Early Days

The travel blog continues...

I'll be in India for 6 weeks, the first 2 weeks I'll be own, and then the last four will be with 4 friends from Medical School. The first fortnight has been very kindly organised by a good family friend and paediatrician, Dr. Uday Bodhankar. Onwards...

I boarded the plane pretty chirpy after choosing the best seat on the airplane, but left it feeling pretty down after British Airways were unusually unwilling to provide me with my fourth bottle of complementary wine. To my plight, however, the air steward gave in and I merrily continued my way towards some serious jetlag.

Kazi, one of Uday's friends met me at the airport and took me to my accommodation through the absolutely chaotic Mumbai streets. He met me with this brilliant little sign.



I noticed in Uday's office today a sign which read: "Tell your age not in years but in number of friends". OK, it was a little more poetic in print, but you get the idea. Uday has a lot of friends, and deservedly so.

The next morning I was met by another of Uday's friends, Dr. Ramesh who had kindly agreed to show me round Mumbai. I'd checked out the guide book and it turns out my original plans for the day would take 3 days...which wasn't surprising seeing as it took us 3 hours just to drive from north Mumbai (where I stayed) to south Mumbai.

First stop: The Gateway of India.



Just in front of the Gateway is the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. This was where the
Pakistani terrorists attacked last year. Stunningly beautiful.


Mumbai lies on the shores of the Arabian Sea, and between North and South Mumbai lies Back Bay, which is often referred to as Queens Necklace for the way the sun glistens on the water. This seems a little complimentary considering the water is toxic and there is litter everywhere. I guess it was like that back in colonial times. The only glistening now is from aluminium cans and crisp packets. "Back in my day rarr rarrr rarrrr".

So after a look around the Prince Charles Museum and the spectacular Victoria Terminus we set off for home, stopping off at Chowpatty Beach for some bhelpuri (friend dough with puffed rice, lemon juice, herbs, onions lentils and chutney) and some coconut water, straight from the coconut! Lush.

The next day Uday had invited me to a UNICEF WHO paediatrics conference on child malnutrition, where he would be presenting. It was quite specialist, but interesting nonetheless. I was also lucky enough to meet the two doctors that I would be seeing in Nagpur later on.

Come Saturday, it was my time to fly to Nagpur. I chilled out in the morning and my flight was in the domestic terminal, 5 minutes walk from my accommodation. While boarding the plane, I had assumed it was not reserved seating so wandered along the aisle and chose a suitable aisle seat mid way down, seat 19C. After a while, I glanced down at my ticket, which read Seat: 19C. This freaked me out, for a long time. The chances are remarkably slim!

Unfortunately complementary beverages were sparse on this budget airline. Little did I know baggage handling did not come as standard either. I arrived safely and my bag did not. After a little form filling, they assured me that my bag would be with me by evening, which fortunately it was. Two Indigo Airline workers arrived with my 23kg bag, completely soaked to the bone after coming 10km by motorcycle in the monsoon rain to the house where I was staying.

Upon arrival at the airport, Amol, Uday's nephew met me. He asked what I was wearing, so as to recognise me easily. In retrospect, my exclamation of "white shirt" might have been better termed "white skin".

An eventless evening saw me through to today, Sunday, when Amol kindly accompanied me by car to the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, where I will spend the next week. It is a unique medical school, right out in rural Maharashtra, and one of the best in India. I'll be spending the week in the paediatrics department, observing patients and generally making a nuisance. My accommodation is a very basic, student residence. Drop toilets and the shower is just a high tap. A hilariously retro gym, which i'll be making good use of, and food provided.

This should be an exciting week! More later!