The madness of Mumbai after the serenity of the Maldives is, well, startling. I’m slowly getting over the shock and really enjoying it. The food is great and cheap and I have found my favourite cheap beer. Beer Lao was the cheapest beer I had found in Asia, at 33 Baht (about AUD $1), it was also the worst beer I had ever tasted. We now have a great tasting beer at similar prices; A round of applause for the mild amber ale Hayward’s 2000. It weighs in at 45 rupees (about AUD $1.30). Sorry no photos like Charlies write ups.

There is indeed a lot of poverty here, we haven’t been to the bad spots yet, besides some of the personal hygiene issues (like defecating on the streets) it hasn’t been that confronting yet. The strangest thing has been their time zone is GMT +5.5; I didn’t think that was allowed!

The old colonial architecture is amazing. I really think I’m going to like England. I can’t help a sense of loss when I’m here; I feel I missed something amazing by not being here in colonial times. So far this is my number one choice destination if I had a time machine. I’m sure it would change if I thought about it for longer… but for now it’s India and where better than the Gateway to India… Bombay, sorry I’m still in living in its past, Mumbai.