Day 77 (Fri 22 Sep) - Mumbai

Got up about mid morning to a very humid and cloudy day. Had our usual fare at the Food Plaza.

We had to post Jo's mums pressie so traipsed off to the main post office located near the train station. It seems like all we have been doing is walking to the flaming train station.

Went past the magnificent Taj Hotel and India Gate.

(Aside: Since we have been in Mumbai we have been absolutely plagued by people trying to sell us gigantic balloons. The sellers seem genuinely disappointed that we have got no place in our lives for a whacking great rubber balloon. )

Posted the pressie and then walked to the Oval Maiden. This is a pleasant green park surrounded on one side by the buildings of the High Court and Mumbai University. Sat in the park watching some local children play cricket. Quite relaxing.

About lunchtime we wandered into the Oxford bookstore for a browse. Quite a nice bookshop complete with small cafe.

Briefly popped into an internet cafe and then settled in for a drink at the Samrat restaurant. Sarb had a beer and Jo a cup of chai.

Decided to walk along Marine Drive (along Back Bay) as the weather seemed to have brightened and on every other occasion we had been here it had rained.

Managed to make it to the Oberoi hotel before giving up as it was just too hot. Decided to walk back to town to the Town Hall as it offered much more shade.

Just by the quaint St Thomas' Cathedral, just by the Town Hall, Jo phoned Barclays. Thankfully the chap, who was based in Coventry, she was speaking to managed to sort out the whole problem. The whole situation seems rather stupid to us. It seems the only winners out of this fiasco are a) the call centre in Mumbai that are taking the calls and probably billing Barclays per call b) the telephone companies having this traffic going through and c) Barclays because they've off shored. The only losers as far as we can see are the customers i.e. us.

From the town hall we went to Cafe Mondegar for a few drinks. Watched India lose a one day cricket international to Australia when they appeared to be in the driving seat.

Wandered off to a small nightclub place to see what the cool and trendy get up to. Unfortunately it was a little too early for the movers and shakers to be up and about so we settled into the darkly lit bar and had a drink.

Sarb went off to the loo and walked through a hole in the wall normally made to fit a door failing to see that there was in fact a door there. The door was, it must be noted, of the see through variety, the bar was very dark, Sarb had had a couple of drinks. All these factors resulted in a loud bang as Sarb's forehead cracked off the glass. Thankfully no damage to the door.

After this episode we decided we should wander back to our palace.

So far we had not really enjoyed our time in Mumbai. Partly because of our lodgings and being so unsuccessful at doing our chores but also because there seems a real disparity between the rich and the poor.

In no other city have we seen whole families living on the streets and so many young children begging. Then on the other side there is such wealth and arrogance. It just doesn't feel right and we can't wait to leave!