So, I'm sitting here at Mumbai International Airport, and have some serious ranting to do. If you're the sensitive type and/or have strong feelings about India, you may want to point your browser elsewhere.
Here for instance....
Anyways, my flight route back to Melbourne was pretty shit to begin with, but that didn't stop it from getting worse though. After flying from Oslo, via Helsinki, to Mumbai, I landed 6am or so in the morning. Being awake for 24 hours really gets your spirits up, so I decided to venture into the city, using my brand new Indian Transit Visa.
Oh, hang on. That's not where it began. It all started with me getting off the plane and being greeted by some random idiot holding up a sheet with my name on it. Turns out there was trouble with my checked baggage, so after a good hour and a half trying to work out how to get my bag to stay checked all the way to Sydney, I ended up picking it up from customs and taking it with me.
I'll give those guys some cred though, cause they were actually really helpful. Although retarded, at least they helped me find a dodgy looking storage shack where I could leave my bags for the day.
2.3 secounds later, the first sleazebag of many, approached me and wondered where I was headed. Into the city I said (ignorant as I was, about this being one massive and unstructured city, that doesn't really have a CBD). He then offered to drive me there for $40; and that's about the point where I told him to go fuck himself.
I ended up getting a cab for 350 Rupee, which is roughly $10. Haha, and that was actually quite fun, cause the traffic here is wicked crazy. I thought we were going to die at least every second minute, but thankfully we didn't (weeeeeee). Anyways, he took me to the "centre" of the city, which was a good 1 1/2 hour drive. This is when I started to feel really uncomfortable. I walked around for a while, tried to find something to eat since I hadn't eaten in like 9 hours, and was just minding my own business. People, and I mean everyone, were eyeballing me like crazy. I mean, really staring.
Probably just because I'm white, but still, mind your manners you freakin' idiots. At no point did anyone cause me any harm though, but after a couple hours of people staring me down and yelling random weird shit after me, I just took a cab back to the airport. Was tired as fuck, so I thought i'd try to get some sleep. But that turned out to be quite difficult. They have armed guards at the entry to all the terminals, and won't let you in before a couple of hours before your flight is scheduled.
So I was just like 'what the fuck am I going to do for 10 hours?'. I ended up trying to sweet talk this huge guard at the door, with an ever bigger gun at his side, and he agreed to let me in after a little while. There, in the so-called waiting lounge, was three rows of seats and a coke dispenser. Greatness!
After an hour or so of internal battle with myself, I went up to another one of those freaky guards, and presented my case and asked if he couldn't be so kind to let me use the 'disabled passenger's lounge' area. Because I had spotted a sofa in there at some point, and that looked mighty tempting! To my surprise, he actually agreed after a little while, and told me to go ahead.
So, after having the whole world talk about me behind my back (or actually in my face, just in a language I can't understand), I got a few hours quality sleep in what turned out to be the staff lunch room or something :)
That was 5 hours ago, and I am now finally checked in for my flight to Sydney. Only problem now is that the friggin' flight is delayed 2 1/2 hours! Which also means that I'm missing my connection to Melbourne, and have been booked onto a flight that leaves Sydney pretty late at night, which in turn means that I probably won't get home till around 1am or so, and won't really get to see Aarany for yet another day.
So, to sum this little trip up: crap, on top of crap, sprinkled with crap, served in a large bowl of crap.
Be-a-utiful!
PS: I actually saw people living in industrial pipes along the 'highway' from the airport. And this guy I met here at the terminal told me that they actually have to bribe the cops in order to keep living there (i.e rent). Now, THAT'S fucked up.
