TRAVELLING CRICKET SCRAPBOOK |
Clippings from including links to Mark's writing |
Fun in Mumbai & Nagpur - 2001 Arrival - Mumbai's International Airport
by Luke Gillian Mumbai’s International Airport welcomes flights from all over the world at anytime after dark and most likely after midnight. It doesn’t make a calming entrance into one of the world’s great cities but when you do have a mate on your side, you can see the funny side of things and also share the cost of the 32km taxi downtown. You can only travel by prepaid taxis from the airport. You can struggle getting to the public railway station 4km away for a more inexpensive journey but you will miss the wild ride, into an uncountable community, that can be hair raising as your driver dodges between vehicles that the more conservative wouldn’t, cows, dogs and children literally playing in the traffic. Mark -pictured above- on his first visit to India, like most couldn’t quite believe the plethora of animalia and pandemonium filling the streets at such late hours. With an incessant blowing horn, the affable and quiet Mr Shah delivered us with precision to Mumbai, even at one point taking a chicane that just wasn’t there. On an open stretch of two-lane highway with only our taxi to be seen Mr Shah weaved the car with authority through the ‘S’ bend, straightened and continued. Mark and I looked at each for explanation. All I could offer was, "India!" Strangers
in a Strange Land; at a Wedding! 1st
Test Mumbai, days of rest. |