Today was India's Independance day and so a big holiday!! Janice and I went down to the "Gateway of India" on the waterfront which is where the British departed in '47. There were huge crowds and all these people wanted pictures taken with us!! This girl came up to us and asked if we would be in a picture, we said uhh ok, and then she screams and calls over her huge family and then they all start screaming and then we take the pictures. It was kind of embaressing as a huge crowd was all watching...and this kept happening. I must be in so many pictures today....with mothers, kids etc. haha. It was quite crazy..especially since this is the city. Though it's interesting to be a minority for once! Oh, and this holy man came and painted bindi's on us! There aren't many tourists here, though we met this girl the first day from Germany and some guys at the train station from Nigeria. The train station is insane. I have never everrrr seen so many people, there are 20 train platforms plus ticket booths etc. The crowds seem to work like a weather forecast, there are various "people currents" and if you're not in the current you are screwed. Janice and were very proud that we actually bought tickets to Goa and got out in one piece. haha. I actually couldn't stop laughing, as it's just so crazy. The crowds on the street are also crazy. First of all, everyone walks on the road because the sidewalks are filled with street vendors, cows/goats and various other things. Then when the traffic comes you just run to the side, or between cars if you need to cross. While there is a lot of povery, there really aren't many beggars (we've only been asked 2-3 times)--instead there are just lots of people selling nuts/flags/whatever else. People are really friendly, always saying "hello friend" and "namaste" and always helping if we're lost. This old man we were talking to asked us where we were from and then asked "Canada kicks ass??", it was so funny. All the men seem to wear western clothes and then all the women wear bright beautiful saris. We haven't really bought anything, but I did buy a shirt and my bartering actually worked!! The market is a very serious business it seems-everything is said really quietly so no one else can hear how low they will go..but yeah I got my shirt for 100 rupees ($2.50). Some other prices: our hotel is 13/night, water .20, nice dinner 3-4, 14 hr. train ticket 13.
Because this was a holiday weekend, we couldnt' get a ticket out of the city until the 28th, so I'll probably just write again in Anjuna--a beach town in Goa. :) -Sarah