DAY 1 of 2
The minuteness of my existence glared at me on my recent trip to Mumbai, India. Though this is not my first visit to this bustling city, this is the first time that I had a chance to spend sometime looking around.
Arrived by road in a cool and pleasant Volvo B7R bus. The stop on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway gave me the much needed nourishment and refreshment. I had everything planned out for this trip (so I thought). I was going to check into the YMCA near Marata Mandir in Mumbai Central if not it would be the humble Methodist Center right opposite from the YMCA. The Methodist Center has been my abode for all my previous sojourns to Mumbai. As a kid I felt that it was the coolest place you could be in. Nice bed and good breakfast… My kind toast, eggs and coffee… a restaurant open to the sky.
The road leading to Dadar, which was also the last stop for the bus was completely packed with traffic. The tired but enterprising driver took a diversion which led us on a road parallel to the road we were supposed to be on, and the sight of people sh***ing on the road was just deplorable. There were clear markings left behind on that side of the street of all the people that left behind a message – I WAS HERE.
Well I am sure that for most who read this I might sound like a foreigner and I felt that myself. I turned me head the other way and put me thoughts on the agenda I had for this trip…… Thank God for airtight buses.
Hailed a friendly cabbie Omer to ferry me to YMCA and he gleefully agreed. On the way he pointed my attention to the Mumbai Jail. Mumbai ka sabse bada jail hai saab (This is Mumbai’s biggest jail sir). The with a sneer added “Sanjay Dutt yahin par thay” (Sanjay Dutt – Actor was put in this jail). Began to wonder when that was? I do have a terrible memory.
The transition from the Air Conditioned bus to the 1973 Fiat was rather rude. Already was looking forward for a cool shower in YMCA. Arrived at the YMCA just to be told that they have no accommodation whatsoever for the next 4 days. The concierge promptly added “you can come back to us after 4 days”. Thanked him for the offer and trotted merrily to my humble abode.
“History and Celebration Committee Meeting sir and so there are no rooms available for the next 3 days”. Well so much for all the planning. Then again I am a enterprising guy, I started asking around and soon found myself in front of Royal Guest House, on a parallel lane to the YMCA. I asked him if there was any accommodation available almost whispering, as I was not ready for another disappointment. The man though gave his best marketing smile and answered “A/C Bed chelega?” (Will an Air Conditioned bed work).
My anxiousness was put to rest, though the response did not get fully processed. I asked him as to what an A/C bed was. He called a kid and asked him to show me bed#12 and the bathroom; I followed the kid like an obedient animal. He showed me into a huge hall that housed 60 odd bunk beds. He motioned at a bed in the middle of the room “bed number 12” and then showed me the bathroom. Well, the place was shockingly clean.
For a minute I felt like I was in a …. Well never mind. At a hundred and sixty per day this was by far the most inexpensive hotel I have ever been. A cloud of insecurity took over me. I felt like Alibaba and the forty thieves (in my case 59 thieves). Managed to have a shower in the small bathroom. The bathroom was barely about 4 feet by 2 feet. Soon was ready and scampered of on my way to the Czech Embassy to apply for the visas.
All thru the ride in the taxi I was flipping thru the papers in my folder and was trying to make sure that everything was in place. I was ready. As I was about to enter the embassy a security guard stopped me and he asked me where I was going? I said “The Czech Embassy”, he replied “The Embassy is closed” he sounded almost irritated. I asked him why and said it was because of a Czech Holiday.
Well, my mistake. I should have checked. Anyways, I still had other errands to run. The majority was spent in the High Court and on the street outside the Mantrayala Office. I returned to the Guest House thoroughly exhausted and was sweating like a pig (Don’t know if pigs sweat, but gets the idea through so that is what matters). The Guest House seemed a lot bigger with a majority of the occupants out.
DAY 2 of 2
Back at the Czech Embassy, same guard, same attitude, only difference – Embassy is open. The process was quick and easy except that I happened to have 3 people in front of me each carrying 25-30 applications each. So that meant that by the time I was done it was afternoon. I took the train this time around (bad idea). The whole bogie was one body. People were so close to each other that there was absolutely no space in between.
Contd…..
The minuteness of my existence glared at me on my recent trip to Mumbai, India. Though this is not my first visit to this bustling city, this is the first time that I had a chance to spend sometime looking around.
Arrived by road in a cool and pleasant Volvo B7R bus. The stop on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway gave me the much needed nourishment and refreshment. I had everything planned out for this trip (so I thought). I was going to check into the YMCA near Marata Mandir in Mumbai Central if not it would be the humble Methodist Center right opposite from the YMCA. The Methodist Center has been my abode for all my previous sojourns to Mumbai. As a kid I felt that it was the coolest place you could be in. Nice bed and good breakfast… My kind toast, eggs and coffee… a restaurant open to the sky.
The road leading to Dadar, which was also the last stop for the bus was completely packed with traffic. The tired but enterprising driver took a diversion which led us on a road parallel to the road we were supposed to be on, and the sight of people sh***ing on the road was just deplorable. There were clear markings left behind on that side of the street of all the people that left behind a message – I WAS HERE.
Well I am sure that for most who read this I might sound like a foreigner and I felt that myself. I turned me head the other way and put me thoughts on the agenda I had for this trip…… Thank God for airtight buses.
Hailed a friendly cabbie Omer to ferry me to YMCA and he gleefully agreed. On the way he pointed my attention to the Mumbai Jail. Mumbai ka sabse bada jail hai saab (This is Mumbai’s biggest jail sir). The with a sneer added “Sanjay Dutt yahin par thay” (Sanjay Dutt – Actor was put in this jail). Began to wonder when that was? I do have a terrible memory.
The transition from the Air Conditioned bus to the 1973 Fiat was rather rude. Already was looking forward for a cool shower in YMCA. Arrived at the YMCA just to be told that they have no accommodation whatsoever for the next 4 days. The concierge promptly added “you can come back to us after 4 days”. Thanked him for the offer and trotted merrily to my humble abode.
“History and Celebration Committee Meeting sir and so there are no rooms available for the next 3 days”. Well so much for all the planning. Then again I am a enterprising guy, I started asking around and soon found myself in front of Royal Guest House, on a parallel lane to the YMCA. I asked him if there was any accommodation available almost whispering, as I was not ready for another disappointment. The man though gave his best marketing smile and answered “A/C Bed chelega?” (Will an Air Conditioned bed work).
My anxiousness was put to rest, though the response did not get fully processed. I asked him as to what an A/C bed was. He called a kid and asked him to show me bed#12 and the bathroom; I followed the kid like an obedient animal. He showed me into a huge hall that housed 60 odd bunk beds. He motioned at a bed in the middle of the room “bed number 12” and then showed me the bathroom. Well, the place was shockingly clean.
For a minute I felt like I was in a …. Well never mind. At a hundred and sixty per day this was by far the most inexpensive hotel I have ever been. A cloud of insecurity took over me. I felt like Alibaba and the forty thieves (in my case 59 thieves). Managed to have a shower in the small bathroom. The bathroom was barely about 4 feet by 2 feet. Soon was ready and scampered of on my way to the Czech Embassy to apply for the visas.
All thru the ride in the taxi I was flipping thru the papers in my folder and was trying to make sure that everything was in place. I was ready. As I was about to enter the embassy a security guard stopped me and he asked me where I was going? I said “The Czech Embassy”, he replied “The Embassy is closed” he sounded almost irritated. I asked him why and said it was because of a Czech Holiday.
Well, my mistake. I should have checked. Anyways, I still had other errands to run. The majority was spent in the High Court and on the street outside the Mantrayala Office. I returned to the Guest House thoroughly exhausted and was sweating like a pig (Don’t know if pigs sweat, but gets the idea through so that is what matters). The Guest House seemed a lot bigger with a majority of the occupants out.
DAY 2 of 2
Back at the Czech Embassy, same guard, same attitude, only difference – Embassy is open. The process was quick and easy except that I happened to have 3 people in front of me each carrying 25-30 applications each. So that meant that by the time I was done it was afternoon. I took the train this time around (bad idea). The whole bogie was one body. People were so close to each other that there was absolutely no space in between.
Contd…..
posted by Vikram at 9:48 AM
0 comments
