Day 39 (15 July): Less than 36 Hours to Vomiting
This morning I took a ferry from the Gateway to India out to Elephanta Island which is 8 km out into the city's harbor. Part of the logic was that I needed to get out of the claustrophobia of the city already. (Mumbai has seven times the population density of Tokyo and thirteen times the population density of LA.)
On Elephanta Island, I saw a bunch of caves with Hindu statues carved into their walls, I also saw monkeys and some cannons put in place during WWII to protect the city. I also had lunch on the island with the guide I hired to show me around for just 80 Rupees (or less than 2 dollars.)
Upon returning, however, I felt sleepy and took a nap in my un-airconditioned room with only a small window. Within an hour, I was vomiting and proceeded to vomit another four times before I was through. Strangely, I never really felt sick expect for when I had to vomit and once I had done it, I almost instantly felt better. The last two times all that was coming up was water. I expected I would get sick during my trip at some point since 3+ month of traveling and eating/sleeping in stange places takes a toll. I also expected it would most likely be in India, but I didn't expect it so quickly.
By the evening I felt completely better. I wandered out into the street where I met a guy who was a scout for Bollywood Films. He thought I would make a good extra in a movie they were shooting the next day and offered me 1000 Rs (nearly $25 to do it.) I told him I would since it sounded cool and I wanted to go see Bollywood as it was. I went to dinner with him and then he took me to a bar and eventually we ended up at a club that was supposed to be the best in India in the Taj Mahal Hotel.
Observations:
1) Bollywood. Bollywood is Mumbai's film industry. They produce more movies every year than Hollywood does.
2) Education and its value. Education is highly, highly valued in India. The front page of the Times of India (the world's largest English language newspaper) had scholarship winner's pictures on it today. The guide I had lunch with was also telling me about his kids education.
3) Indian Engineering. India's have been engineers for years or at least since the 1400s. The angles in the caves created unique views across at three-headed Hindu figures, so you could only see one head at a time unless you were inside all of the caves pillars. A pretty impressive feat, as was all of the chiseling that had to be done.
4) Lunch only cost me 20 Rs (or less than $0.50). Maybe that's why I got sick. There were plenty of people eating at the restaurant including other white tourists, so I figured it would be safe. Besides which it looked relatively clean. If prices are this cheap in a tourist location, I can now understand how the poverty line is often drawn at $1 a day, since it is possible to eat and stay full at that price (if you don't puke up your food.)
5) Indian Navy. I knew India was supposed to have a strong Navy, but that was very apparent today motoring across the harbor where you could see a portion of their fleet docked. It was almost as impressive as the fleets in San Diego of Norfolk in the US.
6) Contrast between rich and poor. The Club at the Taj made this very apparent. Inside was a former Miss World pageant winner and Bollywood actresses. The cover charge was 600 Rs (USD 15) while out on the street one block away there are people who have less than 40 Rs (USD 1) to live on. Somehow, life goes on and people are used to this.
Illustration of poverty/despair:
1) I saw a guy today who was basically walking around like a dog or a monkey on four legs. His knee-caps seemed to be on the wrong side, so his knees bent backwards. He was toothless and severely malnourished.
On Elephanta Island, I saw a bunch of caves with Hindu statues carved into their walls, I also saw monkeys and some cannons put in place during WWII to protect the city. I also had lunch on the island with the guide I hired to show me around for just 80 Rupees (or less than 2 dollars.)
Upon returning, however, I felt sleepy and took a nap in my un-airconditioned room with only a small window. Within an hour, I was vomiting and proceeded to vomit another four times before I was through. Strangely, I never really felt sick expect for when I had to vomit and once I had done it, I almost instantly felt better. The last two times all that was coming up was water. I expected I would get sick during my trip at some point since 3+ month of traveling and eating/sleeping in stange places takes a toll. I also expected it would most likely be in India, but I didn't expect it so quickly.
By the evening I felt completely better. I wandered out into the street where I met a guy who was a scout for Bollywood Films. He thought I would make a good extra in a movie they were shooting the next day and offered me 1000 Rs (nearly $25 to do it.) I told him I would since it sounded cool and I wanted to go see Bollywood as it was. I went to dinner with him and then he took me to a bar and eventually we ended up at a club that was supposed to be the best in India in the Taj Mahal Hotel.
Observations:
1) Bollywood. Bollywood is Mumbai's film industry. They produce more movies every year than Hollywood does.
2) Education and its value. Education is highly, highly valued in India. The front page of the Times of India (the world's largest English language newspaper) had scholarship winner's pictures on it today. The guide I had lunch with was also telling me about his kids education.
3) Indian Engineering. India's have been engineers for years or at least since the 1400s. The angles in the caves created unique views across at three-headed Hindu figures, so you could only see one head at a time unless you were inside all of the caves pillars. A pretty impressive feat, as was all of the chiseling that had to be done.
4) Lunch only cost me 20 Rs (or less than $0.50). Maybe that's why I got sick. There were plenty of people eating at the restaurant including other white tourists, so I figured it would be safe. Besides which it looked relatively clean. If prices are this cheap in a tourist location, I can now understand how the poverty line is often drawn at $1 a day, since it is possible to eat and stay full at that price (if you don't puke up your food.)
5) Indian Navy. I knew India was supposed to have a strong Navy, but that was very apparent today motoring across the harbor where you could see a portion of their fleet docked. It was almost as impressive as the fleets in San Diego of Norfolk in the US.
6) Contrast between rich and poor. The Club at the Taj made this very apparent. Inside was a former Miss World pageant winner and Bollywood actresses. The cover charge was 600 Rs (USD 15) while out on the street one block away there are people who have less than 40 Rs (USD 1) to live on. Somehow, life goes on and people are used to this.
Illustration of poverty/despair:
1) I saw a guy today who was basically walking around like a dog or a monkey on four legs. His knee-caps seemed to be on the wrong side, so his knees bent backwards. He was toothless and severely malnourished.
posted by Traveling Brian at 2:44 AM
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