A light morning before joining up with A&K tour group at noon.

Not many stationary stores around. This one was very helpful and sold me a new pen for ₹80. They could not find a fisher refill or another refill of the same size. A far cry from Japanese stationery stores.

After several hectic days, decided to take it easy this morning, buffet breakfast, catch up on my mail and reading before the tour group assembles 

Group assembled for introductory meeting. 16 others all white, 14 Americans andywo Aussies; rather disappointing. Went through a list of what we will be doing in each city and telling us how to travel how not to put electronics in the wrong place, etc. etc. the same stuff every traveler should’ve known. Not an inspiring beginning.

So sounds like I will be flying economy; if there was a choice at time of booking, I didn’t know about it.

Food may not turn out to be as I hoped. He explained that each meal is set; you can ask the wait staff to make it spicier or not spicy, but it’s set to be non-spicy. Sometimes it’s Mediterranean sometimes it’s Italian occasionally it’ll be Indian. Clearly not a food oriented tour.

Started out with a bus tour, guide pictured. Reviewed this history of the founding and the seven islaands to be linked.

Here is a map of modern Mumbai with an overlay of the 19th-century British Fort area, showing how the city’s geography has changed over time.

First picture stop Victoria station. The guide on the bus describing not only history but the development of the area how the traffic works. How the buses work how the trains work how the taxis work how your times work with long commutes. Lots of details.

Did not discuss the low accident rate of driving and walking and commuting. I discussed that yesterday with Sandeep. Consider considering the bedlam of walking around and driving, the accident rate is extra extraordinarily low. apparently the local population has adapted well. High percentage iof the cars are taxis and drivers and buses, professionals that does not stop then, however, from constantly honking the horn



Bus guide explanations and stops

Mumbai is the safest city in the world for women. Trains have separate compartments for women, and much of their shopping is done on the train— not only household goods, but fruits and vegetables are brought to the train.

She went on about what a wonderful place Mumbai is for almost everything It sounded very much like a hagiography.

Did a good job of explaining the history of the Parsi in Mumbai and their burial practices and what happened overtime as they moved from being treated by vultures now electric gas fire furnaces, but not cremation

Visited the outdoor laundry which has been running for 140 years. this one employees 3 to 4000 people. Family run almost like a caste. Wife comes and picks up the laundry every day from the same place and person brings it down to the laundry area run only by men or almost only they wash it separate spin dry hanging on clothes lines clothes pins using the knot as shown. In general, a shirt might cost 20 rubles. Jeans might be 40 rubles.Dhobi means washerman

Next to the Ghandi museum. Advised to bring your own toilet paper. I spent much of the time in the library as well as the room that he spent most of his many many years here. One small room that has a lovely view from the balcony

I separated from the group to understand how the library was organized and what system they were using. As you can see in the picture they are numbered, looking like the Dewey decimal system with the name of the author generally under the Dewey modified system. Claimed to have taken the British system, modified a little bit by the American system and then modified it a little bit more. The book has the layout of the notification system.

Prince of Wales Museum, tons and tons of stuff online went through some of the miniature paintings and some of the sculpture garden the kind of stuff you would see at the Asian art museum in San Francisco

Nani Dhanyavad is how you say no thank you

Final stop of the day the usual gateway of India

Spoke to both a German and an Indian asking them their view of America. The Indian was lots of Indians are in America. The Germans view of America was you have the Grand canyon so much for my research at least today.

Group dinner at same Lebanese restaurant we ate previous night