The Holy Cow! Tour

India 2008

As I mentioned, India was not ever on my here'swhereIwannago list. That's important because I had absolutely no expectations or anxieties about seeing certain things. So what I didn't expect and what literally took the wind out of my sails was really, really, really dirty air. Los Angeles back in the day didn't have the air that India does. In fact, environmental pollution is an issue in every single city, town and area of India. It's staggering and sobering. And whatever is said about good old Americans and their polluting hearts, I will henceforth take with a grain of salt because from what I have seen in Asia, we're the least of many, many serious problems. I digress.

Although I am genuinely sick by the time the car reaches our hotel, I am still very pleased and excited to be greeted by these Indian studs at the front door who proffer the traditional red spot and the marigold lei. Hello, indeed! The hotel is gorgeous and the people, all Indian, are gorgeously professional. And Madonna checks in, right after we do. Hello, hello, hello! Then I pick up the paper.

Seems that on New Year's morning very early, two couples left a party at another five star hotel in Bombay, the Marriott, and as they walked along the sidewalk to their cars, a mob of 80 men tore the women's western dresses off, held the men and raped the women. As the outrage in the city rises, the chief of police says the media overreacted. hello. A day or so later, in another province, a young teen age girl is taken from her home after school, raped and then burned. HELLO? are you kidding?

So I am in no mood to get too far away from our guide, Oxford-educated Bombay native now at NYU. I know of some really good bazaars around the corner and up a few blocks, but I do not venture out. I am quite happy to get on the bus with the tour and visit Gandhi's house.

And I actually really, really like that. There is so much about him I do not know and so much about British India that's fascinating in an almost ghoulish way. The downside is that I see Bombay from the bus, where I am still suffering mightily from the effects of the filthy, dirty air. The upside is that we visit a spectacular Jain temple, too.

Gandhi with Charlie Chaplin

Hello Bombay. I just didn't know.

The Maharani Jabel
On Location
Bombay India