Mumbai

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Last stop before we leave India and fly to Thailand.. is Mumbai - previously known as Bombay - and it's not only the CITY'S name which was changed, but so just about every famous monument around - really trying their best to get rid of all British association!  Generally you can get away with referring to things as either name.

The first day we arrived and managed to get a dorm bed at the Salvation Army hostel, which is alot better than it sounds. Hotels here are really expensive compared to other places and the hostel seems to be where most of the foreign backpackers stay. We're in single sex dorms with a shared bathroom, but breakfast is included and there is a nice dining hall- type place where everyone congregrates in the morning. It's also only a stone's throw from the most famous hotel in Mumbai, the Taj Mahal and it's near the sea and all the other famous landmarks, where actually alot of people got shot at a few years ago, just after I was here the last time.

The first day we spent walking around the city. It really has some beautiful British colonial architecture in the landmark museums and university buildings. Colava, where we are staying, is all wide leafy avenues lined with colonial mansions. 

We also got asked to be an extra in a tv ad. It's a commercial to advertise McDowell's whiskey to be shown during the cricket world cup - and cricket to the Indians is like the football world cup in the UK. They're mad about it! The ad is starring M.S. Dhoni - captain of the Indian team who's treated like a  Demi-god.

So a bunch of us foreigners were rounded up and herded on a bus at 6 something in the morning and taken to the new stadium on the outskirts of Mumbai. Originally me and a couple of Danish girls were asked to be cheerleaders. We agreed reluctantly as I for one didn't fancy the idea of parading up and down in front of a crowd of Indian men, wearing a miniskirt and pom-poms! 
Anyway apparently they'd changed their minds by the time we all got to makeup and costumes (oh the ficklety of show-biz!) and instead we got chucked some wigs, hats and props. I don't think I got in a single shot in the end. No matter where I was, the camera always seemed to be pointing in another direction.  Angel, on the other hand, even got his own closeup wearing a Dracula cape with no tshirt on, his face painted green and blue and pretending to play a trumpet!! Born a star! We got paid 500 baht (less than a pound an hour) and got home 10 hours later - sunburnt from sitting in the stands all day, heads ringing from the constant yelled orders (in Hindi) and all of us determined to invest our wages in a few cold beers!