The last day in Mumbai was spent shopping...I mean...it was inevitable. We bought tunics and dressier pants so that we will fit in when we visit the small towns of Rajastan. We are trying to beef up the image of American girls since half the girls in our hostel were prancing around in tube tops. Honestly, they looked like they got lost on their way to South Jersey (sorry Alicia). After some retail therapy, we set off for Mumbai Central and boarded our sleeper train.
Our car had A/C and they literally fed us every two hours, so we were happy as clams. The American airlines and railways could learn a thing or two from Indian transportation; more meals = happier customers. I ran and claimed the top bunk before Missy could even see the car...naturally. We shared a car with a guy from Brooklyn who was traveling India for five months, but he was extremely pretentious, so we ignored him. Our other car mate, Remi, was a 23 year old girl who does brand marketing for the food and beverage sector of Manchester United. She was on her way to Delhi to oversee the opening of a new retaurant. Her and I gabbed like school girls for hours. Obviously, I started with the most important question: "Are young Indian girls just as obsessed with Twilight and Robert Pattinson?"...Yes; but they are worse. Then we moved on to books, authors, celebrities, and other pop culture topics. It turns out that Bollywood actors wish they were Hollywood actors, but they won't admit it.
After pop culture, I gathered the courage to ask Remi about some more serious topics. We discussed arranged marriages and the US divorce rate. She asked if there were arranged marriages in the US and I said: "Mmmm maybe in West Virginia?" Remi voiced her opinion about female independence and education in India and I have to say that I feel extremely lucky with the amount of choices I have over the direction of my life. Remi, if you are reading this, I hope you enjoyed your time in Delhi :)
Now...on to Delhi. I usually don't judge a book by it's cover, but after spending 5 hours in this city, Missy and I booked a train ticket out. I think we are urban adventured out for the time being. Despite this review, the day was quite comical. We spent 3 of the 5 hours today in a tourist information center booking the next leg of our trip, and the other two hours getting scammed by two rickshaw drivers, Raj and Pali. The two were the best bullshit artists I have come across in a while, but Missy and I pretended to be naive so that they could do their jobs. We even went to lunch with them and treated. Well, they walked out before the bill came. In the tourist information office, we spent the day with Wahid. After we handed him $150, he fed us cups of chai and soda and says he wants to take us to a festival tonight. On first impression, the rumors about Delhi are true. We are no longer young women, we are dollar signs. Tomorrow we go North to Amritsar to see the Golden Temple and to watch the daily border closing ceremony between India and Pakistan. I am sure there are more antics to come, so stay tuned...
sounds like another awesome day!
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