The wheels on the bus go round and stop... round and stop... round and stop.

I might perhaps be able to say "I've done it all" in Bombay, because I have now ridden the bus (which I promised myself I wouldn't do). We needed to head down to South Bombay last night for Mitika's birthday dinner at an Italian Restaurant, Indigo, and I usually wouldn't think twice about hopping in a cab. But... apparently I was the only one in the group that felt that way. A taxi, when split 4 (or even 3) ways (the backseats don't comfortably hold 3... but we squeeze in anyway) wouldn't cost more than $1.00... probably much closer to $0.75! So instead we trotted off to the Eastern Expressway to find the bus stop for the Bus 6-7-8. We wound up catching Bus 7. We got on, the ticket man gave us our ticket ($0.25) and we sat down much to the delight of our fellow passengers (100% Indian). We were the entertainment for the evening. I sat their quietly, as to not draw attention to myself, but, apparently was once again the minority in my actions. The bus ride took FOREVER. We were stuck in horrendous traffic (since a bus follows a set route, so obviously can't detour to avoid delays) and the bus trip took us more than an hour and a half (a cab takes about 30 minutes, if that). It was hot, sticky, and very smelly.

So, now I've "done the bus" and can clearly mark that off my "to experience" list. We got to dinner late, and I felt horrible about that because those of you that know me, know that I am punctual to a fault. We also were let off a few blocks from the restaurant in the MIDDLE OF THE STREET. We had to dash across multiple lanes of traffic, run through a traffic circle, and then cross Colaba Causeway. Um. NOT FUN. I saw my life flash before my eyes multiple times.

But, deep breath. We arrived at the restaurant and had a lovely evening! I ordered some plain pasta with prawns (since my stomach is so sensitive, I am no longer taking the risk of fine fancy cuisine) and we enjoyed celebrating with Mitika. The restaurant was really nice, one of the best parts of Mumbai is the dining. There are so many restaurants, and the upscale ones are always so classy and have really intriguing decor. After dinner, we headed to the Czar Bar, where I only stayed about an hour or so, since it was quite smoky despite the room Mitika had rented for the evening. All in all, I had a lovely evening, took a cab back (of course... total cost $3.00... I'll spend a $1.00 versus $0.25 anyday if it means avoiding the bus) and laid down to sleep.

This morning I got up much earlier than intended, the downfall of roommates, and finished getting all of my things ready for this afternoon when I head to the Bandra Train Station and off to Rajasthan. Since I will be incommunicado until 13 Nov, I hope everyone has a great weekend/week, and I look forward to touching base upon my return and filling everyone in on what is sure to be an adventure-filled trip.