Friday 23 January 2009

Colaba and the cemetery

Back in Mumbai Friday lunchtime (local time - 8.30am GMT) and traffic was horrendous - took almost two hours to drive from the airport down to the fort area - this trip I have done twice previously and both times took about 40 minutes!
I think it could be because it's Friday, though I haven't seen any difference with weekends - schools seem to open and people still work! It's a bit like the UK in the 1800's on that score - when the minions only had Xmas day off - that's when most of the baptisms used to take place!
Ventured out on foot to see if I could get my bearings - bought a street map but then left it in the hotel room. Needless to say I got lost and had to catch a cab back! I can generally find my way around places, but this area is so manic it's impossible to even remember which was is north and which south - the whole isthmus seems to be on a slant rather than as it looks on the map as being a north-south orientation.
Tomorrow I'll use the soft option and opt for a cab from the start.
Called into the local library to ask after the old Naval Cemetery, the person in charge spoke good English, but she was a little condescending - stating this is a library, not a cemetery! Well, I managed to bite my cutting remark back - something along the lines that I thought it was a place for the learned, that's why I called there!
Anyway, another chap in there told me Colaba was closed - not sure if he meant the naval cemetery or the whole town area, but I'll see tomorrow.
Thanks to the people who've commented - is making it a little less lonely (I think I'll be forgotten how to hold a conversation by the time I get back).

2 comments:

Mick Smith said...

Hi rich , kevin sent me the link to youre blog last weekend, so ive been catching up this week.Sounds like youre having a interesting time out there. Thinking of you mick.ps its cons night so ill have apint for you tonight . All the best mick

glasgowlass said...

lets hope tomorrow will bring better results x ps i think someones missing you lol