Travel Mumbai to Osaka, and initial Japan impressions

Wednesday was spent on the plane from Mumbai to Hong Kong with a tight connection to Osaka via Taiwan.
Looks like Tiawan is serious about the drug issue.

I arrived more or less on time with a good flight on Cathay Pacific. My bags made it to Hong Kong but were on the next flight to Osaka and showed up at Satyaki’s home on Thursday about lunchtime.

Satyaki met me at the airport and we took the 30 minute ferry ride across the bay and then home by car from there. Just a pity it was at night because I love ferries!

Thursday was a day to get caught up and post some updates on the blog. It is amazing how a fast connection can help uploading photos. I also did some much needed planning on the NZ portion of the trip as that is now very close. At least the first few days are settled.

Satyaki and his family (Snigtha, and the twins Rohit and Sneha who are 4) have a beautiful home in the hills above Osaka and Kobe, very spacious particularly for a Japanese home. The kids warmed up to me very quickly and I got a little one on one with Rohit when Snigdah took Sneha for her piano lesson in the afternoon.

When Satyaki got home from work we went out for a beer and something to eat at a tiny joint near the station about a mile from the house. I hear that there are lots of good hole in the wall type restaurants and nearly all are close to railroad stations. Satyaki,s grasp of Japanese is very impressive for someone who has only been here a short time, and ordering food and my train tickets was made much easier because of that. Thanks!!

Satyaki works in the Akashi factory and walks to the station (about 15 minutes) and then about 30 minutes on the train and another 15 min walk if the company busses are not scheduled, He takes the 6.23 train and returns around 6.30 or 7 in the evening, often with a late night teleconference from his home. A tough schedule by any measure but not abnormal for an expat in Asia who has to coordinate with people back in the US.

I have done little planning for this portion of the trip and with advice from the family I am going to Kyoto tomorrow, and then probably to Hiroshima on Monday or Tuesday before heading to Tokyo.

Satyaki is running in the Tokyo marathon on the 28^th, and I leave for New Zealand that night.

Tuesday. My last day in India

Before we ate on Monday evening Adrian and Alex went out on their routine to feed some of the local street dogs who are friendly enough and just kind of lay around. They look better fed than many I have seen.
Bob has only three legs having had one crushed by a truck and then having the remainder professionally amputated by an animal charity in Mumbai. He has mange and Alex has some cream she applies and he seems to like that.

Adrian and I spent some time at the Kanheri Caves in North Mumbai. They were inhabited and built by the Buddhists in the 5th century and consist of 109 caves of various size and levels of sophistication. The caves are in a large National Park and after the intensity and bustle/chaos of the city it was a pleasant and welcome change.

From the top of the rock from which the caves are carved you can see some of the towers and skyscrapers of the city.
There was a lot of activity filming an episode for what I think is a local soap opera.

 

 

Also lots of young couples out spending the day together maybe away from the watchful eye of Mom and Dad!.
Adrian had a conference at 1pm so we headed back and I went to the Post Office to mail accumulated material and post cards. Alex is also frantically trying to help organize a conference in Mumbai this weekend with little help from the sponsors so far. In conversation I discovered that Alex's Dad is a pilot and sounds like he and I have many things in common, so I am hoping that another worldwide friendship will be born out of this amazing adventure I am on.

My bag weight has crept up as I have stored cold weather clothes and swapped for shorts and tee-shirts. I shipped out a couple of kilos and when I packed this evening and took my trusty jacket out, my bag felt more normal.
Alex had told me that mailing packages is fairly cheap and that there is a guy who works in front of the Post Office “preparing your package for shipment” I used his services, and once again saw a side of India that many do not. Basically the guy has a little stand and he will take a piece of canvas type material and make and sew your shipment inside a custom made package. He was of course very interesting to watch as he measured and ripped the cloth and then stitched the edges, and then sealed the corners with wax.

 I had to write the address and then the whole affair was carried to the rather surly postal clerk who processed the shipments. Cost of the packaging and workmanship was 100 rupees, or about 2 bucks. Adrian’s driver said that the rate was too high but was so because I was a foreigner! I am getting used to this. An Indian would probably have paid half that.
There was another guy who was selling stationery and also seemed to be writing letters or envelopes that needed that help.

I took some random photos shown below on an afternoon walk.

 

Egg delivery Mumbai style

 Propane delivery Mumbai style

 This job interview was going on as I had a cup of coffee

 I also took a nap in the late afternoon, as today is my last day in India this time. I leave for Hong Kong and Osaka Japan at 4.20 on Wednesday morning.
Adrian, Alex and I went to a good Chinese restaurant for dinner, and I bade them farewell and took a taxi to the airport. The taxi ride was about 25 minutes in what passes for light traffic in Mumbai. The fare was 250 rupees or about $5. The contrast is huge. Some things are outrageously expensive, and many things unbelievably cheap. Such is India.
I have had a wonderful two weeks, full of surprises and easily my best trip to India so far (out of three). Wonderful hosts, many surprises, and lots of smiling people willing to help even if they were uncertain of what you needed. The kids in Dharavi impressed me beyond all.
Farewell India, hello Japan. There is no doubt that I will be back in India, hopefully soon.