Tuesday, October 3 Confrontational Check-Out, Train, Robbed

I woke up and took a bucket shower. I then checked out by giving the key to the old hotel owner, and he demanded 150 Rs for the second night. When checking in, the other guy had explicitly said he’d give me the room for 150 Rs for two nights because I came late and left early. I tried explaining this to the old man, and when I walked out of the door to catch my train. He growled, grabbed my arm, and violently threw me on the couch. He then pretended to call the police. Meanwhile, I was both terrified and furious. He called his son in, a big ugly guy who, for the entire stay, never smiled to me. He was the one who checked me in, and I reminded him of our previous agreement. He conveniently didn’t remember. Then I told them that also, my stuff had been gone through while I was gone (which was true because my iPod was let to Nsync, which I definitely was not listening to…I listen to Backstreet Boys, jk). He, also conveniently, unlearned in the course of two days, how to speak English. He also demanded the money. I was swearing at them and furious, but what is worse-losing $3 or getting into a confrontational situation at a shady unknown hotel in India? So I paid them and told them my uncle was a powerful Mumbai crimelord, and then I pretended to put a Christian curse on them causing them great suffering. I really just wanted to stick the bills down my pants and then hand them over. What a bunch of unfriendly, lying, cheating bastards. They were probably the worst touts I have encouraged in India, I hate them. I left swearing and taking pictures to try and scare them. That was a good example of exactly what NOT to do in India; nearly get in a fight with a bunch of sketchy hotel owners with nothing to lose, over an amount of money that can’t even buy a box of cereal. Yes, that was really stupid, but the good news is I’m not dead. I took a rickshaw to Ahmedabad Train Station to catch my 12-hour (ugh) train ride to Mumbai, only so I can transfer to another train for Aurangabad (ugh2). In short, I’m spending 24 hours on trains and in stations. On the way, I met some friendly Gujaratis that were coming back to work in Mumbai after Navratri, and they fed me chapati and namkeen, which was good. I got a lot of something in my eye, which irritated me the entire way. They sold water called “Blister”, a replica of the horrible Indian water brand “Bisleri” that got me sick because they refill the bottles with tap water. You really don’t have to move at all on the train. People come along selling flowers, toys, luggage locks, cigarettes, pan, food, drinks, and they even sweep up your mess. I got a call from Vijay, who asked how my vacation was going, what I was doing in Mumbai, and just chatting. I was surprised he’d call just to chat and check up on me. I wonder if he called everyone to ask how their breaks were going. I didn’t realize until after we disconnected that it wasn’t Vijay from the study center, but rather the Vijay from Gujarat. Awkward. As the train neared Mumbai, it got dark and rainy, and I woke up to find the aisles overflowing with businessmen commuting back into the city after the holidays. It was hot and sweaty in the sleeper cabin. We enetrered Mumbai and I was gathering my belongings, and was looking for my cell phone, and I checked all my things. But it was nowhere to be found. Another passenger called it and it rang, but then was turned off when they called a second time. So essentially I was robbed. The thief was stealthy since it was in my bag mostly the whole time. The funny thing is I read a horoscope in the paper that predicted something bad would happen to my luggage. At least it was just my cell phone, the least necessary of my valuables. I guess I can say I was robbed in India; it was bound to happen sooner or later. So needless to say, today has been a pretty bad day. When the train was riding through Mumbai, I heard loud explosions (this is two months after the 7/11 bombings on Mumbai trains), so I freaked out, but luckily they were just fireworks. But with my bad luck streak today I’m not about to take any chances. Then, a creepy Muslim guy came and sat next to me and was tapping the table against my leg, so I moved seats and he came and sat across from me, and I moved again. He, once again, followed me again, eyeing my luggage, and then he grabbed at my pantleg, and I immediately jumped up, ran to the door, and jumped out of the moving train onto the platform. I had to hide in the bathroom of another train for a while for him to leave. I got to Mumbai Central, a huge station with a spacious uncrowded waiting lobby, compared to the other stations. From here, I had to ask random people to get the number for Airtel, and they said, call ‘121’ from your mobile. Well, if I had one, I would. I called from a phone booth, and the fare was exactly 6.66-I kid you not. Then I was forced to file a complaint, which was archaic and pointless. All the files were on paper, and I had to handwrite a thing authorizing them to search the train for my lost mobile. Honestly, what’s the use? I had to take the train across town, which was quite the experience. First of all, it was stiflingly crowded. When the train came, everyone ran to the doors and completely pushed and shoved their way in, so no one can move. You don’t really need to stand up, you don’t really have a choice. Why even have handles above? I was sandwiched among like five men, and the whole train was male. If you think the Delhi Metro is bad, an American foreigner here can guarantee to be groped every time on the Mumbai Metro. That’s why there’s a specific car for ladies only. I had to get off and transfer, and since everything was in Hindi as well as in English, it was relatively easy to navigate the never-ending crowds and numerous platforms. Well, at least the ride was free, and I didn’t get pickpocketed. I thought I would, having things in my pockets and a full backpack. I rode to CSTM, the main railway terminus in Mumbai, to catch my other train. It was spacious and new, and even had a designated sleeping area surrounded on four sides by chairs. I’ll keep that in mind the next time I want a free place to sleep in Mumbai. Except I’d probably end up completely naked, considering the thievery of this city. I ventured out for some food, and didn’t have to go far. Then I came back to the station to catch the midnight train to Aurangabad, another city farther into Maharashtra.