So, where to next?
Trip Start
Sep 22, 2004
1
2
11
Trip End
Dec 13, 2004
Mumbai,
India
Saturday, September 25, 2004
Like my previous experiences in Delhi, it's impossible to leave my hotel without touts trying to sell me just about everything. I've lost count of the number of times I've been offered hash and/or heroin. It becomes very tiring very quickly, and it detracts from being able to really experience the local environs.
On my first morning I saw some filming taking place beside the Gateway of India. not sure if it was a commercial or a Bollywood movie. I'd like to see if I can get a part as an extra in a Bollywood one, but that will now have to wait until December.
Mumbai is just seeing out the end of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival. I tell you, of all the religions I reckon Hinduism is one of the coolest ones. They have hundreds of gods, and pretty groovy ones at that. (A rat with an elephant's head??? Very cool.) During this festival there are nighttime parades and fireworks, with lots of drums. They came past my hotel late last night with a cart featuring a huge Ganesh with sparkly lights etc being towed by two buffalo. Compare that with Christianity and a single, faceless god and boring church sessions and dreary hymns... Kind of weird that the Christian God who said 'thou shalt not bow to idols', must have figured at some point he was losing market share, introducing Jesus purely so his people could have a statue of a guy on a cross to be their idol. Hardly worth celebrating, if you ask me. I want a religion where people really get into it. Not that I want a religion, but if i did, this would be top of my list I reckon. Too bad I'll miss John Saffran's inevitable take on Hinduism, I guess.
[edit] I received an email from Abhi in Mumbai who tells me Ganesh has a rat AS A VEHICLE and an elephant's head.(barring the head, ganesh is four-handed like any
other Hindu god, and has a human-like body, albeit obese), so thanks for that, Abhi.
Anywho, I'm off to Aurangabad by train tonight. Found it really hard to locate a travel desk to organise my ticket... and after he did, I discovered he'd charged me almost double the actual Indian Rail price. *note for future, check price first before buying.
