My Second Day

Sent to my family in the UK:

Exploring on 23rd/24th January

The sound of this city is the car horn. The cars, pushbikes, motorcyles and various other contraptions jostle for position on every crowded road. There is a feeling of total chaos allthough I have not seen a single collision as they all seem to drive with an instinctive sense of last minute accident avoidence. The unusual little taxis are so cheap with a twenty minute journey through town only costing the equivalent of a pound. They often turn their engines of at red lights and only start them again after the lights have most certainly turned green. During this time you are more often than not approached by beggars. My breath was taken away as a woman came to the window with a maimed child in her arms its face totally burnt on one side by fire or some kind of chemical, its arm had been amputated half way down the forearm. I could not tell if it was a boy or a girl. This is a frequent sight and I am told by a friend here who comes from Mumbai that these children have been maimed by criminal gangs and passed from one woman to another as a prop whilst they beg in the city. Slumdog Millionaire is a true portrail of life on the streets of Mubai. You cannot fail to be upset by the cruelty.

I would also like to say a huge thank-you to everybody who has donated recently towards the charities, much appreciated.