2011 - H & A WORLD CRUISE - MUMBAI

TODAY I TAKE A TRAIN FOR A COUPLE OF STOPS OUTSIDE MUMBAI WHERE MEN DO MUMBAI'S LAUNDRY. ONLY MEN DO THIS.

WE THEN GO TO MAHATMA GHANDI'S PLACE, HAVE A LOOK AT THE TIFFIN DELIVERERS & BACK TO THE SHIP.

WE HAVE A WAIT AROUND AT THE GATE OF INDIA.....

A SWEEPER TAKING A LOT OF PRIDE IN HER WORK...& LOOKING GOOD IN HER SARI,

I REALLY RATE THE LOOK OF SARIS. SO SIMPLE. SO ELEGANT.

THIS BUILDING WAS BOMBED A WHILE AGO, AS WAS THE RAILWAY STATION WE ARE GOING TO.

LOTS OF SECURITY. SOLDIERS WITH MACHINE GUNS TYPE SECURITY.

NO PHOTOS ALLOWED IN THE STATION.
WE HAD THE SHIPS PHOTOGRAPHER WITH US & A GUY WITH A GUN TOLD HER , QUITE POLITELY, NOT TAKE PHOTOS.
MAYBE SHE DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT HE WAS SAYING, BECAUSE HE HAD TO TELL HER TWICE.

I MOVED AWAY A LITTLE.

RULE NUMBER ONE - DO WHAT THE MAN WITH THE MACHINE GUN ASKS YOU TO DO.

ON THE TRAIN, WE ARE GOING OUT OF TOWN. MASSES OF PEOPLE ARE GOING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION

OUR GUIDE HAS EXPLAINED THAT WE ARE TO GET OFF AT THE THIRD STATION.

SHE SAYS THE TRAIN WILL ONLY STOP MOMENTARILY, LIKE LESS THAN A MINUTE.

IF ANYONE IS NOT ABLE TO GET OFF - DO NOT PANIC - SHE WILL STAY ON THE TRAIN, GO TO THE NEXT STATION & COME BACK TO JOIN THOSE WHO MADE IT ONTO THE PLATFORM THE FIRST TIME,

SIMPLE ENOUGH!

A FRENCH LADY IN OUR GROUP ASKED ME TO HELP HER OFF THE TRAIN AS SHE IS A BIT SLOW ON HER FEET.

THE DOORS HAD NEVER BEEN CLOSED, EVEN WHEN WE WERE MOVING.

I HAD HER UP BEFORE THE TRAIN STOPPED.
WAITED TIL THE TRAIN STOPPED.
STEPPED QUICKLY ONTO THE PLATFORM & HANDED HER DOWN.
SHE HAD ONE FOOT ON THE GROUND AND THE TRAIN STARTED TO MOVE BUT SHE WAS OK & STEPPED OFF.

A GUY BEHIND MUST HAVE MISSED THE BIT ABOUT 'STAY ON THE TRAIN' & DEFINITELY MISSED 'DO NOT PANIC'

HE LEAPT ONTO THE PLATFORM FROM THE MOVING TRAIN, AND CRASHED TO THE FLOOR.

NO DAMAGE - FORTUNATELY.

WE HAD TO WAIT ON THE PLATFORM FOR THE GUIDE TO BRING THE NON-PANICKED PEOPLE BACK WITH HER.

GAVE US TIME TO WATCH THE ACTION ON THE PLATFORM, NO ONE WAS SAYING NO PHOTOS HERE.

THOSE SEVEN PHOTOS WERE ALL TAKEN ON THE PLATFORM. THE PEOPLE GOING ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS ARE RIGHT NEXT TO THE TRACKS..

NOW WE GO TO THE LAUNDRY...

NOT LIKE ANY COIN-OP IN OTTAWA.....

THIS LITTLE ONE LOOKS A TRIFLE PEEVED.

AND ON TO THE MAHATMA'S PLACE..

AND THE TIFFIN DELIVERERS....

NO - THOSE ARE THE TOURISTS, WATCHING THE DELIVERERS. LUNCH BOXES BROUGHT FROM HOME & DELIVERED TO AN OFFICE DESK. AMAZING SYSTEM.

HOW DO THEY NOT LOSE SOME?

SAME WITH ALL THAT LAUNDRY. HOW DOES IT ALL GET BACK OK TO THE OWNERS?

AND BACK TO THE BOAT WHERE THEY ARE HANGING OUT THE LAUNDRY TOO...

I NEVER DID SEE A TIGER IN INDIA SO THE POSTER NEXT TO THE SHIP WILL HAVE TO DO,

MARTHA TOLD ME SHE TOOK A PHOTO OF A SOLDIER WHO HAD HIS GUN POKING OVER THE TOP OF SOME SANDBAGS.

RATHER YOU THAN ME - GUNGA DIN.

THE SHIP LEFT HARBOUR, WENT OUT TO SEA AND THEN STOPPED & WE JUST SAT THERE.

AN ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE TO SAY THE WE LEFT TO CATCH THE TIDE, BUT THAT WE HAD NOT FINISHED THE PORT FORMALITIES.

HENCE THE WAIT.

NOW - THAT MAY BE TRUE BUT, I WAS ON DECK & A SMALL BOAT APPROACHED. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS - 'PIRATES',

NO - IT WAS A PASSENGER & HIS WIFE. THEY HAD BEEN OFF SHIP FOR THREE DAYS ON THEIR OWN & MISSED THE BOAT.

HE OWNED AN OIL WELL, SO HE COULD HAVE AFFORDED TO CATCH UP WITH US AT THE NEXT PORT IN DUBAI.

FORMAL NIGHT AT SEA & THIS IS NOT A PASSENGER. SHE IS THE NEW BARTENDER......