8 Oct 2008

From Col: Today I am really happy and am chilling out. We arrived in Mumbai on Tuesday Morning. The flight was really uncomfortable with seats too close together and without much leg room. Good that we don't have to do that for a few months again. In Mumbai Airport we pre-booked a taxi and discovered that the overnight train to Goa was fully reserved. We then made our way across Mumbai to CST railway station to book early morning tickets and found a reasonable hotel with air conditioning and good service across from the train station.

My first impression of India was that it did not smell like everyone said; maybe that's Mumbai for you. It was exceptionally busy and the traffic was fast and furious. No pigeons but lots of jackdaws! Everyone seems so well dressed and groomed given the heat. I felt so scruffy. Vendors were everywhere around the station; offering their wares. Later at night people were cooking and seemed to be feeding their families on the pavement. People laid out and slept on the street at night. It's a hard working life out here. I don't really know what else to say apart from that it is visible in Mumbai. I don't want to trivialise the poverty by offering my feelings/thoughts about something I'm yet to see fully and appreciate the significance of how it reveals the privileges of our positions as tourists or the playing out of the global free market economy and capitalism.

I was really taken aback by the efficiency with regards to record keeping which has been meticulous. Basically we're leaving a paper trail across India. Also Vodaphone is everywhere. so my phone works locally but I'm sure I'm paying English rates.

I used my Urdu more than I use it in England in a year and even held my own with a vendor who would not help us to get a sim card he sold us to work. He told me very nicely there was no need to argue and I agreed when we finally got it to work. Basic Urdu is very similar to basic Hindi and most people in Mumbai seemed to understand it. Apart from the heat and car fumes I found I was much morecomfortable than I usually am abroad (I.e. Europe for me) even during the hair raising hour long taxi trip. The food has been delicious, fresh and nutritious; I am sticking to vegetarian.

The train journey lasted about fourteen hours. It was slow and very relaxed. We were in a secondclass air conditioningcarriage and we were supposed to have two lower berths to ourselvesbut the upper berth passengers preferred to sit next to us. I slipped in my earplugs and slept on and off for the first half of the journey. It was far more comfortable than train/plane travel in England. The Chai, lassi and snack sellers walked up and down the train shouting chai, lassi, tomato soup, and other things. We were provided with pillows and blankets; chai and a good vegetarian meal. We eventually arrived in Mapusa late last night - surprise we found our station stop because there were no announcements or details of where we were stopped - at about half past nine and are now in our hotel in Goa which we booked through a health and yoga retreat. I think I've finally beaten the exhaustion of the first couple of days. The hotel complex is full of greenery (banana trees, avocados, and countless other plants I've never seen). I think Edwin the manager said it was built in the style of Portugese dwellings. It is stunning.

We've reached India in time for Dussehra so we are catching the tail end of the religious festivities where people are dressing, dancing and carrying out various rituals; we have passed a couple of events taking place in Mumbai and Goa and had a sneak preview. If I've understood the newspapers Dussehra symbolises the power and divinity of the earth as female energy and celebrates the various incarnations of Durga, including during her protective and vengeful periods! I'm glad there's a balance between the dark and the light!

First thing this morning Sundeep pointed out a monkey swinging through the trees in the complex which was sending the dogs wild. The complex has basic rooms with ceiling fans, hot and cold running water and a western style WC; I'm still yet to experience Indian style toilets and avoided them on the train as they did not look easy for me to use or very clean in second class. That's fuddy duddy and not very outdoorsy of me I know but I've got a few months to learn the technique.I've never been good at that camping kind of thing.

We got a wake up knock and were doing Yoga on the roof terrace for an hour before breakfast.It's our first opportunity to relax and its lovely. It's peaceful and quiet; we may venture out mid afternoon and check out the beach or shops.

When I find wireless access I'll post this on the travel log. It's not quite sank in that I 'm here for six months. Love to everyone and I''ll keep rambling on in my blogs, please comment or put me right. I'd love to hear from you even if its a quick HI. Also let me know if you're interested in hearing about a place/anything, then I won't feel so narcissistic telling you my thoughts X Col

From Sundeep: Well here we are in Mapusa, Assogao north of Goa. We are at yoga retreat for a week, but more on this later. First, here's a catch up from when we last posted, on Sunday night staying in Coventry.

The coach journey started well with our coach being cancelled, but the next service got us in well on time. We beeped out way through security, with fellow travellers admiring our ability to be searched and frisked so many times.

The plane journey was awful. The so-called reputable British Airways (Sorry Andy!) flight ranks in the top two of my worst fllying experiences, coming in a close second to the crazy Lesvos flight last year where we ended up making an emergency landing.

There was no such reprive of an emergency landing with this flight to Mumbai, though. Very little leg room, and the old favourite of the passenger in front swinging their chair fully back the moment we took off right through to just before landing. I also managed to sit in the only chair on the entire flight that had no working TV screen, reading light or audio entertainment.. nice one! I'm not flying with BA again.. oh except when I have to fly back perhaps!

Going through security and baggage in Mumbai was good and fairly efficient. Booked a pre-paid taxi to get to the Cha... Shiva train station in a/c car.. turned out to be a little like those box cars in the 1970's, with the open windows acting as the a/c equipment. Brilliant taxi journey into central Mumbai, reminding me of why I love this place so much... it's crazy driving, has chaotic traffic 'rules', yet it works so well.

Managed to book on early train to Goa for the next morning, and spent the rest of the afternoon trying to recover from the crap flight. Our first meal in Mumbai was wonderful - Dhal and Roti, simple food but heavenly tastes the best I've tasted so far.... sorry Mum!

I wasn't looking forward to the 12 hour train journey to Madgoan, but it turned out to be better than the flight. We shared our A/C 2nd class berth with a couple from Europe now living in India. They had chosen not to learn Hindi, and relied on English and hand gestures as their means of communication. They were travelling to meet friends just outside of Goa to a station called Savantwadi Road. The planned time of arrival was 16.30. we had set off late, so the timetable (which only shows major stations) was no help. Each time they asked how long til savantwadi Raod, the nonchalent 15-20 mins turned into an actual 4 hours later. Our taxi driver had waited at our station Thivim, for three hours waiting for our train.. what a star!

So here we are at Hotel Astoria on a yoga retreat. This mornings session, our first, was good - Dad we started off with Kapalpatti - I wanted to laugh out loud - the Yoga teacher was suitably impressed with our ability to pick it up so quickly.I'd picked up some stomach bug in England last week, and the combination of the yoga and good unprocessed food has sorted me out today, this first full day in about two weeks that I've felt really good.

Sundeep