5. Sleep? Sleep is for sissies.....

Loooong day. Got to sleep at 0500, awake at 0800. Had breakfast at the hotel and then hired a car for the day to tour around Mumbai. We certainly fit a lot in for just one day....some shopping, touring of gardens,  visited the Gate of India,and went to the dhobi ghat, which is large area where laundering is done for the city (see picture ), plus much much much more.  On three separate occasions we incited mini flash mobs, which  all turned into photo shoots with random Indian people who wanted their pictures taken with the two pale, blonde foreigners.  Just when you thought it might be over, someone else would wiggle their way in beside me, look at Heidi and I and say "Please ma'am? " while gesturing at the camera with one hand and, at times, slipping an arm around my waist. The first time was in a garden and seemed mostly to be young ladies and a few gentleman.  Tonight, however,  we had the chance to visit the amazing Chowpatty beach, with the Arabian sea under our toes. The sun was setting and we had a deadline to get back to our hired car. It was then that I was surrounded by young,  likely 20 something men asking to have their picture taken with me. I gave Heidi my camera and she captured some of the chaos.  Everything and everyone seemed to be on that beach - girls begging to do henna on us, men asking if we would like to see their monkeys (there really were monkeys, just to clarify that), and some great street food, which was what I really wanted for my birthday supper. Got scammed a little a couple of times today but was mild as far as scams go.
Unfortunately had the wrong information for our flight to Kathmandu tonight. Went to international airport and after standing in line for some time were told we needed to be at domestic airport. Mild panic (or slightly more than that) set in, and I hailed down an auto rickshaw, we stuffed us, the driver and ALL our luggage (wish I had a picture of that) and off we flew to the domestic airport. We think he took the long way to get more money out of the meter but we made it in time! Whew!  Two hour flight to Delhi and now it is 0346 and flight to Kathmandu still doesn't leave til 0730. I am beginning to think that Heidi can sleep through anything. The noise level here is high but she is stretched out and sound asleep.  I'm not jealous.  No. Not at all.
Will land in Kathmandu sometime after 9 am. Will be glad to leave these flights behind for a while.  My biggest regret of the day was being unable to talk to my birthday buddy. I tried countless times but could not make it work and even the texting fell through after early am. So sorry, my little nutbrown hare. Happy  birthday.  Love you to the moon and back.
Ps. Right after finishing the above Heidi woke up and told me about pay phones she had seen, and so I blubbered my way through a phone call with Kara,  taking her out of a movie :-)