Managed to get up at 8.30 in time for breakfast but it really wasn't worth it. Breakfast was shit.
Our first task of the day was to get some aerogrammes—my letter home was slightly overdue. At the Post Office some cheeky sod tried to push in front of Olly, just as Olly opened his mouth to speak. Olly said "Excuse me" but "Fuck off or I'll break your nose" would have been more appropriate.
The beach was not quite as we had imagined it. Instead of sunbathers lazing in the sun, there were just a few homeless Indians littering the place and pestering us. Nevertheless, a beach is a beach, so we tried to find a place selling mats to protect ourselves from the scorching sand. Instead we had some Wan Tun soup in a seafront café. After giving up on the mats, we settled for a walk across the beach. At the other end of the sands, we relaxed, drinking Thums Up, a crappy Indian cola.
It wasn't long before a scruffy sod marched up to us with three monkeys on leads. The monkeys did press-ups and a bit of jumping around. The owner demanded money. We tried to look uninterested in the man, but I didn't want to give the monkeys the cold shoulder. It wasn't her fault the man who imprisoned them was an arse. I stroked one of the monkeys and he picked imaginary nits out of my arm and then jumped on my shoulders and worked on my head. I would love to have played with the monkeys, but I didn't like the trainer's attitude so I had to seem as disinterested as possible to avoid him claiming a fee.
At two o'clock we got a taxi back to the SA. There was no question of eating anywhere else but The New Apollo. As usual, we were not disappointed.
After writing letters and reading at the SA, it was time to get a taxi to the station. The cheating git driver tried to get Rs.50 off us. I angrily passed him 29, which was still too much.
We had been told that the rail system in India was OK, so we looked forward to a nice, clean apartment with a few cold beers to help us sleep. I envisaged something like the train between Victoria Falls and Bulawayo.
When we found our carriage we were disappointed to put it very mildly. The carriage had no compartments as such, just divisions, which made the place look like a milking shed. People were packed in like sardines. The bunks were 3-tiered and not even the "corridor" was free of beds. The carriage was only partially lit and it smelt of piss. It took me about 3 seconds to decide to get off the train and choose an alternative mode of transport. Olly took slightly longer to reach the inevitable verdict, but at least he did.
We took a quick look at 1st-class. It was better, but not much. We decided to get the bus.
After checking back in at the SA, we went for a much-needed beer and had a great meal. On the way back, we popped into the Hotel Diplomat. It looked quite plush from the outside and we wondered how much it cost. It turned out that an air-conditioned double room, presumably with bathroom en-suite, would have cost us Rs.633! A real bargain, it has to be said, but not cheap enough for us.
Back at the SA, we chatted to one of the staff, who told us about how to enjoy ourselves in Goa. We can stay in the Beach Cottages in Panaji for Rs.20 a night and hire motorbikes for Rs.100 per day. I'm looking forward to Goa.
Our first task of the day was to get some aerogrammes—my letter home was slightly overdue. At the Post Office some cheeky sod tried to push in front of Olly, just as Olly opened his mouth to speak. Olly said "Excuse me" but "Fuck off or I'll break your nose" would have been more appropriate.
Chowpatty Beach, Bombay.
We then got a taxi to Chowpatty Beach. The Rs.22 fare seemed pretty reasonable.The beach was not quite as we had imagined it. Instead of sunbathers lazing in the sun, there were just a few homeless Indians littering the place and pestering us. Nevertheless, a beach is a beach, so we tried to find a place selling mats to protect ourselves from the scorching sand. Instead we had some Wan Tun soup in a seafront café. After giving up on the mats, we settled for a walk across the beach. At the other end of the sands, we relaxed, drinking Thums Up, a crappy Indian cola.
It wasn't long before a scruffy sod marched up to us with three monkeys on leads. The monkeys did press-ups and a bit of jumping around. The owner demanded money. We tried to look uninterested in the man, but I didn't want to give the monkeys the cold shoulder. It wasn't her fault the man who imprisoned them was an arse. I stroked one of the monkeys and he picked imaginary nits out of my arm and then jumped on my shoulders and worked on my head. I would love to have played with the monkeys, but I didn't like the trainer's attitude so I had to seem as disinterested as possible to avoid him claiming a fee.
At two o'clock we got a taxi back to the SA. There was no question of eating anywhere else but The New Apollo. As usual, we were not disappointed.
After writing letters and reading at the SA, it was time to get a taxi to the station. The cheating git driver tried to get Rs.50 off us. I angrily passed him 29, which was still too much.
We had been told that the rail system in India was OK, so we looked forward to a nice, clean apartment with a few cold beers to help us sleep. I envisaged something like the train between Victoria Falls and Bulawayo.
When we found our carriage we were disappointed to put it very mildly. The carriage had no compartments as such, just divisions, which made the place look like a milking shed. People were packed in like sardines. The bunks were 3-tiered and not even the "corridor" was free of beds. The carriage was only partially lit and it smelt of piss. It took me about 3 seconds to decide to get off the train and choose an alternative mode of transport. Olly took slightly longer to reach the inevitable verdict, but at least he did.
We took a quick look at 1st-class. It was better, but not much. We decided to get the bus.
After checking back in at the SA, we went for a much-needed beer and had a great meal. On the way back, we popped into the Hotel Diplomat. It looked quite plush from the outside and we wondered how much it cost. It turned out that an air-conditioned double room, presumably with bathroom en-suite, would have cost us Rs.633! A real bargain, it has to be said, but not cheap enough for us.
Back at the SA, we chatted to one of the staff, who told us about how to enjoy ourselves in Goa. We can stay in the Beach Cottages in Panaji for Rs.20 a night and hire motorbikes for Rs.100 per day. I'm looking forward to Goa.
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