G'day

47 degree temperatures and raging bushfires. Melbourne's experiencing nothing of the sort at present. Today felt like a typical Melrose spring day, never above 15 degrees and perfect for cycling. Or at least the bit of the day I experienced - woke up this morning at 10:45 after nearly 14 hours sleep, can't remember when that last happened. The Qantas flight from Bombay wasn't very restful, not least because at one point a woman fainted and collapsed on me and needed emergency oxygen. Would like to pretend I did my white knight impression, but don't think breaking her fall and summoning the cabin staff qualifies.

I'm being hosted here by Colin, another upstanding member of the couchsurfing community, and a guy whose generosity goes way beyond the call of duty. Also a film and SF geek who can match my memory of obscure movies and best-forgotten cult classic novels blow-for-blow. He has the edge on me on Role Playing Games, as he's still an active player, which brings back my teenage years. I STILL can't believe Alan Purves was secretly the Android in Mike Jones 'Alien' re-creation....

But I should say more about India. I at last saw Slumdog Millionaire on the plane from Bombay (it was embarrassing not having done so before staying with the chap who shot much of it, but Mrinal was very nice about this!) and there was lots from the film that I recognised from my stay, including the huge water pipes around which entire slums have been built (see photo), with attractive mosques (and temples, and surprisingly many churches) in the background. We had dinner on my last night with several other people from the Bombay film world, during which I learned lots of dirt about Bollywood celebrities which I sadly have no use for. Mrinal also took me to a Buddhist 1st millenium Monastic Cave Complex, very impressive, though like many of Bombay's attractions, poorly presented for visitors (I don't just mean European ones) - pity they don't make more of an effort. Even more impressive is the huge National Park the caves are in, in land-hungry Bombay the pressure to surrendur this to the developers must be huge. It's full of leopards apparently though they're hard to spot, there's certainly plenty monkeys for them to eat (see above for 3 of the less camera-shy). Other random impressions - answering nature's call in the middle of the night, avoiding a meditating Indian in the darkness, then tripping over his cat; lots of new fruits - do they sell papaya in the UK? it's excellent; and Mrinal being stopped by the cops for running a red light we hadn't seen (50 rupees is the going rate for persuading them not to make an issue of this) following which we stopped obediently at the next one and the motorbike behind us shot straight through it in the most blatant way possible.

I'm glad to have experienced it, and would go back to other parts of India, but even with the fantastic hospitality I had, a week is about my limit in a place as intense, hot, and crowded as Bombay. Plus India's best defense against foreign invaders is still keeping me much too regular, and I acquired some non-too-fetching spots (this blog is warts'n'all...) on face and hands which may have been heat or allergy-related. Appearance was only thing affected, they weren't even itchy, and almost gone now, but still very unwelcome!

Bombay or Mumbai

The first thing you discover in Bombay is that there's a lot of confusion about the name. My host Mrinal, who is Indian born and bred, calls it Bombay, but to Oliver and Henry Briggs (pictured, ages 5 and 3, they've arrived from England a few months ago), it's Mumbai and they loudly corrected me when I 'got it wrong'. Since their parents were hosting me for an afternoon of luxury poolside at the Marriot Hotel, I wasn't about to argue with them.

Next thing you discover is that if you try to do to much, you flake out, because it's very hot. And the traffic is incredible, Bombay has lots of signs discouraging 'honking', which frankly everyone is ignoring. But with the help of an assertive driver (and Mrinal is a very assertive driver) you can see a lot. We did the grand tour, covering churches, the zoo, beaches, mosques, and the obligatory Slums with their impressive recycling industry. And cricket being played everywhere, though many of the bowlers need their actions reviewed by the ICC.

Also climbed up to a fort at Kernala about 2 hours from Bombay, hottest slowest walk I've ever done. Lots of wild monkeys eyeing our food. Most impressive part of the fort is the caves cut into the rock pinnacle at its centre, which house enough water for an army to withstand a siege for months.

Off to Oz tomorrow.

Gratuitous plug for Berghaus

So here I am in Bombay, and my rucksack came too - well done BA. The Berghaus Pulsar 65BC is a veteran of my travels. It first came to the US in 1988, and I think made the same trip with my brother Michael a few years later. It Eurorailed in 1992, and walked the West Highland Way in 1997. It got supplanted by kitbags for Peru and Nepal, but seems to have forgiven me, perhaps because I've bought it a little brother, a new daypack, also made by Berghaus. But there's been one deserter. A Scottish flag badge attached to the rucksack was caught and deftly removed by a projecting beam in a pub in South Kensington where I was having a last-drink-in-the-UK with my pal Anthony, and flipped into the hands of a Scot who works there. He was very keen to have it, and as he had some tough looking Cockney mates I let myself be persuaded. After many years service was sad to see the badge go, but no doubt the rucksack will acquire some new souvenirs in the months ahead.

Bombay! Well, it's hot (who'd have thought...) but very welcoming. Mrinal and his sister took me to a showing of his new (well, made 2 years ago, before he worked on Slumdog Millionaire) film Siddartha last night. With M's help it was surprisingly easy to follow, and quite gripping though maybe a little slow at times. Sadly the local press haven't been kind to the film, but the cinematographer (mein host) has escaped with his reputation intact and maybe enhanced.

Still feels like a holiday right now - the whole "I'm going to be away for 6 months - 6 MONTHS!!" thing hasn't quite sunk in yet. But learning to take things at a more relaxing pace, this morning's been disgracefully lazy.

Vulture and his culture

Last day in UK for a bit, though at the British Museum yesterday I had to remind myself that I hadn't left yet. Few of my fellow culture vultures sounded or spoke English. Which may mean the Pound's weakness is bringing in the visitors, good news for the UK economy, if not for me. Babylon exhibition at BM impressive but crammed into too small a space, Darwin exhibition at Natural History Museum better. Thanks to Catherine Briggs for company at the latter and subsequent drinks (IOU one fish supper...), and to the Teddington Mackenzies for all their hospitality the last couple of nights.

I'm outta here...

Half an hour till I shut the door at Airlie Street for the last time in 6 months. Three quarters of an hour till I get to the airport. 1 hour till I start remembering and listing all the things I've forgotten to pack. Thanks to Mum in advance for the lift to the airport, for keeping me sane the last couple of days, and for finding my glasses this morning. Bit of a role reversal, that...

I'll be back...

Why am I leaving again? I've had a great time in Glasgow the last few weeks. Farewell lunches, dinners, and drinks, lots of "I can't believe I won't see you again for 6 months" to people I probably only see once every 6 months as it is! It's been mad but very enjoyable. I've tried to maintain something approaching professionalism in the office, but am assured I've been alarmingly demob happy since xmas.

Friday was the big blowout with colleagues. The attached is how they think I should be dressed for my travels - all the tat you bought is on show guys! And you'll be seeing some of it again in later photos. Was a memorable night, and not just for me - one individual laid eyes on an old flame he'd not seen for 20 years. And some other stuff not for printing in a family blog, though hopefully everyone concerned will be able to laugh about it next week!

Packing nearly complete, some of it generously provided by friends and family. Many thanks to colleagues for what's in the photo, to Mum for my daypack, Mike and family for the travel towel and the dinky wee torch, Jo for the travel chess set, George for John O'Farrell's Impartial History of Britain, and Ronnie for the Xenophobe's Guide to Australia which should be a big help in making enemies when I get there. And Rita for the cap which identifies me as a member of the Scottish team from the 2002 Commonwealth games. Suggestions for what sport I should pretend to have participated in gratefully received.

The Grand Design

I guess since this is to be a blog of my travels I'd better describe what these are going to be. Here's the flightplans right now:

24 Feb: Glasgow-London (Darwin and Babylon exhibitions)
26 Feb: London-Bombay (Whatever my pal Mrinal has lined up.)
5 Mar: Bombay-Melbourne (If it isn't a pile of ashes by then.)
12 Mar: Melbourne-Hobart (Van Diemen's land. Voluntarily...)
27 Mar: Melbourne-Christchurch (Super 14 games, the Milford Track, folk I haven't seen for 29 years...)
8 July: Sydney-Honolulu (Well, you have to, don't you?)
15 July: Honolulu-San Francisco (Yosemite, the Rockies, the Pacific coastline, Seattle, Vancouver Island, will I have time for Alaska?)
21 August: Vancouver-London-Glasgow: (And if I'm not back at my desk by 24th, HR tells me I'll be assumed to have resigned!)

But plans are for corporate drones, and I'm raging against that fate. Besides, I'm awfully easily distracted, so don't be surprised to see a few changes to the above. In fact, you may be the cause of them....