Another Bomday
Trip Start
Feb 11, 2009
1
62
74
Trip End
Ongoing
Mumbai (Bombay),
Maharashtra,
India
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Antti woke me up at about 6.45 today as he got showered and ready for his big day in Bollywood. Sweetly relieved that I'd cancelled my appointment, I drifted quickly and contentedly back to nodland, Antti then woke me up again, coming back at close to 10 complaining that they had just driven around for hours looking for more willing westerners, before giving up and dropping everyone home again. Super happy I missed this debacle.
After milling about in the hotel for a few hours, chatting with Antti and a few other here and there, it was time to formulate a plan for the day. The man Antii (aka, Mantti) managed to blag another Bollywood role which would keep him busy till 6, so it looked like I was on my own, which suited me well. I'd start with lunch at Leopolds and walk north into the city, seeing some sights and snapping some shots.
Leopolds was a bit eventful. Halfway through lunch the Canadians turned up, ordered some food, wolfed it down and then left without paying (by accident I assume). Leopolds were not happy, and tagged their order onto my bill. Now I was not happy, and steadfastly refused to pay, saying (rightly) that I hardly knew them, they sat at my table uninvited and that there was a good chance I would never see them again. It wasn't the money, it was the principle and the fact that I'd been instructed rather than requested to settle the difference. Cue a standoff, where they demanded money and I refused to pay someone else's bill. This went on for quite a while, and I got fairly pissed off until the waiter confided that the lost earnings would come out of his wages unless I paid. Given the overpriced food and this poor fellow's presumably relatively meagre earnings, this tipped the argument in Leopold's favour and I felt I needed to cough up. Pesky Canadians.
Anyway, off I went for a bit of sightseeing. Starting off at the opulent Taj Hotel (where you could still see fire damage after November's attacks) and the Gateway of India, I walked haphazardly northbound. I was thoroughly charmed by Bombay, with it's seductive mix of fading colonial grandeur, cosmopolitan luxuries, slums, wide and shady lanes, diversity and density of people etc etc etc. It was never dull, everywhere you looked you'd see something interesting or surprising or fantastic or ridiculous. I bumped into a few scallywags/rascals who invited me for a drink of sugarcane juice by the road. We chatted away, mainly about cricket. They were highly excited about India's upcoming 20/20 series against England, and were devastated to find out firstly that I wasn't a huge cricket fan and secondly that against my better judgement I'd probably have to support England. Actually, now I think about it, bollocks to South African Kevin Pieterson, bollocks to English cricket and go India! Give them a hiding chaps! Go go super Tandulkar (does he still play?)!
After seeing a number of sights and tiring myself out thoroughly, I got home to prepare for the obligatory but unwanted socialising in the evening (Antti was still trying to get his big night out). I was quickly filled in by the man himself on his Bollywood dramas - the highlight being him attempting to seduce the leading lady. Such audacity, a nobody extra approaching the famous actress in the breaks in filming. That's Antti though, and it sounds like he did ok as well - he showed me the pictures of them together with her looking rather affectionate. Another story emerged from the Canadians. One of them, sadly the most lovable, had come down with the shits BIGTIME. This realisation resulted in a mad sprint to McDonalds (and therefore a toilet), Indians being hurled desperately aside with every step (this guy was huge). Tragically, and hilariously, Davey fell just short of his goal and soiled both himself and a large section of the McDonalds floor (brings a new meaning to those anti-corp 'McShit' t-shirts). He then had to complete the walk of shame home. Very funny indeed, and he took it in good grace.
Then it was on to Leopolds where a ridiculously large group had gathered. Really couldn't be arsed to be honest,so largely sat and listened. After a few beers almost bankrupted me, I followed Israeli/Irishman's lead and filled up an empty water bottle with gin and sprite. Incidentally, this little mission led to a little beggar girl getting soundly thrashed (not my fault), but I'm bored now and can't be bothered to explain how. Then forgot how potent the mix was and accidentally got fairly bladdered. After listening to a drunk German rattle amusingly on for a few hours, we headed back to the hotel where most people got ready to go out (it later turned out to be crap, as expected. Sorry Antti but you were wrong on this, India is no good for parties, just expensive and loud), but myself, Israeli/Irishman and the two healthy Canadians returned to our sweaty, shirtless vigil in the hallway, talking about crap for hours before bed.
