Blog of a wandering Jerusalem Perl Monger

From JmPm

by Pinchas Richard W.

January 11, 2008

I choose to travel from Israel to Mumbai India on Royal Jordanian airlines; to save money and see a different part of the World. Even before I had left Jerusalem I was told that the flight to Amman Jordan would be at 8 am, one hour later than scheduled. But I had already set up the cab ride to the airport for 3 am. At the airport I met an Australian who was traveling around the world on a pre-paid pre-planned trip. He was flying to Amman after a side trip to Tel Aviv. From Amman he was going to Rome. I had plenty of time between the arrival in Amman and my flight to Mumbai. The plan would be that I would be put up in a transit hotel until the evening flight to Mumbai. However he had a short period between his flights. The RJ plane came in over an hour late and he was told that either they would hold the Rome-bound plane for his arrival or give him a later flight. We both doubted that RJ would hold the flight for him, but I never saw him after the flight. The plane from NITBAG (Hebrew for Ben Gurien Air Port) to Amman was large and we passengers were few. I was ticketed for a center aisle seat but I just moved to an other seat by the window. At take off we were pointed out to the Mediterranean and we circled back to Jordan, so I got a good bird's eye view of Tel Aviv and the coast. But about ten kilometers in, the clouds grew and we could not see much until we crossed the Jordan River. Jordan was a bleak picture. Not much industry. Development was mostly in housing. New housing plots were marked out clearly from the air. Large family villas dominated the building. The old square urban core of Amman could seen. After landing we made our way to the bus that would bring us to our transit hotel. There was not much preventing us from doing and going where ever we wanted, but there was not much to see. The airport was full of people making their way back home after being at the Hajj in Mecca. Most of these people were going to Sri Lanca (Ceylon). King Abdallah's picture was everywhere. At our hotel there were even more Hajjis. I found two other Israeli's and we shared a three bed room. I went fast asleep and woke up late for lunch. But the lunch was late to so I was right on time. The food was good and all you could eat. But not Kosher so I stuck to the vegetable section, salads and olives. Still plenty to eat. Afterwards with nothing to do and lots of sleep to make up for I went back to bed. At 6 pm we were woken up to be taken to the airport. But this time the Hajjis returning to India joined us. The bus filled with standing room only but it was a short ride. We were to early at the airport and had to sit around. There I was surrounded by about fifty Indian Muslims. But aside from one guy who stood with his cigarette close to me there was no friction. On board the plane the stewardess used my flexibility to correct a seating problem. I ended up sitting next to two Israeli's. Four hours to Mumbai is not a long ride. Thursday Morning January 10. When I arrived I immediately smelt that special smell that is Mumbai; firewood smoke, spices, and six million people. I got a prepaid cab to Calaba and the Hotel I had last been in. The price for a room was double. So I put down for three days, looking to move. I could not plug my computer in. But at Chabad house after buying an Indian adapter, I got my computer up and connected to their wi-fi system. Chabad has bought a whole building in Colaba. And set up a bet medrish. It will be a short week to Shabat.

January 17, 2008

I am late in writing this second letter because I hit one of those bureaucratic snafus that is taking up a lot of my time and energy. More later. The business area of Mumbai is located around Flora Fountain near to the court house and the stock exchange. Flora was the wife of David Sassoon a Jewish merchant from Bagdadi background. He did much to develop commerce in British Bombay. The Fountain is now in the middle of a traffic square with a tall statue of Flora and well kept grass and flowers. Like all open space in Mumbai there is a fence around it to keep squatters from setting up house there. The distance to it is walkable from Colaba, but for four rupees (the minimum fare: = 40 agarot, one dime) I choose to grab a bus. I got on the first bus to go by and I was lucky it went to the fountain. But once there I got lost and could not find my way to my favorite computer bookshop. There I can buy reprints of technical books for a fraction of the Western price. So I just walked back to my place. I checked out the one book from this place that I had brought back with me from Israel to find the address. I looked it up on my Mumbai map book. I realized that I had taken a right at the fountain and should have taken a left. Next day at Chabad I met a French photographer who wanted me to met a digital camera seller. We went back to Flora Fountain. And talking to the camera guy I found the bookshop. Unfortunately they did not have their super cool (in more ways than one) air conditioning on. But they did have a book on Google marketing that I was interested in. Next a telephone. I brought my Orange Partnership telephone to India because the last time I was here I was able to get a network chip for it. The company Hutcheson had changed hands and was now Vodaphone. The friendly clerk at the bookstore directed me to the Vodaphone store. To get waited on you must go to a machine that takes your request and gives you a ticket for a que. Here there was an Indian at the machine to help everyone do what they had to do. The phone chip will cost me about $10 and the service for a few months will cost about $25 more. A few days after getting the phone up and running I get a text message; application not approved. I find out that some bureaucrat has rejected my application because I do not have enough proof of who I am or where I am staying. Now I have two days to correct this but the hotel I am at will not give me a letter. So I have to contact some of my Indian friends to work this out.

Chabad offers two meals a day; breakfast, and 8 pm supper to everyone who comes in. They are happy to see me. Most people here are post-army Israeli trekkers. One girl traveled from China, Tibet, Thailand to India. Hebrew is the language of most at the supper table. Breakfast is dominated by English. The workers here work for less money than you spend on dog food. I am staying at a local hostel. My return flight is April 17, 2008. I expect to be back in Israel for Passover.