Having been drowning in a stagnant pond in a forgotten corner of a shady swamp for as long as time could care to remember, the sudden awe of seeing vibrant light was hard to put into words. Even though the contrast inevitably reminds you of what a shithole of predicament you’re destined to, it somehow allowed a shimmer of optimism to permeate the carcass. Given great will, a common conviction and meticulous amount of careful planning and organization, the world could be such a better place with things working right more often and life smoother for everyone.

This remains a place where such marvel is the order of the day, where countless effort and time are being devoted to the elimination of errors and uncertainties. Where sometimes you get the illusion of being engulfed in a sea of thoughfulness, excellence and selflessness. Where each and every person seemingly have a firm grasp of his or her place, and dutily feels respectful and proud towards it. There aren’t a lot of places in the world where men are able to overcome their deficiencies and work wholeheartedly towards a common good – from the station officer bowing and thanking every passenger passing through the gate, to the way flocks of salaryman in black suit uniforms marching on and off the morning commune flight in harmony, to rail attendents doing their greeting gestures when absolutely no-one was watching…no doubt it is the dedication and common respect that makes everything runs like clockwork in this miraculous country that is Japan.

Poster of Fringe at the subway. Even Amy Torv's features look sharper and hair flows smoother in Japan.

At a mere HKD$60 (with a car charger thrown on top), this little thing performed flawlessly. A real bargain.

Think I ought to include the tracks it helped to pump through also. What guilty pleasures these were!

If the cyclical order called karma, or reincarnation, that governs the way lives are born and thus destroyed do exist, and that its mechanics guarantee fairness, redemption, retribution and salvation, then why, would millions hope to break free from it? Why do people believe that true salvation could not be attained as long as their souls remain under the rule of karma?

“Because, let me tell you my friend, people’s bonds and ties with the world are severed here, and through this eternal fire standing before us, their souls could go straight to heaven. To Nirvana.”

An interesting notion. Something similar exists in Chinese mythology in that your mind returns to a clean slate – “tabula rasa”, before you embark on the next cycle. This fire, however, gives you a fast pass to skip all the cycles.

Still, coming from the month of an uninvited tour guide whose ultimate motive was to squeeze donations from sympathetic tourists, the argument sounded flaccid, comical even.

Isn’t it tragic that, according to the know-it-all guide, that hundreds and thousands of aged and diseased would flock to the establishments in this town, only to prey for a chance to take their turn at the burning ghats when the day comes? Seeing how those old and sick lingered around the world’s most filthy alleys, one can’t help but feel perturbed with the horrid of it all. Living out the final days of their lives sleeping bare naked next to files infested cow dungs and sipping down essentially raw sewage water is by no means dignifying or divine. The atrocity of the added suffering incurred by this self-infused belief is unthinkable to the point of absurdity.

Humans have a tendency to inflict pain upon themselves in the name of associating their being to some more grandioze ideas, such as freedom, salvation, happiness. Though few would contemplate the very evil they helped to create in the beginning.

“And sir, a lot of people from all ovur the wurrd, asked me everydeei what they could to to help to keep this place as holy as it is…Now it’s your chance, to offer somefing for your own karma…”

No wait. It got worse real soon.

“Sir, we accept any currency you have, dollars, yens, notes, coins….remember… it is for your own karma, and your family’s.”

Seems not only those old and sick who wished to die here got infected by the karma curse. Astonishing, how bad intentions could feed upon one another and drag the whole population down with it.

Nevertheless, I handed over a handful of notes, which were supposed to become a part of some fund which goes towards offering the old and sick to have a go at the ritual on their final days. Or something. As the guide counted the notes and murmured how this wasn’t enough to help the hundreds of those still suffering, fire was being set upon real flesh and bones on an altar not far from us. A puff of dark eerie smoke ascended towards the blackened sky, while lights from the flame flickered in the man’s eyes, revealing clearly what he himself has learned as the essence of life in this ancient city  - the pile of crumbled papers he was counting.

Finished with his business, the guide jumped onto another boat and merged with the darkness, just as swiftly as he had appeared.

Now back to the point about karma. If, as is depicted, that the sole and only purpose of life is to break through of life and never to witness life again, then why there exists the contradiction of having life in the first place? To breed evil? Or death?

Now? No wait!! Or…now?!

“KRRRRREEEEERRRRUUUUUMMMM”

Ok, three, two, NOW! Or never!!

Mustering enough courage, I pushed my reluctant body forward, into the unknown.

In retaliation, the army of angry creatures lurking in the darkness dashed forward, with raised torches and ear piercing shrieks of war cries. The wavering flames projected sinister shadows that hovered and danced in the smokescreen of dust that has been stirred up. The scene of a boiling inferno infested with raging zombies desperate in devouring anything that moves before them.

At times like this you’re meant to stay calm and keep to your pace, so they say. The don’t want any innocent blood on their hands. Not yours, not for nothing.

That doesn’t mean the moving creatures would slow down or hesitate in knocking you over and stampeding you to a lump of flesh, so inevitably a series of carefully timed dodging and striving followed. Not unlike walking on thin wire, except this one bends, changes shapes and tries anything to throw the walker off balance as he goes.

About four seconds later, my feet found land. Having struggled to pull my entire body along, I shot a glimpse at both directions, and let the comfort of being away from danger gradually sink in. Brushing off the dust and sweats, I let a small sigh of relief, not without a small sense of accomplishment. Cheated death again.

A few feet behind the fury and chaos was just as intense. The creatures went on with their restless battles and moans, some occasionally stealing glimpses in my direction. “We’ll be waiting.” The faces behind the shadows said.

12th Sept 2009:

• Depart from Bangalore on Indigo (6E) 0482. Departure 06:05, ETA 07:40 am.
  • Terminal 1A/1B: 25kms (an hour) to city center.
  • Rs 350 for pre-paid taxi should be enough.
  • Arrive at (A) West End Hotel +91 2222039121. 45 New Marine Lines, Mumbai (Bombay), Maharashtra 400020.

• Afternoon (4-5 hrs, incl transport):
  • Reality Tour Guide hotel pick up at 12pm. Call to confirm +91 9820822253.
  • Office tel no: (+91) 22 22833872, (+91) 9820822253
  • Long Tour: Boys’ shelter, Kamathipura (red light area), Dhobi Ghat (openair laundry), (B) Dharavi.
  • Tour fee is Rs 3,200, paid at community centre afterwards.

• Evening:
  • (C) Mani Bhavan Gandhi museum, 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m: 19 Laburnam Road, Gamdevi, Mumbai (Bombay), Maharashtra 400 007
  • (D) Girgaum Chaupati Beach (गिरगाव चौपाटी)
    • Northern end of Marine Drive, South Mumbai
    • Food kiosks, ferry rides, balloon sellers

View Larger Map

13th Sept 2009:

• Morning – Elephanta Island:
  • 9am: Leave bags at (A) hotel, catch taxi to (B) Gateway of India.
  • Buy ferry ticket at Maharastra tourism development corp (MTDC) at Gateway entrance.
  • Boat departs at gate no.4. Return trip is around Rs 130 for upper deck.
  • Take first boat for Mumbai at 12:00 noon.

• Ideas for the afternoon:
  • (C) Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus (छत्रपती शिवाजी टर्मिनल)
  • (D) Chor Bazaar/Bhendi Bazaar (thieves’ market)
    • Mutton Street, Between SV Patel and Moulana Shaukat Ali Road, Mumbai, 400003
  • OR (E) Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (Prince of Wales Museum)
    • open hours: 10:15am-5:45pm Tue-Sun
    • 159-161, Mahatma Gandhi Road Mumbai, MH 400 023 India

View Larger Map

• Evening:
  • Back to hotel at 5:30pm, call taxi.
  • Arrive at airport Terminal 1A/1B at 7:00 – 7:30pm.
  • Departure flight: Indigo 6E 0415. Take Off 21:05pm. ETA 22:40pm.
  • Arrive at Bangalore, get picked up by car to apartment: Salarpuria Silverwoods, Old Madras Road, Bangalore.

Useful links:

• http://wikitravel.org/en/Elephanta_Caves
• http://wikitravel.org/en/Mumbai/South

Day 1 Cost Estimates – per person: Rs 2375 (HKD 380)

• Taxi: Airport to hotel – Rs 350
• Reality Tour – Rs 3200
• Taxi: Mani Bhavan Gandhi museum to Girgaum Chaupati Beach – Rs 100
• Taxi: Girgaum Chaupati Beach to Hotel – Rs 100
• Meals: Rs 500 x 2

Day 2 Cost Estimates – per person: Rs 2930 (HKD 467) or Rs 3480 (HKD 555)

• Taxi: Hotel to Gateway of India – Rs 100
• Ferry to Elephanta Island, return trip – Rs 130 x 2
• Elephanta Island entrance fees and tax – Rs 260 x 2
• Taxi to airport – Rs 350
• Meals: Rs 700 x 2

• Taxi: Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus to Chor Bazaar – Rs 150
• Taxi: Chor Bazaar to Hotel – Rs 150

OR

• Taxi: Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus to Prince of Wales Museum – Rs 100
• Price of Wales Museum Entrance – Rs 300 x 2
• Taxi: Prince of Wales Museum to Hotel – Rs 150

Other expenses – per person: HKD 1003

• Hotel (tax included): USD $89 (HKD 690)
• Return flights from Bangalore: RS 8,244 (HKD 1317)