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It has been a while since updating our journal, as we are in Thailand now! It was quite a culture shock coming into Bangkok from Mumbai. There are lanes on the roads, and drivers follow road rules and use roundabouts properly. In India cars swerve in and out of other drivers, have their hand on the horn constantly(for letting drivers infront know they are there) and use their lights for road rage. Now, being back on proper roadways, it makes sense!
Indian cars dont tend to have wingmirrors, hence the beeping, as the cars in cities get up so close to each other they would keep needing them replaced after every journey! They must come as an add-on like air-con and electric windows did. Now in Bangkok you rarely here a sound from the roads.
It feels good to be in taxis that are less than 2 years old, they seem brand new with aircon and sooo comfortable - like a proper car! Indian taxis are steel boxes with carpet on the walls, concrete floors, PVC seats and neon lights decorating the interior.
We were growing fond of Mumbai, we loved this city, wasn't sure if I would after Dehli but it's totally different. Definatley sad to leave but ready.
The taxi drivers were really getting on my nerves. In the Lonely planet it advises to always use the meter, and because they are so old you have to add a certain amount of percentage. The drivers have conversion charts so in theory you cant be ripped off. From Colaba (where we stayed) we went to the world trade centre (big mistake in itself as no shops were open) and it didnt take long at all. The taxi driver said it was 100 rupees, Cheeky git. Richard said thats far too much and wheres the chart, the driver pointed to 130rupees on the chart, making out he was doing us a favor. At this point I had enough and said No! The metre says 1.9 look at his chart (which i grabbed out his hands) and i pointed to 1.9 which indeed said the price to be 25rupees. It was ridiculous and the driver didnt even look ashamed he just said ok then.
We visited most placed you could go in Mumbai, Art galleries, museums, Chowpatty Beach, Ovals, and we just walked around taking everything in. It's weird how you can just adapt, and just accept the Indian way. Somethings that would have shocked or interested us when we first arrived, we dont bat an an eyelid at now, and now we have to go through it all again!
I still love slums, and find they just draw my eyes to them, just the way people live. Even in Mumbai most the population live in slums, work in the city and come home at night to their slum. You can even see on the roads just out the main city, makeshift house, fires and people living their lives on the side of a busy road!
Definatley come back to India at some point in our lives! Its true what people say - you'll hate india at first but you grow to love it, and thats exactly what we have done.
And another thing people say - once you've been to India you'll always want to go back.
We do already!!!!
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