Arriving in Mumbai

It's 5 am in Mumbai, India and I seem to have succumbed to a half way case of jet lag. I say half way because I did get a full 7 hours of sleep last night-or is it day? I have been known to get up as early as 5 am in Las Vegas, so I think I will have this licked by tonight. I am almost in tears right now though, trying to find a way to let everyone know that I arrived here ok and failing miserably. The internet doesn't seem to work anywhere and phone cards won't work on the phone in my room that doesn't work.

Arriving after a 16 hour direct flight from Newark at 9 PM last night, I immediately turned on my phone, because old habits die hard and I forgot that I don't have service here. My phone tucked away in my pocket book, I deplaned and entered the 3rd world. It was obvious that I was no longer in a first world country when I was assualted by the overwhelming smell of milddew permeating the airport. I glanced at a departure terminal and it was made up solely of people in sari's and punjab pants, with no white people in sight. Making my way through immigration, I encountered my first problem of sorts. You see, I smiled in my passport picture. Apparently, it's known world-wide to everyone but me, that you aren't supposed to actually smile in your picture. The immigration officer asked me why I was smiling in broken English and I told him because I like to smile. He questioned me extensively and glanced at me and then my picture over and over again. Finally, he let me go and I walked away wondering if I will have the same problem in every country I enter. It's a smile immigration officers of the world, not anything dangerous or deceptive.

Walking out the airport doors I encountered a massive ring of people standing around in a giant circle held back by barricades. I looked for the driver that the hotel sent for me, 75% sure that he wouldn't actually be there and that I would have to figure something out for myself. Surprise! He was there with my name on a placard. Breathing a sigh of humid air relief, we began our 10.5km journey to the hotel I had booked. People have complained over the years about my driving and I now can look back at them and know they are pussies. The driving here is a blast! No lanes to speak up, but 6 rows of cars, rickshaws, and motorbikes seemingly all converging on the same spot. I am proud to say that I caused a minor feeder bender, simply by looking out my window. What I can deduce is that I am A. White B. Female and C. Solo. The men in the car next to us stared at me so hard that they ran into the car in the front of them. Of course, I defiantly and from the confines of the locked car, stared back. I guess you could say that I won the first of many staring contest I feel I will be involved. in. We drove through what I can only call slums. Places the homeless in America wouldn't even live in. Entire buildings blackened from exhaust with all of the windows missing and people moving about inside, dare I say, carrying on with life? I glanced over to the sidewalk and spotted a girl, 4 or 5 years old, naked from the waist down, popping a squat and taking a giant shit. Right there on the sidewalk. In the middle of a city of 18 million people. People weren't paying attention and continued to stream around her.

My hotel is a horrible little place. The milddew smell is the worst I have every encountered. The internet only works for 4-5 hours a day, and no one speaks English here. I think I was ripped off on my bottled water by local standards, but it was only 20 rupees, which is about .40 in USD. My bed is not really a bed, more paper towel thick mattress covering a board. But, as I mentioned before I did manage to get some sleep, so it can't be all that bad. I just washed my clothes from yesterday in the makeshift shower, which consists of 2 buckets for rinsing and a hose running right next to the toliet.

I'm not sure what I am going to do here today except get some breakfast and then wait for the internet to be turned on so I can let everyone know that I am still alive. I have never felt so weirdly alone in my life as I do right now. Not lonely, but 100% alone. I have no idea where I am in Mumbai, I haven't seen a native English speaker since I arrived, I don't speak the language and I don't know where to go. But, I know that I will figure it out and more than likely fall in love with this city and this country. I can definetly feel some infatuation coming on strong and knowing me, it will have blossomed into an all out affair within the week. I just hope he, India, treats me like a bride to be, and throws the same amount of love at me that I will throw at him. As long as I can find a way to connect to the outside world that is.

Peace, love, and joy,