Kingfisher

Saturday

Bollywood beauties…speed freaks mesmerized by skin…girls coming/going all night…fingers growing from a man’s knuckles…baby beggars in pursuit… pink horses on mirrored green wall…child-mother and child perform a little drone and dance…motorcycle collides with auto-rickshaw to much-displayed damage…woman with grotesque ankles…looking for grass on a shady lane…shiva in caves…beggars, beggars, beggars…sweet-voiced Swiss girl-transvestite…Durga drumming…male hotel receptionist with three-inch long nails…boys walking arm-in-arm…bread=breakfast…boy with foot growing out of wrist… albino Indian shop keeper…

In Mumbai, every street is bordered with sewage, the air is polluted and the sun doesn’t shine as much as heat. I am heading for the Gateway to India and join Patrick (Italian) and Ian (American) to get on a boat bound for Elephante Island. Every street vendor on every street haggles us and it’s incredulous, the number of people who ask for tips for doing things without pre-warning…Elephante Island is a shrine with carvings in caves devoted to Shiva, Parvati and the lingam. We wander all over this monkey-populated island, talking about political issues in the United States and what nationality boasts the most-acclaimed lover…

The next day as I head out to Victoria Station (CSC) to purchase my ticket for Kerala on tomorrow’s train, I am once again asked where are you going, where are you coming from? This friendly Indian introduces himself as Manohar and we proceed in the direction of CSC. He helps me get a ticket to Kozhikode and then we walk to Crawford Market where I take some photos and we go to two establishments where he drinks Blue-Lable gin and I have a couple of beers. Later, he promises to escort me to the other train station in North Eastern Mumbai.

I see Ian in the hostel and he’s getting ready to leave for Hampi so we wish each other luck and good fortune. Later, Patrick shows up and kisses me goodbye on both cheeks. (Too bad I can’t admit that Italian men really are the most attractive to me!)