Sunday, May 04, 2008

Bombay



Greetings from a HOT HOT India

This morning I did some sight seeing. A personal taxi around bombay. The guide was very interesting, giving me all sorts of information. 75000 black and yellow taxi's in Bombay.
35000 buses. That are very good. The train station is an exact replica of Victoria Station in London. Went to the university. At some point he asked where I was from, so I said I live in Holland. AHhhhhhhhhhhhhhh the red light district. How funny is that this guy has proberly never been to holland but knows all about the red light district.

We went to the laundry spot where hundreds of people are working do the laundry, costs 20 rupee per dress to get cleaned. That is 0,31 euro cents. The hotels all send the stuff there, a shirt that you need cleaned at the hotel costs 295 rupee that is 4,69. Now that's what I call a profit.



Went in to Ghani's house. I quess it's like the Anne Frank House, you expect to relive the book or movie when you walk in but you don't, it is very different to what you expect it to be.



The guide also took me the the hanging garden, Stunning gardens with beautiful flowers and trees, they have bushes cut in the shape of a giraffe and elephant. Under it is a hude resivoir of water and the there is a tower where passhe (no idea how I have to spell that) hange their dead. They leave the dead for the vultures to eat, once all the meat has been pecked off the bones the bones are then ground and thrown into the sea. How gross is that? They also apprantely never never never marry and how childeren outside of their own families so brothers and sisters etc marry and have kids. hmmmmmmmmmmmmm I don't think so. No offence sando, I think your a hottie and all but euwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I don't think so!!!!!!





Well my door bell just rang and yes my laundry has just come back, in a basket with a rose on top of it. The shirts is presses and folded around cardboard like it has just come from a shop.


Seriously for 31 cents????? maybe that where the big mark up comes from ;-)

Then to a shop yesssssss they try to sell you everything. No thank you is a sentence they don't quite get. So what''s a girl going to do right? so okay then yes I will buy the Sari I don't need but have the most amazing colors and yes I will buy the scarfs that I don't need but that are pure cashmere whatever and look amazing, and yes i will buy the singing bowl for my sons, 1 no 2 okay then two. How much did you say that was? 35 000 rupee hmmmmmmm that's like 557 euro. i don't think so but thanks anyway. bye. wait yessssssss what you want to pay? Nothing I don't need these things. But madame we give you a good price. blah blah blah and so it goes on until I say. Give me a mintue and I call Jos. (yes I need premission from my husband to spend money, only ion India do they believe this ;-0) So hang up and say i am so sorry but my husband said no. Long story short, I left the store with goods I don't really need for the low low price of 75 euros. Who said i can't get the best deal.
Walking around I got a flower bangle from a woman carring her 1 year old son, who was sleeping in her arms. i thanked her a nicely as I could and said no thank you. But it was on my arm before the SHORT sentence was finished...... so i wanted to then give her some cash. Nooooooo she was not allowed to take that cos she was a begger. (hmmmmmm I not sure she understands the word begger.....) No instead she wanted milk and rice for her son. See now that is something I am sensitive 2. Food and milk for a kid seriously how can you say no. So off to the shop it is. ( I am sure the shop ripped me off but ok,.,,,,,,) She got her milk and rice correction, 2 rice, 2 milk and some oil. I don't mind doing that it's the giving of money and not knowing where it is going thta gets me. SO I am happy I fed a lady and her kid for the next week or 2 for the price of 25 euro's.
Okay enough blah blah blah for now. I will let you all in on my adventures tomorrow.
But before I leave you, what do you think the chances are that people in India can be trusted?
We will find out tomorrow, because I gave my tour guide money to go to the market and get me some good spices and some tea. He will deliver it to my hotel for me tomorrow. I only thought later hmmmmmm I am very trusting here I give a guy I don't know 20 euros to buy me spices and tea. He earns +/- 100 dollars a month I am guess 20 euros will go a long way for him. So he can do 2 things take the money and run. It's not like I know where I can find him or even that I will hunt him down for it, or he can buy the spices and bring them to the hotel. I will let you know ;-)

2 comments:

Jossie said...

goed bezig!
cool pickies again.. and what a hotelroom!!!! wow we can live there with the whole family!!
Very good that you phoned me for the stuff.. and I am happy to see that my firm no turned out to be good enough for spending 75 EURO!!! seriously!! :-))

D@nielle said...

wow how cool is that, bombay .. Can't wait to see the pics and hear more stories. Thanks for sharing the fun ;)