how are you all doing? I am still in Mumbai but I have hacked through the knoop ;-) and bought my ticket to Goa. Unfortunatly I was late at the post office trying to send about 8kg of multicoloured Indian stuff to Europe so I will have to take them with me on the train. Pfff .. Fortunatly my luggage will not be lonely as it will be able to have nice conversations with goats, chicken, and other animals that are not even in a cage. It's nen beestenboel!
The train itself is quite basic and I will have a top bench (only low and top) of which I am now wondering if that wasnt a completely stupid idea since I am travelling during the daytime and therefor will miss most of the journey which I have been told is beautiful if you cut out the people shitting on the edge of the traintracks (official statistics in the papers today said that an average of 10 people die in Mumbai on the railroad tracks!!!) The ride comes with a veggie meal (spicy apparently) and one snack. I will stock up on cookies tonight! Chai (tea) you can get at any time. I haven't asked what the toilets look like, I don't even wanna know.
A few days ago my friend Michael told me, and I quote: "India is not supposed to be comfortable, that is why so many people hate it. If you want comfortableness , go to the Canary Islands or something" and quite right he is! Happy travels by the way darling, you must be in Tokio by now enjoying the crazyness of Japan. I hope you have a wonderful time. I will miss you
Many things happen on Colaba Causeway, the main street of the area known as -tataaa- Colaba. Equivalent to backpackers paradise (dont take paradise to litteraly) They try to sell you everything from giant balloons (what on earth for??) to plastified maps of India (foldable ones is what we need man!!!) But also beautiful Pashmina's, cheap leather shoes, clothes, gems (real and fake ones !) and so on. Sorry mami, I bought loads of scarfs. A silk one for you if it survives the trip by boat! The guy with the maps is called Raj (his dad is Rajastani) and I saw him walking in and out of our hotel about 4 times already with different girls. He is quite a casanova and tried the trick on me and Rachel. In the picture he is trying to convince me of his monogamous state and showing me a pic of him and his pretty dutch "Real" girlfriend. Haha. India, don't you just love it!
Oh my god it's sooo big!
Sunday stroll took us to Sassoon dock, right behind Colaba and the place where the fish comes in every morning at about 5 o'clock. Obviously we weren't there that early.Sassoon dock:
We went for a walk there (no cars) and even though my Lonely Planet says that picture taking is off limits there Rachael just went ahead and did it anyway (thank you hun for the lovely pictures!)Lonely Planet is wrong (sorry) The people don't mind, they love it if you stroll around, have a chat and stay for while. They asked us to take pictures of there houses, shops, stalls and animals.
This old lady proudly showed us her 'house' made of cardboard, the lady next to here is her daughter but there is also a granddaughter and a greatgranddaughter! They were soo wonderful. It was a lovely day!
On the way back we were followed by kids (lots of em) that were begging for some Roepies. Since I refuse to give them money (only in case of severe emergency and these kids were definitly not that!) I usually give them something to eat. Sometimes they eagerly eat it and sometimes they even get angry at me. These ones were given Lassi's, something yogurty, very sweet and absolutely delicious! 
Unfortunatly they didn't take no for an answer and followed us all the way down to the hotel despite the furoscious policewoman in a sari. The two youngest ones ran of but the oldes one kept following us. It took my bullet-evil look to get her to stop begging (and that was the second time I have had to use it, I hope I dont have to do it again)
Since she was begging for money and I wasn't gonna give it to her I told her that she should pray to Laxmi, the goddess of wealth. Hence the picture (I could do with some money as well ;-)
Tomorrow I will be off then. When you guys have just gotten in your snuggly beds I will have to get up and go to Victoria Central Station. I will try to get some pictures there.
For the people back home: a warm bearhug for you all.
For my travelling brothers and sisters: I hope u all are safe, healthy and happy and I hope our paths will cross again!
Merry meet and merry part ... may we meet again !
Love and light,
Catherine alias Sara (of lady Sarashwati so it seems)
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