had the control of foreign affairs, defence and communications, thus shackling the Indian peoples potential of growth. Mohandas K. Gandhi - somebody who I had previously thought a peaceful activist was in fact the spearhead of the Indian National Congress Party. His genius was in recognising that the only way to oust the British was to mobilise all of India’s population. He used civil disobedience to paralyse the British, encouraging the Indian people to demonstrate which inevitably resulted in violence. Whilst successfully gaining India's independence it paid a heavy cost with religious divisions and sectarian wars decade after decade. Most notably still today with Kashmir and it's fiercely contested status. Pakistan (formerly part of India) was the result of the civil unrest and formed as a displaced Muslim minority were ousted from their hometowns all across India. Kashmir, which is a densely Muslim area is still occupied today by India who contest it's borders.
Anyway, that's enough of that!
Still raining this morning, but I am not wasting my last full day in Mumbai! After a quick shower in the increasingly homely Lawrence Hotel I wander out on to the street with my mind on food!
I soon strike up a conversation with a local student called Bhabha. I was initially resistant for fear of being scammed but thought I could do with the direction. "Cheap traditional Indian food, take me" I requested.
We chatted about bits and bobs and he pointed out a few places of interest on the walk to the restaurant which turned out to be nice and full of locals! Always a good sign! I invited him in for food, a meal was a small price to pay for his local knowledge.
With his guidance I ordered a red lentil dal, garlic naan, japati, and all the trimmings including a rather
spicy lime and coriander dip! The price.... 240 rupees about £2.50! There was loads left, I requested a doggy bag and we sought a group of ladies I had seen squatting nearby my hotel. In India nothing gets wasted, rubbish does not exist, only opportunity. The ladies were delighted.
He then took me to a 'locals market', the backstreet type I would have otherwise avoided, and I purchased a much needed plug adapter for the equivalent of 60p.
I need to get to the centre of Mumbai tomorrow to catch a train - £1.50 in a taxi. Luckily Bhabha showed me the local Victoria Terminus where I can get a train for 10 rupees, about 11p!
After picking his brains further about Indian customs and traditions I decided we would part company. He told me a c*** and bull story of how he helps orphaned children in a church who needed food, I told him politely I had overspent already for the day, showed him the empty side of my wallet and wandered off! Pull the other one Bhabha!
Overall a very constructive day, I can now recharge my ipad, I have a full stomach, some fruit for this evening if I'm feeling peckish and I didn't get scammed! I'm also sat in a cafe using free wifi looking at the first remotely attractive young lady I have seen, wait until I offer her a sip of my chai, putty in my hands undoubtably! ..."fancy coming to step over some homeless folk, up a dingy stairwell to a room not big enough to swing a cat where I have a single bed with a mattress no thicker than a slice of bread???"

...maybe I won't bother

Edit: She is called Amara, born in central India now lives in New York, runs a consultation company (basically doing f*** all but putting people in touch with each other) and I will be meeting her in Leopold's for a drink with her and her friends in T minus 60 minutes! One of which is from London, should be interesting.

Tarar for a bit