Arrivederci, Roma!

My departure from Italy didn't happen at all like I had planned, hoped or expected. My last day started out well there as I did and abbreviated trek to some of the film sites for Roman Holiday. These sites coincided with some places I wanted to visit anyway so that worked out well although everything was rather spread out. Rome has only two underground lines so that's easy enough to figure out and at only 1 Euro a pop, quite the bargain so I covered the ground pretty easily. So easy in fact that it was only mid afternoon when I had completed that mission so I decided to hop on the sightseeing bus and just ride around listening to the history until we were nearest my hostel. I hopped on in the middle of the tour route and just a half hour later we were at the beginning of the route. We had to wait there for the next scheduled departure time but it was at a busy place so people watching from the comfort of a heated bus was OK. At last we started off and we rapidly zipped our way out into the late afternoon of the last Sunday of the holiday weekend in rush hour Rome. 2 hours later I arrived at the stop I wanted. The bus arrived just moments later but was packed to overflowing so I walked the last half mile almost keeping up with the bus and actually beating the second bus if I had bother to wait for it. Back at the hostel, my plan had been to do my final Roman update, pack up, catch few hours sleep before the cab to the airport. That didn't work out either because there internet was down at the hostel! I went up and packed and readied myself for the 3am taxi and tried to sleep but couldn't because I have no alarma and I was afraid I'd miss the taxi. Eventually I got to the airport, early like you're supposed to but too early and they don't make those places comfy for hanging out in. All my flights were on time and uneventful, the best way to fly. I arrived in Mumbai with no local currency, no guide book, no map. Customs was quick and totally painless, baggage claim was the same. While waiting for my bag I had asked where the ATM machine was. None in the airport. Hmmmm. . . I had planned to get a few rupees out in order to pay for my taxi to my hotel. Now what? Oh, lookee there! There are money exchange desks open right there after baggage claim. I did a quick exchange and prepared myself for what I thought was going to be my first bargaining exercise and course in dealing with crowds of people wanting me to use their service. Never happened. There was a booth set up where you prepay for your cab. They issue you a little slip with a cab number. You go out to the large cab parking lot and locate the cab with your number on it. Hand the slip to the driver and he takes you to your destination. In theory. I had my slip, found my driver (with the help of a young man I was supposed to have tipped but I only had 100 rupee notes and he didn't look as though he was prepared to give change). Then the adventure began. He didn't know where the hotel was. I had been told that in London any cab driver can tell you the exact route he will take to anyplace you say in London. Too bad that was not one of the skills the English left here. The location of my hotel was a debate before we left and as it turns out, was still debateable once we did leave. We drove around enough the I actually began recogizing places! Finally we landed, after midnight in front of the hotel that appeared to be closed. However a doorman appeared from who knows where and raised a large garage door to revel the hotel front. While I am staying in an actual hotel here and not a hostel, the caliber of the venue is about the same. That is to say it ain't the Four Seasons. But it's home for the next few days until I meet the tour group and tomorrow, I'll try to find this internet place again and tell you all about my first day in Mumbai.