Check in at the Mumbai domestic terminal went smoothly. I followed directions to the gate and prepared for security screening. Women go to a separate screening area away from the men, modesty is important. I noticed that women traveling alone are a separate entity -- when I was in Mumbai international terminal, there were special lines set aside for children and unaccompanied women.
Each domestic flight was called out by flight number and destination. I was waiting for them to announce flight 2055 to Vadadora when I heard them calling for a flight to Punambwe with the same flight number. Everybody, and I mean everybody, was waiting for that flight. I went along with the crowd, hoping I was doing the right thing as we crushed on to a bus. It turned out to be the right bus and right plane.
I saw a curious thing on the plane, in the overhead compartment where the stewardess stored the sample seat belt, oxygen mask, etc, was a large flat book clipped sideways in to the compartment for storage. It was red leather with gold lettering and was titled “Instruction Manual in Braille”. I wonder in what circumstance that book is needed?
Arriving in Vadadora I collected my suitcase and found my driver who was holding a company sign. I stepped over my first cow patty on the sidewalk of the airport and saw my first free roaming cows in the parking lot. Cows, little donkeys, goats, and dogs roam just about everywhere.
The drive to Ankleshwar was two or more hours and exhausting as well as interesting. I saw many things I have not seen before:
-- Free roaming cattle competing in the roadway with cars, scooters, scooter rickshaws, and millions of trucks. Hauling is constant in trucks decorated with many colors, with tassels hanging off the fenders and mirrors and metal birds and flowers trailing from the tailgates. Every truck has in bold letters “HORN PLEASE” -- and use the horn with did!! My driver was silent, never said a word, but the horn spoke constantly, beep-be-be-beep. This tells the truck to move out of the fast lane so the car can pass.
--A broken down truck on the road because there was no shoulder to pull off on – the driver had found large rocks and encircled his truck, much like traffic cones, to keep it from being hit in the traffic.
--An overturned truck on it’s side deep in a ditch, with many people milling around, but the contents of the truck, corrugate boxes, neatly stacked up on the road edge in the exact configuration they had been stacked inside the truck. It was like a ghost truck.
Early morning people were bathing and getting ready for work. I saw far more men than I did women. I saw almost no children in the rural areas.
At one point we crossed a long bridge over water that looked like sea water. Before we entered the bridge of two-way traffic, the driver lowered the window and folded the mirror back to make our car width smaller. This bridge and many other smaller bridges I crossed made me wonder how well they could manage the load of all the trucks and car traffic.
How many men ride on a scooter – typically three. How many people typically ride in a scooter rickshaw, about six with children.
It started raining as we approached Ankleshwar. I understand these are only the pre-monsoon showers, that the serious raining will come later.
The guest house is has clean floors and a clean bathroom. It is furnished with red and gold decorated furnishings. I am in room No. 1. I have something called a Geyser. I saw the switch in the bathroom. It is pronounced “geezer”, like “he is a really old geezer”. I am to turn on the geezer for five minutes before I shower so that I can have hot water.
The food at the guest house is spicy and similar for lunch and dinner. Rice and various stews of vegetables and things. Each dish is very colorful and has unique flavors. My favorite meal so far has been breakfast. I had two fried eggs and white bread toast and honey. Heavenly. I am drinking the bottled water, apple juice and hot tea. I have been warned about the fruit, but tasted some last night. We will see how the tummy holds up under all the exotic offerings.
I ventured outside the Guest House, about 10 feet and took some pictures. I saw several guards (armed) in the area so I did not want to venture much further. There are some very kind people here working hard to make sure I am safe, fed, and sound and I do not want to upset their hard work by wandering off in to areas I know nothing about. I am the only person of my color that I have seen since yesterday and being female I certainly do not blend in to the surroundings. I will content myself with working and reading today, which Sunday, and see what Monday has to offer when I “go to Factory” .
