ok, so maybe i was a bit harsh about my hotel...

it's still not the nicest hotel, but i couldn't rave enough about its location, everything is within walking distance. after i blogged last night, i walked around looking for some eats. given that it was 9pm on sunday, everything was closed. i did almost get ripped off by a fruit vendor for 2 of my favorite fruit that i only ever had in saigon, and don't even know the name of. i had no other choice than to dine on a fine bag of chips.

when i got back to my hotel, one of the owners came to help me turn on my tv, which became a 30 minute long bollywood dance-a-thon. he was singing and his body seemed to be taken over, the way elaine's was on seinfield. jerking around in all sorts of movements to vintage bollywood songs and scenes. in the morning, he made me coffee and chatted with me in the lobby, after giving me a tour of what was once a very posh restaurant in the 100 year old building, that hosted several bollywood films in the past. you'll get the sense that he has a crush on me, the way that he became a photographer and made me feel like i was on a major photo shoot, snapping shots in every corner of the restaurant. he's very cute and sweet, and i realized that had i stayed in a bigger, more posh place than this one, i wouldn't get the attention i do from him.

this morning i put on my favorite new pants that i bought yesterday. i waited until i came to india to finally buy them. i like to describe them as the, i shat in my pants and let it hang out for days, pants. you know, the ones with the reallllly saggy crotch? kinda like for guys- my balls are so freakin big, i need major room to let them hang. i guess in my case, being here alone in india, that might be true for my own balls as well.




on my way over to the gateway of india, i encountered a very old, spiritual man who immediately approached me to put a red-dyed string around my wrist and tell me a prayer. he said, no money this is for a blessing. of course he wanted money, and i wish that i had given him more than i did, and asked for a picture. he painted the red "dot" on my forehead, and i felt so proud and giddy to walk around with it on. yes, i got a dot. (say that with an indian accent, please). between my dot and my alibaba pants, i felt like a diva, yes a diva.





i did get a little impatient with all the beggars. no. i don't want. no thank you. no money! please go away! it gets to be too much. sometimes i feel like im the only tourist in india by the way that they stare at me, and attack me like vultures. i've figured out that if someone looks poor, you absolutely canNOT make eye contact with them OR their children. you will fall victim to their begging. this was the same case in shanghai, when i saw these cutsies stuffed into these snow outfits, and once i gushed, they literally would cling to my leg and not let go until i gave their mother money. that is not a good look for me.

i took the ferry followed by bus, to alibag. a beach town just over an hour south of mumbai. there, i boated over to the kolaba fort, which has really fantastic ruins. there were a group of 5 teenage indian girls on the little speed boat over, and they were very cute about asking me where i'm from, where is my husband, and why india? i read that when it's low tide, you could walk to the fort, and by the time we headed back, the tide was so low that we did have to walk in knee-high arabian sea water, to shore. what was really cute was to see a bunch of school children singing, dancing and playing in the sea.









before heading back, i stopped for a delicious lunch, costing me less than $1. oh yeah. and next to the bus station was a vendor selling all sorts of fried goodies: bananas, potatoes, chips, etc. i bought a bag of bananas and chips with chili on them. delish. less than $2, and i know he was ripping me off, but it was so cheap, i didn't care. i also finally bought some fruit, as the only other food i've been eating has been packaged, because i'm scared of eating street food, still. that'll be over VERY soon.

i really love it here and i love the weather even more. it could not be more perfect, but it makes me terrified to think of what the summers must be like here. must be unbearable.

it has been really difficult to try to coordinate with my friend who is also here. tonight i was going to go straight to the crawford market to buy fruit and more goodies, but after a lot of back and forth about where are you, what time should we meet, can you wait for me to meet you, etc, she's over an hour late, and by the time she gets here, the market will be closed. tomorrow i will have to squeeze in too much. oh, and i still haven't bought my train ticket to agra for wednesday.
anyway, tomorrow will be jam packed, but fun.

wish i could upload these photos. slow computers!!!

namaste