Our first night in Mumbai was uneventful. Mumbai is a big city and big cities in India are often just too congested, too loud and too dirty. I had really hoped for changes in the last 24 years but, from what I can see, there has not been much improvement. Of course, there are the new roads made wider, taking over sidewalks in the process. It leaves all pedestrians fighting for their lives every time they want to go anywhere. No one can ever go out with a stroller or for a pleasant walk with their children. There is absolutely no place to walk. Every sidewalk has been commandeered by some business or other or is in a state of disrepair. There are dogs everywhere. They are not aggressive at all. They all seem so hungry and so tired and in great need of a nice flee killing shampoo and a good bath. They sleep in the middle of the place and everyone walks around them. I feel sorry for anyone with any physical disability. The curbs are often a foot high so one must jump off it to get down, at least if one is as short legged as I am. Maybe I am starting to miss my home and my loved ones which is why this city has lost it's appeal for me.
Our room at the YWCA was not what we had reserved 6 months ago so we mentioned it at the reception desk this morning and we were given a much larger one with a view of the Campion Boys School play area. Bernie insists on my describing it as the garden behind the school. That is the shortcut they used when he was young to get from Maher Mansion to Woodhouse Church. It has now been converted into a very large playing field made of brown earth.
There area couple of Kites (very large hawk style birds) making a nest outside our window. They build it out of twigs and it is a very messy and ugly nest. Since it does not rain here for months at a time, the trees are covered with a layer of brown soil dust which probably gets cleaned out during the monsoon season.
After our complimentary breakfast, we went to the Taj Hotel to meet our cousin Willie. We had not seen him in 24 years and it was so nice to see him again. Our friends who had been to India this past year, had come to say hello to him from us and taken his picture so we recognized him immediately. He was very helpful in providing us with every one's phone number so we could organize to meet all of them for dinner on the 12th since we are leaving on the 13th. Talking about our departure, we decided to check our return ticket only to find out we had gotten muddled. The dinner with our relatives is organized for the 12th evening and we have just now realized that we do leave on the 13th but at 2:30 AM which means we have booked and paid for an extra night here. We will have to sort this out, check out on the 12th by noon and organize ourselves differently. We will not be coming back in town after this dinner as we will already be half way to the airport. Give you more details tomorrow when we have sorted them out.
Later on, we met with Chris and Vera and spent the evening with them. We had not seen them in a long time and it was nice to catch up with each other's lives again. After dinner, we went to the Kala Godha Festival close by and after a nightcap at a local restaurant/bar, we said goodnight. We will meet them at 8:30 for breakfast. Another day has gone by getting us closer to our return home.
It will be nice to meet all our relatives Sunday evening for a drink and dinner. We just have to iron out all the details.
Our room at the YWCA was not what we had reserved 6 months ago so we mentioned it at the reception desk this morning and we were given a much larger one with a view of the Campion Boys School play area. Bernie insists on my describing it as the garden behind the school. That is the shortcut they used when he was young to get from Maher Mansion to Woodhouse Church. It has now been converted into a very large playing field made of brown earth.
There area couple of Kites (very large hawk style birds) making a nest outside our window. They build it out of twigs and it is a very messy and ugly nest. Since it does not rain here for months at a time, the trees are covered with a layer of brown soil dust which probably gets cleaned out during the monsoon season.
After our complimentary breakfast, we went to the Taj Hotel to meet our cousin Willie. We had not seen him in 24 years and it was so nice to see him again. Our friends who had been to India this past year, had come to say hello to him from us and taken his picture so we recognized him immediately. He was very helpful in providing us with every one's phone number so we could organize to meet all of them for dinner on the 12th since we are leaving on the 13th. Talking about our departure, we decided to check our return ticket only to find out we had gotten muddled. The dinner with our relatives is organized for the 12th evening and we have just now realized that we do leave on the 13th but at 2:30 AM which means we have booked and paid for an extra night here. We will have to sort this out, check out on the 12th by noon and organize ourselves differently. We will not be coming back in town after this dinner as we will already be half way to the airport. Give you more details tomorrow when we have sorted them out.
Later on, we met with Chris and Vera and spent the evening with them. We had not seen them in a long time and it was nice to catch up with each other's lives again. After dinner, we went to the Kala Godha Festival close by and after a nightcap at a local restaurant/bar, we said goodnight. We will meet them at 8:30 for breakfast. Another day has gone by getting us closer to our return home.
It will be nice to meet all our relatives Sunday evening for a drink and dinner. We just have to iron out all the details.
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