We went to Churchstreet Rail Station this morning in time to witness the famous Daba Wallahs of Mumbai. This is a business comprised of illiterate men from a particular village. You may have seen them on 60 minutes. They pick up lunches prepared by the wives of businessmen and deliver them to the offices where the spouse works. The lunches are packed in tiffins by the homemaker so they stay hot. They are collected from a designated neighborhood and loaded on long ladderlike flats about 8 feet in length and 2 feet wide. They are carried on the heads of the deliverymen using the rail system. Amazing that they can do this at all, never mind in crowded railway cars. They meet outside the train station and regroup the lunches according to where they need to be delivered and off they go on bicycles. Their rate of accuracy is very high, well over 98%.
Back to the Y to collect our bags and off to the domestic airport for the short flight to Nagpur. We were met by two groups; one from the Pride hotel and the other from CNI. They had flowers to welcome us. Jimmy went off with the CNI van and the ladies took the van to the hotel, just outside the airport. Our room is very nice and the hotel lovely, but the pool is closed on Mondays. Who ever heard of such a thing?
Ready for dinner, waiting for Jimmy to come in from town to join us.
Immensely enjoying your travelogue. Hope there are many others reading along even if they are not officially "registered." I know how much work it is to write up the day's events so really appreciate your time and tenacity. Sending you big hugs.
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